WINE FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE IN THE ARMENIAN VILLAGE ARENI ON OCTOBER 8, TOURISTS WILL BE WAITING FOR A LOT OF SURPRISES
ARKA
Sep 28, 2011
YEREVAN. September 28. /ARKA/. Wine festival will take place in the
Armenian village Areni of Vayots Dzor region (south of Armenia) on
October 8. The tourists will be waiting a lot of surprises, said the
head of Areni community Zhirayr Yeghyan on Wednesday.
"The festival is conducted already the third year and attracts more
and more tourists year-by-year. If last year 2.5-3 thousand tourists
visited the festival, this year their number is expected over 5
thousand", said Yeghyan in the International Center "Novosti".
This year a number of events are envisaged in Areni, including national
games, presentation of dishes, marc and wine making in accordance with
historical traditions. The guests will be suggested Armenian baking,
lavash and gata (national Armenian dish with sweet stuffing), wine
and cheese tasting.
All the envisaged events will be organized in the whole village for the
convenience of the tourists with state financial support in the amount
of 3 million drams (about $8.1 thousand) and participation of sponsors.
"For participation in the festival not only tourist groups from
France, Spain, Russia, tour operators from Estonia, but also domestic
manufacturers, of which eight wine-makers are from the village Areni
and another eight- from Nagorno-Karabakh republic and regions of
Armenia", said Yeghyan.
About 80 farms will provide the visitors their houses for rest.
Chairman of the Union of legal entities "Association of communities of
Armenia" Emin Yeritsyan said that for participation in the festival as
experts and members of jury are invited wine-making specialists from
France who will select the winners and award them prizes in nomination
"The best wine".
Competitions among the tourists on the development of the design for
wine labels will be conducted. The winner will have opportunity to
visit the festival again. 100 bottles of wine will be produced by these
labels. Visitors of the festival will select the best home-made wine.
This year the festival participants will use the services of special
buses costing 2.5 thousand drams (about $6.8) which will take them
to the village Areni and return back to Yerevan in the evening.
The village Areni is in Vayots Dzor region which was established in
the 3rd century before Christ. The most famous architectural building
in the village is the church of St. Mother of God built in 1321 by
famous architect Momik.
There are 543 farms in the village. The population is over 2 thousand.
Wild grape in Areni was grown from earlier Bronze Age. Now more than
20 types of grape is grown in the village. Annually, 300 tons of wine
"Areni" is produced in the village which is sold in Armenia and abroad.
It is planned that the wine festival in Armenia in 2011 will take
place in the context of archeological finding of wine-making in the
village Areni.
During the study of the cave "Areni-1", international group of
archeologists discovered the earliest evidence of wine-making in the
south-east of Armenia which turned more than six thousand years.
The first time traces of possible wine-making were detected in the cave
Areni-1 in 2008. Now the chemical analysis of traces of substances
found in several ceramic shards in the cave Areni allowed to prove
that its inhabitants were engaged in winemaking about 4000 years
before Christ. Among the findings of archeologists are remnants of
press, jars for storing wine and "waste products" - seeds of grapes,
remnants of squeezed berries, stems.
ARKA
Sep 28, 2011
YEREVAN. September 28. /ARKA/. Wine festival will take place in the
Armenian village Areni of Vayots Dzor region (south of Armenia) on
October 8. The tourists will be waiting a lot of surprises, said the
head of Areni community Zhirayr Yeghyan on Wednesday.
"The festival is conducted already the third year and attracts more
and more tourists year-by-year. If last year 2.5-3 thousand tourists
visited the festival, this year their number is expected over 5
thousand", said Yeghyan in the International Center "Novosti".
This year a number of events are envisaged in Areni, including national
games, presentation of dishes, marc and wine making in accordance with
historical traditions. The guests will be suggested Armenian baking,
lavash and gata (national Armenian dish with sweet stuffing), wine
and cheese tasting.
All the envisaged events will be organized in the whole village for the
convenience of the tourists with state financial support in the amount
of 3 million drams (about $8.1 thousand) and participation of sponsors.
"For participation in the festival not only tourist groups from
France, Spain, Russia, tour operators from Estonia, but also domestic
manufacturers, of which eight wine-makers are from the village Areni
and another eight- from Nagorno-Karabakh republic and regions of
Armenia", said Yeghyan.
About 80 farms will provide the visitors their houses for rest.
Chairman of the Union of legal entities "Association of communities of
Armenia" Emin Yeritsyan said that for participation in the festival as
experts and members of jury are invited wine-making specialists from
France who will select the winners and award them prizes in nomination
"The best wine".
Competitions among the tourists on the development of the design for
wine labels will be conducted. The winner will have opportunity to
visit the festival again. 100 bottles of wine will be produced by these
labels. Visitors of the festival will select the best home-made wine.
This year the festival participants will use the services of special
buses costing 2.5 thousand drams (about $6.8) which will take them
to the village Areni and return back to Yerevan in the evening.
The village Areni is in Vayots Dzor region which was established in
the 3rd century before Christ. The most famous architectural building
in the village is the church of St. Mother of God built in 1321 by
famous architect Momik.
There are 543 farms in the village. The population is over 2 thousand.
Wild grape in Areni was grown from earlier Bronze Age. Now more than
20 types of grape is grown in the village. Annually, 300 tons of wine
"Areni" is produced in the village which is sold in Armenia and abroad.
It is planned that the wine festival in Armenia in 2011 will take
place in the context of archeological finding of wine-making in the
village Areni.
During the study of the cave "Areni-1", international group of
archeologists discovered the earliest evidence of wine-making in the
south-east of Armenia which turned more than six thousand years.
The first time traces of possible wine-making were detected in the cave
Areni-1 in 2008. Now the chemical analysis of traces of substances
found in several ceramic shards in the cave Areni allowed to prove
that its inhabitants were engaged in winemaking about 4000 years
before Christ. Among the findings of archeologists are remnants of
press, jars for storing wine and "waste products" - seeds of grapes,
remnants of squeezed berries, stems.