Winemaking can be put aside as the oldest Armenian hobby. This is still a pleasant thing to do during the ages rather than it could be taken as a work. Let’s see what Kataro wines are telling about this!
Kataro Wine: An Exciting Brief
In 2010, the Avetisyans established the enterprise Anush 1 and began producing wine. Their wine is named after the Kataro monastery on Hadrut’s Dizapayt Mountain. They manufactured 5,000 bottles in the first year, which were only marketed in Armenia.
Kataro wine is now marketed for 3,000–3,500 AMD (about $7–8 USD) per bottle in USA, Russia, Armenia, and Artsakh. The family is barely able to keep up with the demands of the international market.
The Avetisyans intend to export their wine to European countries as well. The family aims to expand their global reach while also increasing their manufacturing volume. According to G. Avetisyan, they intend to produce 50,000 bottles of wine this year. “There is a market for it. It is still need to invest in new machinery and treble output to reach 100,000 bottles per year “he declares.
One of the Avetisyans oversees each stage of the winemaking process. During peak seasons, though, the family hires additional help. Almost every step of the winemaking process is done by hand, including bottling.
Winemaking in the Vineyard
Domen Avetissyan’s (Kataro) vineyard is located in the Hadrut region, near the village of Togh, at an elevation of 740-800 meters above sea level. On hills with southern exposure, vines are grown. Clayey soils predominate. Winters are mild (temperatures rarely drop below -15°C), and the grapes are not covered.
Because phylloxera is a problem in Nagorno-Karabakh, the vineyard is planted with grafted vines from a local nursery. The project began with 3 ha and has grown to a total area of around 10 ha. The planting density is 1 650 vines per hectare. Another part with a high density of up to 5000 vines per hectare will be planted. The project performs an excellent job of selecting Khndoghni.
In the vineyard, sommeliers chose 80 of the best vines, and three clones were sorted. Mercier, a French nursery, selected the best rootstock for this variety. In addition, Kataro has partnered with Semina Consulting to open a grafting station for 15-20 thousand indigenous saplings.
Since the 1920s, the Avetisyan family has been involved in viticulture; the vineyard was renewed in remembrance of the originator of the dynasty of winegrowers, the current owners’ great-grandfather. Grigory Avetisyan and his family members are in charge of the project’s development, vineyard, and winery.
Sadly, according to the “end of war” agreement signed on November 9 by Russian, Azerbaijani, and Armenian presidents. The Chairman of the Republican Union of Employers of Armenia,
Gagik Makaryan, spoke to the Pastifo agency about the economic ramifications of the Karabakh armistice and the number of businesses they will hand over to Azerbaijan. According to the economist, Artsakh has a small number of industrial items, which makes their relevance for the budget and employment in the country even more remarkable. Most businesses are situated in Stepanakert and specialize in juice, canned fruit, homeware, and other similar products.
Kataro Red Wines
In Nagorno-Karabakh, Kataro red wines are produced in their winery. Grapes are pressed in classic basket presses, and fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Foraging Karabakh oak barrels are used. The winemaker supervises the preparation of the material for the barrels, which are kept outside on the winery’s property. Each year, Kataro makes approximately 60 thousand bottles of wine. In addition, Semina Consulting’s winery produces both white and rose wines, as well as Kataro.
The wine’s deep crimson color is complemented by the strength of luscious red fruit scents, complemented by the mouth-filling medium-long finish. This wine has depth, complexity, and elegance due to late harvest selection and manual sorting of the grapes.
Kataro Rose Wine
Wine experts will appreciate Kataro Rose’s subtle scent and pleasant flavor.
Domaine Avetissyan, a producer of Kataro wines, has released a new Kataro Rose wine created from the Khndoghni grape variety. The wine has a delicate flavor and a gleaming diamond pink color. Kataro Rose is a one-of-a-kind mono-variety wine on the Armenian market. It has a subtle scent of dried wild berries and a flavor of flowers and nectar. Domaine Avetissyan, a producer of Kataro wines, has released a new Kataro Rose wine created from the Khndoghni grape variety. The wine has a delicate flavor and a gleaming diamond pink color.
Kataro Rose is a one-of-a-kind mono-variety wine on the Armenian market. It has a subtle scent of dried wild berries and a flavor of flowers and nectar. The wine is well-balanced, with a long finish and good acidity, and it gives the mouth a feeling of freshness. In Armenia, rose wines from Khndogni are uncommon.
He added that Kataro Rose was initially made in Yerevan using Areni and Kakhet grapes before the winery decided to use Kndokhni grapes to make this sort of wine. Manvelyan originally came up with the idea in 2015 while attending a wine event in the United States with Grigory Avetisyan, General Director and co-owner of Domaine Avetissyan winery.
Kataro Rose was supposed to be a limited-edition wine, with only 13,000 bottles produced. They expected it to be marketed in Artsakh and Armenia, with a bit of amount exported as well. However, it is currently shipped and available in the United States.
Pairing Thoughts
If you ever think of having a quiet, peaceful evening with a bottle of fine wine, don’t hesitate to give those Kataro wines a go. We will wait for your opinion.
