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BEIRUTIS DEVELOP TASTE FOR ARMENIAN POMEGRANATE WINE
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/01/10/8395/
11:53 10.01.2013
Armenian pomegranate wine is gaining popularity in Beirut~Rs Armenian
suburb of Burj Hammoud and beyond after making a big impression at the
Beirut Cooking Festival in November where visitors couldn~Rt get
enough, The Daily Star reports.
Armenia is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, but
the pomegranate, with its tight clusters of seeds and vivid color, has
special significance in the culture.
~SThe pomegranate represents family, solidarity, a community that
sticks together, and the color symbolizes happiness,~T said Arpi
Mangassarian.
Mangassarian wears many hats in the local Armenian community as a
municipality official and founder of the Badguer Restaurant and
HeritageCenter, which is responsible for introducing the wine to the
public at the Cooking Festival.
Armenian food has already distinguished itself among the cuisines of
the region for its rich palette and playful mix of spicy, sweet and
savory flavors, so it~Rs no surprise that this tart, semisweet wine is
just as surprising and delicious.
In the Badguer dining room, pomegranate wine is served alongside
hearty, traditional Armenian dishes such as stuffed carrots and
kebbeh. The fruit~Rs symbolic significance is also clearly on display,
with pomegranate motifs adorning everything from the curtains to the
napkins.
~SIts presence makes us feel there is balance and joy and prosperity,~T
Mangassarian explained.
~SThey say if you count all the seeds in a pomegranate there are
exactly 365, but I never counted!~T she added.
Until now, the wine, which is imported from Armenia, is hard to find,
even among wine and liquor shops in Burj Hammoud. According to
Mangassarian, most Lebanese Armenians acquire a taste for the drink
when they visit Armenia.
But according to Elie Maamari, an oenologist and export manager for
Ksara, that could soon change as pomegranate wine is enjoying somewhat
of a renaissance internationally.
As a wine expert, Maamari says he was taken aback by the sweetness of
the drink, which he considers more of a liquor or a dessert wine. ~SI
think it will catch on in Lebanon, but the question is what can you
consume it with? Maybe cheese or dessert,~T he suggested.
Despite its marketability, Maamari sees little opportunity for the
commercial production of pomegranate wine locally, pointing out that
Lebanon does not grow enough pomegranates to sustain such an industry.
Syria, he added, would have been an ideal place to produce pomegranate
wine, if not for the current crisis
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/01/10/8395/
11:53 10.01.2013
Armenian pomegranate wine is gaining popularity in Beirut~Rs Armenian
suburb of Burj Hammoud and beyond after making a big impression at the
Beirut Cooking Festival in November where visitors couldn~Rt get
enough, The Daily Star reports.
Armenia is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, but
the pomegranate, with its tight clusters of seeds and vivid color, has
special significance in the culture.
~SThe pomegranate represents family, solidarity, a community that
sticks together, and the color symbolizes happiness,~T said Arpi
Mangassarian.
Mangassarian wears many hats in the local Armenian community as a
municipality official and founder of the Badguer Restaurant and
HeritageCenter, which is responsible for introducing the wine to the
public at the Cooking Festival.
Armenian food has already distinguished itself among the cuisines of
the region for its rich palette and playful mix of spicy, sweet and
savory flavors, so it~Rs no surprise that this tart, semisweet wine is
just as surprising and delicious.
In the Badguer dining room, pomegranate wine is served alongside
hearty, traditional Armenian dishes such as stuffed carrots and
kebbeh. The fruit~Rs symbolic significance is also clearly on display,
with pomegranate motifs adorning everything from the curtains to the
napkins.
~SIts presence makes us feel there is balance and joy and prosperity,~T
Mangassarian explained.
~SThey say if you count all the seeds in a pomegranate there are
exactly 365, but I never counted!~T she added.
Until now, the wine, which is imported from Armenia, is hard to find,
even among wine and liquor shops in Burj Hammoud. According to
Mangassarian, most Lebanese Armenians acquire a taste for the drink
when they visit Armenia.
But according to Elie Maamari, an oenologist and export manager for
Ksara, that could soon change as pomegranate wine is enjoying somewhat
of a renaissance internationally.
As a wine expert, Maamari says he was taken aback by the sweetness of
the drink, which he considers more of a liquor or a dessert wine. ~SI
think it will catch on in Lebanon, but the question is what can you
consume it with? Maybe cheese or dessert,~T he suggested.
Despite its marketability, Maamari sees little opportunity for the
commercial production of pomegranate wine locally, pointing out that
Lebanon does not grow enough pomegranates to sustain such an industry.
Syria, he added, would have been an ideal place to produce pomegranate
wine, if not for the current crisis