Liana Yeghiazaryan
“Radiolur”
The 8th Fruitful Armenia international forum kicked off in Yerevan today. This year it is dedicated to the perspectives of development of viticulture and winemaking in Armenia.
The consumption of vodka in Armenia is thrice as high as that of wine, while that ratio is 100-1 in favor of wine.
However, the Armenian traditions of winemaking allow to predict serious developments for the coming eight years. Fruitful Armenia is the platform to make realistic proposals to reach that target.
The best winemaking traditions date back to 1976-1980s. However, the Soviet anti-alcohol policy and later the collapse of the USSR caused an abrupt downfall. The trends continued into the early years of independence. A 65% cut was registered in the field of wine production.
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan considers, however, that the years of the sad statistics are in the past. “Studies show that we have a great potential for development of viticulture. It’s gratifying that there are new and serious investments. Today’s statistics shows that the demand for grapes will exceed the supply in the coming years,” Tigran Sargsyan said.
Two new wineries will be established in Armavir and Aragatsotn this month. There are currently 20 winemaking companies in the republic, which ensure 520 jobs.
