Van Ardi Red Blend 2019
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Wong
Wilfred -
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Winemaker Notes
Van Ardi's classic blend is made with carefully selected grapes, yielding a wine that's rich in fruity aromas of cherry and pomegranate. With time in the glass, a dash of oak is evident alongside the berry fruits, with darker notes of spice and cocoa balancing out the bright fruit.
Blend: 40% Areni, 35% Haghtanak, 25% Milagh
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Van Ardi Dry Red Blend is smooth with a lovely and persistent flow to its finish. Enjoy its aromas of red and black fruits with grilled Carne Asada tacos. (Tasted: August 30, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
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Tasting Panel
Aimee Keushguerian who founded Zual (named for the Arme nan word for pure") in 2017 is one of the major players in the Armenian wine industry, she believes in producing wines that are true to their terroir This excellent expression shows fart floral notes and clean and bright yet rustic flavors of chalk. dried earth and apple. Its medium weight and firmness are perfect for paring with a grilled chelfish plater.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Sitting just north of Iran and east of Turkey, Armenia is a mountainous and land-locked ex-Soviet republic. As part of the Transcaucasion region, which includes eastern Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia, Armenia is among the oldest of wine growing regions. While the prevalence and popularity of Armenian winemaking has evolved over the centuries, the wild vine Vitis vinifera silvestris (an ancestor of today’s Vitis vinifera wine-producing species) has been growing here for over a million years. Today the majority of the grapes grown in Armenia go to Brandy production, but the rising demand for Armenian wine in its most popular market, Russia, is fueling growth of still wine production. Most of the country’s wines come from the regions of Armavir, Ararat and Vayots Dzor. Though Armenia lays claim to hundreds of indigenous varieties, it uses only about 30 for the majority of its wine production, three quarters of which is white. The key white varieties include Chilar, Lalvari and Voskehat; for reds, Kakhet, Areni and Khndogni (also known as Sireni) are the main players.