Tushpa Haghtanak Red Dry Wine Reserve 2017

At Tushpa, they combine modern technologies with the best Armenian winemaking traditions. Wines are made from the grapes grown in Ararat Valley. The red wine is made from Haghtanak grapes, and the white wine from Kangun grape variety. Both are local grapes, and they respond especially positively and enthusiastically to a range of climatic conditions typical to Ararat Valley. In general, it is of fundamental importance to their winemakers that the influence of terroirs are enhanced rather than diminished, because in their view this is the only way that the uniqueness attached to their wines is protected and justified.

The vineyard is in the Ararat Valley, near Taperakan village just over 800 meters (2,600 feet) above sea level. During wine season, the weather is 12 degrees  Celsius at night and 30 degrees Celsius in the daytime.

The vineyard has a clay-based soil that partially consists of sedimentary rocks. The continental climate with high daytime temperatures and colder nights comes together with Haghtanak grapes into a bold, intense wine.

The winery owns 62 acres of land, out of which 15 acres are under vine. In addition to 105 tons of grapes grown on their own vineyards, Tushpa purchases an additional 50 tons of grapes from other vineyards in the Ararat Valley.

The name Tushpa was the name of the capital of the Urartian kingdom in the 9th century BC. The city of Tushpa was founded by king Sarduri I, later the name was changed to Van. Tushpa winery is an old-fashioned winery located in the heart of Ararat Valley in the gently rolling countryside 35 km west of downtown Yerevan (Armenia’s capital city of over 2800 years!).

This is a family-owned estate with a magnificent view of the Biblical Mount Ararat. The winery was founded in 1992 by winemaker and entrepreneur Mihran Manasserian, who is the fourth generation of his family to possess all the tips and techniques of the art of winemaking. Mihran created the most fabulous wines based on the tradition that his ancestors, originally from Van, have transmitted to him.

The story of each bottle starts in a family winery where everyone shares a common goal, which is to create wines from Armenian grape varieties with minimal human intervention for a true expression of the wine's character.

Tushpa is true family business. The winery was founded by Mihran Manasserian who has over 35 years of experience in wine industry. He is the Chief Winemaker and creator of Tushpa red wine, whereas the Tushpa white wine’s creator is his eldest son Abraham Manasserian, who holds a Master’s of Science degree in Winemaing. Youngest son Karlen Manasserian holds a Master’s of Science degree in Computer and Information Systems and works in marketing and distribution of the wines. Daughter Ani Manasserian, who holds a Master’s in Business Administration, handles finance and works on the tourism development side.