ArmInfo. Wine festivals are held annually in Yerevan and Areni, which are popular not only with the local population, but also with tourists. In order to further popularize Armenian wine, the Vineyard and Winemaking Development Fund (VWFA) initiated a new Voskeat wine festival this time in Ashtarak, Aragatsotn region, which the Fund carries out together with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia. The head of the Viticulture and Winemaking Fund Zaruhi Muradyan announced a new initiative on September 5 during a press conference.
According to her, over 25 winemakers will take part in the festival, and the main emphasis will be placed on producers of homemade wine of the Aragatsotn region. "The festival, which will last 3 days, aims to increase the recognition of the Aragatsotn region as a wine region, the development of enotourism and the activation of cultural life in the region," she said. In this regard, the head of the Fund noted that 5% of the total number of tourists choosing Armenia as a tourist destination visits the country for the purpose of enotourism.
Muradyan also said that the festival program will be quite interesting and rich, in particular, a competition and awarding of home-made wine producers are expected, many master classes for guests, including wine tasting, games, and national dishes will also be presented as part of the festival. , - said the head of the Fund.
During the press conference, it was also stated that from September 7 from 16:00 to 19:00 from Yerevan Republican Square free transportation of passengers wishing to attend the Voskeat Wine Festival in Ashtarak will be carried out, and accordingly from 22:00 to 00 : 00 from Ashtarak to Yerevan. The festival is supported by the RA Ministry of Economy, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the My Armenia program, and the Smithsonian Institution.
Recall that the Fund of Viticulture and Winemaking of Armenia was created by the decision of the government of June 23, 2016. The activities of the Fund are aimed at solving problems associated with improving the quality of wine products to ensure their competitiveness in the domestic and foreign markets. The Fund carries out activities to improve the Armenian wine brand and increase the recognition of Armenia as the ancient cradle of wine.
According to the Statcommittee of the Republic of Armenia, in the first half of 2019, 5.7 million liters were produced in Armenia. wine, which is 42.8% more than a year ago. According to the RA Customs Service, during the reporting period, Armenia exported 1.3 million liters. wine, with annual growth of 16.5%, with a decrease in customs value by 1.5%. Traditionally, the main export market for Armenian wine is the Russian Federation (72.3%), followed by China (5%), Switzerland (4%), USA (3.4%), Poland (2%), France (1.8 %), Italy (1.5%), Ukraine (1.2%), Georgia (1%).