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Armenian-Italian winery Rikars Wine has launched natural wines “Davit” and “Arag”, made with Italian technologies and Armenian “heart”.
Founded in 2017, Rikars Wine makes its dry reds from Armenian grape variety Areni, fermenting and aging them in earthen karases (traditional Armenian amphorae – GastroVino.am) and oak barrels from Artsakh.
Assisting oenologist Silva Atoyan has talked to GastroVino at the wine presentation on November 28, noting that Rikars Wine products have only natural compounds.
“We are trying to revive Armenian winemaking traditions. Both “Davit” and “Arag” are made from Areni grapes, the difference is the aging method, so these two varieties have different taste and aroma. We age “Arag” the ancient Armenian way – in earthen karases, and “Davit” undergoes aging in the oak barrels we import from Artsakh,” she explained.
Rikars Wine’s chief winemaker Federico Renzi is from Tuscany. He consults over 20 wineries in central Italy, including the local wineries of Rikars Wine co-founder Riccardo Gagliardi.
After studying the Armenian winemaking methods, Renzi decided to visit the country and taste local varieties. In the end, he selected Areni to make his wines.
“I discovered so many grape varieties in Armenia when I came here to study local winemaking methods. I realized I wanted to work with Armenian grapes, not bring grapes from my native Tuscany to Armenia. And so, these are Armenian wines made with Tuscany’s experience. The technology is Italian, but the heart – the grape – is Armenian. I always point out that I don’t create the wine, I simply use my skills. It is created by the sun and the soil, and our wines are made by the Armenian sun and soil,” Federico Renzi told GastroVino.
Federico Renzi
Riccardo Gagliardi and Arsen Zadoyan had been friends for 15 years before deciding to found a company together. Zadoyan has told GastroVino that Rikars Wine is a family/friends business.
Riccardo Gagliardi, Federico Renzi, Arsen Zadoyan
“We get the grape from farmers but we’re building our own vineyards too. I think it will be around three years before we start making wine from our own grape,” said Zadoyan, adding that Rikars Wine plans to use Haghtanak grape variety too in the nearest future.
Marie Taryan
Photos by Hrant Martirosyan
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