The Sun of Van

“You can choose comfort, or you can choose courage, but you cannot choose both” 

Brene Brown

By Tamar Kabassakalian-Gosdanian

Varoujan Mouradian definitely chose courage over comfort by leaving behind his North American lifestyle. He chose courage and passion. He wove his passion for wine and his love for his homeland into a harmonious blend called Van Ardi wines. Van is the ancient capital of the Urartu kingdom, rich in winemaking where Varoujan’s ancestors are from, and Ardi means sun in ancient Armenian; hence the name Van Ardi, the sun of Van.

Amid the slopes of breathtaking majestic Mount Ararat, Mount Ara and Mount Arakadz, lie the 9 hectares of the magnificent vineyards of Van Ardi. Visiting this outstanding winery, one would fully understand why Varoujan decided to pursue his passion and establish his family business at this specific spot, in Ashtarak, Armenia. Born and raised in Armenia, Varoujan Mouradian settled in California when he was 24. After working as a CPA accountant for many years, he built a home with his wonderful wife Anahit and four terrific children. Later on in his career, Varoujan developed a passion for wine, the culture and its industry. Being aware of this complex business, from harvest to bottle, attached with other complications that might arise, he pursued the feasibility of winemaking in fascinating, sun-filled Armenia. 

As wineries and wine shops were becoming a trendy lifestyle in Yerevan, winemaking was transforming the wine culture of Armenia. In this era of revival,  Mouradian was on a mission to acquire knowledge and experience. Thus, Varoujan with his eldest daughter, and business partner, Ani, embarked on a lifelong journey to pursue their vision. They researched and studied for years. Varoujan took classes at UC Davis; while Ani examined the different facets. They went to workshops, visited many wineries, then met specialists from different countries and explored this art.

Luckily, their homeland, Armenia, provided the terroir, the raw materials and all the good conditions such as climate, soil and, of course, superior grapes of all kinds such as Areni, Haghtanak, and Kakhet for reds and rosés; and Voskehat, Kangun, and Garandmak for white wines. The soil that consists of volcanic sandstone allows the harvest of high quality grapes that are carefully handpicked and transformed into a unique assortment of wines. They produce eight different kinds of wine; 4 red dry wines (aged in Armenian and French oak), 3 white wines and 1 rosé.

Varoujan, along with his family, returned progressively to Armenia to invest in the wine industry and established their business as of 2008.  In July 2019, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ani. I was fascinated to discover the process by which this beautiful family business flourishes on a daily basis, in our magnificent homeland! 

Armenia is known for its exquisite wine and is now producing new wines every year! Long ago, in ancient times, Armenia was mostly known for its sweet wine. It was mainly used for religious purposes; specifically for burial ceremonies. The cultivation of the Armenian grape has been part of the culture for centuries and has even been mentioned in songs and poetry. Historically, Armenia is one of the world’s oldest winemaking regions in the world! It dates back to about 6100 years. But during the Soviet era, Armenia was under the mandate to produce brandy and Georgia was to cultivate the wine industry. Therefore, vineyards were abandoned which led to the decline in the wine business. The reality changed only recently, a little over a decade ago, when winemaking in Armenia had a rebirth and has been growing ever-since! Wine shops, wine bars and wineries are on the rise and it has set a stylish “je ne sais quoi” in the streets of Yerevan. 

With the wine industry’s rebirth,  local and diasporan Armenians appreciate the Armenian wines during festivals that debuted a decade ago in the oldest known winery cave in the world: Areni. This festival is held during the first weekend of October, where winery owners offer their wine for tasting. Armenian music is played, there are performances, dances, artisans’ works displayed, along with servings of fine apéritifs!   

The Mouradians were able to build a successful business, but it hasn’t been easy! A typical day (or week) consists of anything from customs to the ministry of economy, from the land to the agriculture ministry, from construction to marketing, content development, and as well as finances and accounting. Added to all this, evidently the essential and obvious day-to-day responsibilities of bookkeeping, office work, clerical work and the wine related tasks: from harvest to bottle is the basis of any wine business. Moreover, there are also meetings with potential buyers for exports and meetings with artists to do events at the winery. Added to all this, simultaneously, the tours take place. She runs the show, along with the wine tastings, the menu and the events. But as Ani says it best, the goal was never to produce wine, the goal was to awaken and develop a wine culture. 

Apart from participating in over nine countries for trade shows and festivals, Van Ardi Wines is also the recipient of many local and international awards. To name a few,  four Gold medals from the Mundus Vini Competition for the 2013 Van Ardi Syrah, Kakhet Reserve, the 2015 Van Ardi Red Dry Wine and the 2015 Van Ardi Syra Reserve. Many Silver medals, among which the 2015 VanArdi Rosé, the 2015 Vand Ardi White dry Wine; the 2016 Van Ardi Areni Reserve and many more. 

Varoujan is a visionary, and he believes in the future of the Armenian grapes and its potential. The quality of the Armenian soil and the different varieties of grapes, along with his passion, dedication and know-how make the perfect equation for a successful endeavour. His dream was to contribute to eventually put Armenia on the wine map. And his focus never shifted; it is and will always be on quality and not on mass production. 

More than a business, the Mouradians’ boutique winery offers a wine culture haven that awakens the senses with its aromas, scenery and exquisite array of tastes. Go and visit yourself, and embark on a memorable adventure.