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Many surprises await Yerevan Wine Days traditional wine festival this year, some of which Mary Badalyan, organizer of this festival and co-founder of EventToura company, told in an interview with NEWS.am STYLE.

According to her, every year the festival becomes more and more large-scale. This year, more than 70 Armenian winemakers and 30 restaurants are participating in the festival. Events for this year's YereWineDays campaign kick off on May 29.

"This year we made a number of changes. In particular, we came to the conclusion that, considering the scale of the event, its impact on the tourism sector and the economy, it should not be limited to a street festival. In this regard, this year we launched the YereWineDays campaign, which will last from May 29 to June 4. During this week, we have done everything to raise the awareness of Armenian wine not only within the framework of the festival, but also outside of it. For example, Restaurant Week, which will be held within the framework of this campaign,” Badalyan said.

"More than 50 restaurants of the [Armenian] capital are participating in it, which have developed a special three-course menu, which will be served with a glass of Armenian white and red wine. At the same time, a glass of wine is served for free, and the menu itself is provided with a 15% discount. One of the goals of this is to unite gourmets and wine lovers, to increase the culture of winemaking in the country, to introduce them to Armenian wine. We do this mainly for tourists, who will get to know Armenian wine thanks to a free glass of wine," Badalyan added.

Workshops with industry experts will also be organized. The US Embassy in Yerevan has invited famous American chef Amanda Freitag to prepare plating with 25 selected local chefs.

Wine gastro show

This year, visitors will be able to enjoy a gastro show with the participation of famous chefs. A professional kitchen will be installed on the special stage, and kitchens will be installed in the tents at the back of the frames. Numerous chefs will perform a gastro show on the stage. Among them is the famous Armenian chef Arbi Gharakhani, who will present an interesting dish in fusion style. The food will be prepared on the spot, 80 spectators will be able to try it, who will be assigned a special seat; the cost of the seat is 1,000 drams. The rest will be able to follow what is happening on the stage, both on the big screen and not far from the fence.

The food will be served with wine, which will be presented by a sommelier or a winemaker. During various gastro shows, different wines will be served, paired with a special dish.

American chef Amanda Freitag will present her gastro show. It will last about 40 minutes, during which Amanda will demonstrate her cooking skills, after which the guests will be able to try her prepared dish.

Four to five events will take place on the stage every day. Reputable experts and sommeliers will come to interesting master classes. For example, art critic Riga Arthur Chech will talk about the theme of wine in art.

One more feature

Together with the ODIO label, we have introduced a new format. We created a romantic story about a sommelier meeting a young man who doesn't understand anything about wine. And the girl starts to tell him about Armenian wine, its history, and teaches him how to drink wine properly. The visitor listens to this whole story with earphones and gets the impression that the girl is talking to him. Red and white wine will be served during the hearings.

Nine actors will be involved in the project. The story can be heard in Armenian, English, and Russian. This unique audio performance can be enjoyed directly during the festival by paying only 1000 drams.

Wine tour of Europe

This year, as part of the 12,000-dram package, you will receive not only a brand glass and a ticket to drink 12 wines, but also a book with contacts and offers of all winemakers and other participants of the festival, as well as a lottery ticket. The lottery will be held every day. The organizers promise many gifts and surprises, including six tickets to Europe, as well as a wine tour for two to a European country of the winner's choice.

Another surprise will be the music area with a separate stage. In addition to well-known Armenian musicians, the famous Black Alley rock group will also perform this year at the invitation of the US Embassy in Yerevan.

According to Mary Badalyan, Yerevan Wine Days is more than just a festival; it is also a unique B2B platform for Armenian winemakers, which they should use to promote Armenian wine to the world.

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