Zorah Wines

Zorik Gharibian, an Armenian diaspora member, first visited Armenia in 1998 and spent three years scouting locations before founding Zorah Wines in 2000. He settled on the village of Rind in Vayots Dzor, a site with deep historical resonance: the Areni-1 cave, just one kilometer away, holds the oldest known winery in the world, dating to 4100 BC. From the outset, Gharibian worked with renowned Italian oenologist Alberto Antonini, whose consultancy shaped the winery's minimal-intervention philosophy.

• Founded 2000 by Zorik Gharibian following a 1998 visit to Armenia
• Rind village in Vayots Dzor was chosen after three years of site selection
• Alberto Antonini consulted from the winery's inception
• Positioned as the first modern commercial winery of independent Armenia

Zorah farms 15 hectares of vines on rocky, limestone-rich, volcanic soils at elevations of 1,400 to 1,600 meters. This places the estate among the highest vineyards in the northern hemisphere. The continental climate delivers long, dry summers with high daytime temperatures and cool nights, preserving natural acidity in the grapes. The vines are ungrafted and pre-phylloxera, maintaining a continuous genetic lineage to the ancient Areni grapes cultivated in this region for millennia.

• 15 hectares on rocky, limestone-rich, volcanic soils
• Elevation of 1,400,1,600 meters, among the highest in the northern hemisphere
• Continental climate with significant diurnal temperature variation
• Ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines with direct lineage to ancient Armenian varieties

Zorah works with indigenous Armenian varieties including Areni Noir, Voskehat, Garandmak, Chilar, and Sireni. The flagship wine, Karasi, is produced from Areni Noir. Winemaking follows a minimal-intervention philosophy using natural yeasts, with wines aged in karasses, traditional Armenian clay vessels buried three-quarters underground. This approach connects modern production directly to the ancient winemaking practices of the region.

• Flagship wine Karasi is made from Areni Noir
• Natural yeasts and minimal intervention throughout production
• Aging in karasses, clay vessels buried three-quarters underground
• Portfolio spans dry red and white wines from five indigenous varieties

Beyond commercial winemaking, Zorah runs the Zorah Heritage Project, dedicated to identifying and preserving endangered native Armenian grape varieties. Armenia sits at the geographic heart of viticulture's origins, and many of its ancient varieties remain undocumented or at risk of extinction. The project positions Zorah not only as a producer but as a custodian of one of the world's most important viticultural gene pools.

• The Zorah Heritage Project focuses on preserving endangered Armenian native varieties
• Armenia is home to some of the world's oldest viticultural traditions
• Work includes varieties such as Garandmak, Chilar, and Sireni alongside Areni Noir
• The project connects commercial production to long-term biodiversity conservation