Vinalia x ArmAs, Karmrahyut-Areni

Founded in 2007 by Armenak Aslanian, ArmAs is a leader in Armenia’s indigenous grape revival. His daughter Victoria now runs the family winery, continuing a long lineage of winegrowers. Armenak found ideal terroir in Aragatsotn Province, transforming a neglected 180-hectare property into a modern vineyard. With Italian winemaker Emilio Del Medico, ArmAs today crafts wines from native varieties like Karmrahyut, Kangun, Voskehat, and Areni, blending Italian winemaking expertise with Armenia’s rich viticultural heritage.

Armenia, nestled on the southeastern shores of the Black Sea, boasts a winemaking heritage spanning over 6,000 years. A 2011 discovery found a cave housing the world’s oldest “winery,” dating to 4000 BCE and demonstrating a methodical and large-scale early Armenian wine industry. In the Aragatsotn Province, situated at the foot of Mount Aragats, unique grape varieties flourish in volcanic soils, reflecting a vibrant and rapidly evolving wine industry that has gained momentum since the post-Soviet era.

Karmrahyut's name translates from Armenian to "red juicy." This is reference to Karmrahyut as a rare teinturier variety. Like Georgian Saperavi, Karmrahyut's flesh and juice is naturally red. (For most red grapes, it is exclusively the skins that are pigmented, whereas the flesh and juice are colorless.) Its name proves apt, with Karmrahyut offering succulent red wines, luscious in plum and berry flavors.