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Cognac “Country of Stones” is produced in Armenia by the company “Armenian Winery” LLC in the region of the Ararat Valley, which is considered ideal for creating cognac. The drink is aged up to 20 years, the fortress is 40%.
The history of the factory and cognac Country of Stones
“Ararat Wine Factory” was founded in 1903 by winemakers from Armenia. The enterprise was one of the largest factories immediately after the Yerevan brandy factory built by Nerses Tairyan in 1877. In the same XNUMXth century, the latter was sold to the Shustov and Sons alcohol company. “Ararat winery” continues its activities to this day, while remaining a private enterprise.
The French are convinced that real cognac can only be obtained from grapes from the Cognac region. But for Armenians, there is no better place for such a grape variety than the valley at the foot of Mount Ararat. In the manufacture of the Land of Stones, it is customary to use varieties such as mskhali, kakhet and kharji from factory vineyards.
Grape spirits, before becoming cognac, go through 4 stages of distillation. They mature in oak barrels located in the basement of the plant. Barrels are made on own cooperage production. Withstand spirits for 3-20 years, which ensures high quality products.
Interestingly, in the 1991th century, cognac spirits were smoked out only according to French technology. Some winemakers even invited blenders from this European state to Armenia. When the USSR collapsed in December XNUMX, no one bothered to define clear principles for the production of Armenian cognac, so the growth of low-quality fakes intensified.
Everything changed in 1999: GOST with production regulations was approved on the territory of Armenia, and at the legislative level it was recognized that only cognac from the Ararat Valley can be considered Armenian.
An overview of the types of cognac Country of Stones
Stone Land, 5 лет, VSOP
When blending, four-year-old alcohols are used. The color of the drink is golden-amber, the taste is rich, soft. Notes of dried fruits, chocolate and almonds are captured.
Stone Land, 7 лет, VO
Cognac has an amber color and a rich smell, in which you can feel notes of vanilla, dried cherries, almonds and smoked prunes.
Stone Land, 10 лет, XO
The minimum duration of aging of alcohols in a blend is 6 years. The color of cognac is amber in dark shades. The taste is deep, velvety, almonds and chocolate are felt.
Stone Land, 15 years old
Cognac has a dark amber color, the aroma gives caramel and roasted almonds. The taste is soft, with chocolate and spicy notes, you can catch dried cherries.
Stone Land, 20 years old
Deep amber color of the drink with a copper tint. The aroma gives off fragrant herbs with hints of vanilla. Mild oak flavor with chocolate and dried fruits.
How and with what to drink cognac Country of Stones
It is recommended to drink cognac from snifter glasses in the form of a digestif. Warm the glass in your palms to a temperature and drink in small sips, enjoying the alcohol.
Also, this brandy goes well with coffee and fruit.
How to distinguish the original cognac Country of Stones from a fake
The first three digits on the barcode are the code for the country of manufacture. In the case of Armenia, it should be 485.
In addition, the bottle must have an excise stamp, like all drinks supplied from abroad. Labels must be glued evenly and have all the necessary information about the country of origin, namely exposure and composition.
The bottle itself should have a rounded shape, sometimes the shape of a tube, the glass should be transparent. On the film sealing the neck, there should be an image of Mount Ararat.
The cork should be cork, a standard form for cognacs.
Interesting facts about cognac Country of Stones
In Armenian, the Land of Stones sounds like “Karastan”, as the Armenians themselves call their country.
The drink is sold to the international market. It is supplied to America, Europe and the CIS countries.
Cognac is produced according to ancient technologies on the latest equipment, so the quality of cognac is always on top. All stages of production are carefully controlled.
Ararat Winery continues its successful development. In 2000, at the VINEXPO exhibition, it was awarded a medal for the first place. In 2011, cognac won the Breakthrough of the Year award at the PRODEXPO international exhibition in Moscow.
Relevance: 29.02.2020
Tags: Brandy and Cognac, Brandy Brands