Interview with Victoria Armen Aslanian of ArmAs Winery

Victoria Armen Aslanian is the winegrower for ArmAs Wines in Armenia. She was born in Yerevan in 1982, immigrated to the U.S. in 1990, and later studied Art History in Florence before earning her BA from UC Berkeley. In 2009, she returned to Armenia with her two sons to join her father’s vision, which involved developing agriculture, wine, brandy, and tourism.

Since then, she has become a prominent voice for the Renaissance of Armenian Wine, speaking at international conferences from Strasbourg to Davos, as well as at the UN Wine Tourism Conference and TEDx Yerevan. Recognized with awards including Best Brand by a Woman Entrepreneur (2014) and a Medal of Honor from the Prime Minister of Armenia (2017), Victoria continues to champion education, mentorship, and women’s leadership. She earned her Executive MBA from Skolkovo in 2018, was named by Wine Enthusiast in 2022 as one of the women changing Armenia’s wine industry, and was featured by Forbes in 2023. Today, she serves as CEO of ArmAs Armenia and ArmAs USA.

Media Inquiries: vaslanian@yahoo.com | http://www.armas.am/

What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?

When we began ArmAs Estate in 2007, our 150-hectare property was little more than rugged land strewn with boulders — no roads, water, or electricity. Yet the terroir, rising between 1,100 and 1,350 meters above sea level and close enough to the city for wine tourism, held undeniable promise. Over time, that barren landscape transformed into a thriving estate: vineyards and orchards planted with intention, a world-class winery and distillery built by Italian firms, a boutique hotel and tasting room, a 300-person event hall, and even housing for employees. Enclosed by the 17-kilometer “Great Wall of ArmAs,” the estate now extends its facilities to others who want to make wine without investing in full infrastructure.

Our first vintage in 2012, crafted with winemaker Emilio Del Medico, set the tone: elegant wines that honor native Armenian grapes while appealing to international palates. Since then, our portfolio has earned more than 50 international awards and is enjoyed in over 15 countries. Yet the true reward remains sharing these wines — each bottle telling the story not just of our soil, but of our heritage, resilience, and vision for the future.

Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.

Oh, so many things! I would continue developing the ArmAs Estate into a true world of wonder — where beauty, culture, innovation, and tradition coexist in harmony. Guests could enjoy everything from yoga retreats, birdwatching, and cooking classes to immersive virtual reality experiences that bring Armenia’s wine story to life. The landscape itself would evolve into something out of a fairytale, with hillside cottages, lush gardens, waterfalls, a completed lake for canoe rides, and serene horseback adventures with our estate’s horses.

A spa, theater, and wine-inspired films would sit alongside tennis courts, a gym, miniature golf, and an indoor pool with panoramic vineyard views. A small church would welcome weddings, while expanded production facilities would elevate our brandy, preserves, and farm goods. And since hot-air balloons aren’t possible here, I’d build a soaring tower where guests could sip wine while gazing over the entire estate — vineyard to valley, stone wall to sky.

Most of all, I’d invite winemakers, chefs, artists, and musicians from around the world to share their craft and stories, creating unforgettable moments like spirited blind tastings or evenings under drone-lit skies. Ultimately, my dream is to expand every beauty and experience ArmAs has to offer, so Armenia is celebrated not only as a great wine producer, but also as one of the world’s most extraordinary wine tourism destinations. The strides we’ve made in less than two decades prove the future is not just bright — it’s radiant.

What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.

If I had to choose, the ArmAs Rosé — made from the indigenous Karmrahyut grape — is the wine that has my heart. ArmAs is known for bringing this rare teinturier variety, whose name means “of red juice,” into the spotlight. Only about 1% of grapes worldwide have red flesh, and Karmrahyut was traditionally used in blends for color. When our winemaker Emilio Del Medico first encountered it, he was captivated. I warned him of its challenges; he smiled and said, “That’s okay. We make two.” With our first 2012 vintage, we released both a Red and a Rosé — and to our surprise, they became best sellers.

The Rosé remains most personal to me. Made only from premium free-run juice, with no skin contact, it emerges a natural ruby red — bold, vibrant, and unapologetically different from Provence pinks. Its aromas of white roses and red berries give way to structure, bright acidity, and a persistent finish. Despite its unconventional appearance, it has earned worldwide recognition, recently ranking among the UK’s Top 100 Wines. I’m glad it’s finally receiving the recognition it deserves — and even more glad for the joy it continues to bring. Read this Wine Review here.

Bonus Question: Why Winemaking

When my father first repatriated to Armenia to begin this journey, his focus was on brandy — something Armenia was already renowned for — with just a hint of wine and a vision for tourism. But as fate would have it, the very year he began laying the foundation was the same year the world’s oldest known winery was discovered in Armenia — the Areni-1 cave complex, carbon dated at 6,100 years.

The more I studied the history, the heritage, and the terroir of Armenian winemaking, the more astonished I became. We couldn’t have invented a better origin story if we tried. Armenia is the birthplace of the vine and wine. Alongside archaeological and historical evidence, we also have biblical legend to bolster the tale: in Genesis 9:20, Noah plants the very first vineyard — right here, in modern-day Armenia.

Having studied Renaissance art history, and long having appreciated wine as one of the ultimate expressions of art and culture, I began to see a vision of my own. One conversation with my father changed everything. I said, “Dad, did you know we have the greatest history and heritage in winemaking? And we have to make wine before we can make brandy anyway. And we’ll have to wait ten years before we even taste a great brandy. So with all this investment, we could spark… the Renaissance of Armenian Wine.”

He looked at me and asked, “You’re going to do it?”

network@winearmenia.org
© WineArmenia 2026