At the foothills of Biblical Mount Ararat, at altitudes between 1400 /1600 meters above sea level (4600/5250 feet) and just a stone through from the world’s oldest winemaking facility (the 6100 year old Areni 1 cave) the vineyards of ZORAH can be found in the rural village of Rind in the heart of Vayots Dzor, Armenia’s quintessential winemaking region.
Working uniquely with ancient native varieties the vines are planted on their own roots directly into rocky, limestone soils which have never seen Phylloxera and while ZORAH’S heirloom vineyards tell a story of times gone by, the younger vines, the cuttings of which come from ancient abandoned vineyards of a XIIIth Century monastery, show us vistas into a possible future.
By researching and reinstating local traditions in the vineyards which have proven viable over centuries and in an attempt to safeguard the incredible terroir with its extraordinary microclimate (long dry summers with remarkably vivid sunlight coupled with high daytime temperatures contrasting cool nights and a lengthy growing season) the vineyards of ZORAH are very much about nature over nurture and sustainable agriculture.
