Wine & Viticulture

The Yerevan Brandy Company, producer of the legendary ArArAt brandy, was founded in 1887 by brothers Vasily and Nerses Tairyants, drawing on grapes from the sun-drenched Ararat Valley. After Soviet nationalization, the factory was granted exclusive rights within the USSR to produce Armenian cognac-style brandy. In 1998, the government of independent Armenia sold the company to French spirits giant Pernod Ricard for $30 million — making ArArAt the flagship of a multinational portfolio while remaining one of Armenia's most recognized cultural exports.

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