Shofer Vayots Dzor Areni, Armenia

The Wine

Today, the red grape known as Areni is Armenia's crown jewel among all the winegrapes grown in this ancient winemaking region. It is one of Armenia's indigenous grape varieties dating back over 6,000 years.

During the Soviet era, winemaking was reduced to the lowest common denominator - quality was sacraficed for quantity. But in the decades since the fall of the wall Armenia winegrowers (along with those in Slovenia, Croatia and Georgia) have re-learned the finer points of growing, vinifying and enjoying wines that are earning their spot on the global stage! 

Fun Fact - "Shofer" is the Armenian word for Chauffer, so it makes sense that the wine's label would bear an image of the ubiquitous car, the Lada, which is the standard model for taxi cabs in Armenia. This is a medium-bodied wine of moderat alcohol (13% ABV) offering easy-to-love flavors of cherry, plum, fresh-ground peppercorns and spices.