Russia will not need our cheap wine and cognac any more - winemaker (video)
This year, Armenia will harvest more grapes than in the last 3-4 years, says Avag Harutyunyan, President of the Union of Winemakers of Armenia. He says if last year winemakers had a good harvest because of favourable weather, this year vines are full of vegetation and the grape harvest is ramping up across vineyards. The winemaker says it is both bad and good for Armenia. “Last year factories had resources to purchase grapes, though many were forced to buy grapes, this year they do not have resources. Although approximately 90 percent of the harvested grapes are already paid, I think the factories spent all their loans on the grape harvest. I do not know a factory that needs as much grape harvest as it bought every year,” he said. Speaking about the relations between Armenia and Russia, Mr Harutyunyan said Russia is developing a major winegrowing program and will not need the cheap Armenian wine and cognac in five years’ time. He says Armenia’s main role is to be in the high-price segment because neither ‘good-neighborly’ relations with Turkey nor improvement of communication, specifically the Upper Lars checkpoint, can have influence on the market. The president of the Union of Winemakers says after Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union, we had access to European markets but these very markets treat Georgia much better than Armenia. “Some countries have even granted tax benefits to Georgian wines,” he said in conclusion.
