What is thought to be the world’s highest wine launch took place at 5,137 metres above sea level on top of Mount Ararat on 8 August. Armenian winemaker Zorik Gharibian was accompanied by two adventurous Masters of Wine. The wine launched was Yeraz from Zorah Wines in Armenia. The name Yeraz means “dream”.
Armenia is a country rebuilding its wine industry but Zorik Gharibian, who is also the founder of Zorah, is deeply passionate and protective of Armenia’s unique native grapes and unspoiled soil. The Zorah blog notes “preserving his countries native and rare grapes is not just a matter of variety on wine store shelves. Zorik and his team remain fiercely loyal to the indigenous grapes of his country. He insists if Armenia is ever to rise as a wine making reality it has to make excellent wines with unmistakable identities; wines with the ability to thrill, surprise and challenge current establishments and this, he claims, can only be achieved through the diversity of the native grapes.”
“No book, no research material can hold a candle to real, living history,” says Zorik. “That is what these grapes are. They are our national heritage and we have to preserve them. We owe it to ourselves and we owe it to future generations!”
For more information see – http://www.zorahwines.com/
