Cognac Strana Kameney: history, overview of types, how and with what to drink + how to distinguish a fake

Krayina Kameniv cognac is produced in Armenia by the Armenian Wine Factory LLC in the Ararat Valley region, which is considered ideal for cognac production. The drink is aged for up to 20 years, with a strength of 40%.

History of the plant and cognac Kraina Kameney

"Ararat Winery was founded in 1903 by winemakers from Armenia. The company was one of the largest factories immediately after the Yerevan Cognac Factory, built by Nerses Tairian in 1877. In the same XIX century, the latter was sold to the alcoholic beverage company "Shustov and Sons". "The Ararat Wine Factory continues to operate today, remaining a private enterprise.

The French are convinced that real cognac can only be produced from grapes from the Cognac region. But for Armenians, there is no better place for this grape variety than the valley at the foot of Mount Ararat. In the production of the Country of Stones, it is customary to use such varieties as mskhali, kakheti and khardzhi from factory vineyards.

Grape spirits undergo 4 stages of distillation before becoming cognac. They are matured in oak barrels located in the basement of the factory. Barrels are made at our own cooperage. Spirits are aged for 3-20 years, which ensures high quality products.

Interestingly, in the XIX century, the burning of cognac spirits was carried out only according to French technology. Some winemakers even invited blenders from this European country to Armenia. When the USSR collapsed in December 1991, no one took care to define clear principles for the production of Armenian cognac, so the growth of low-quality fakes intensified.

Everything changed in 1999: the State Standards of Ukraine with production regulations were approved in Armenia, and it was recognized at the legislative level that only cognac from the Ararat Valley can be considered Armenian.

Overview of the types of cognac Kraina Kameny

1. Stone Land, 5 years old, VSOP

   Four-year old spirits are used for blending. The color of the drink is golden amber, the taste is rich and mild. Notes of dried fruits, chocolate and almonds are captured.

2. Stone Land, 7 years old, VO

   The cognac has an amber color and a rich aroma, in which you can feel notes of vanilla, dried cherries, almonds and smoked prunes.

3. Stone Land, 10 years old, XO

   The minimum aging time for alcohols in a blend is 6 years. The color of the cognac is amber in dark shades. The taste is deep, velvety, with almonds and chocolate.

4. Stone Land, 15 years old

   The cognac has a dark amber color, the aroma is given off by caramel and roasted almonds. The taste is soft, with chocolate and spicy notes, you can catch dried cherries.

5. Stone Land, 20 years old

   Deep amber color of the drink with a copper tint. The aroma gives off fragrant herbs with notes of vanilla. Soft oak flavor with chocolate and dried fruits.

How and what to drink Stone Land cognac with

It is recommended to drink cognac from snifter glasses in the form of digestif. Warm the glass in the palms of your hands to temperature and drink in small sips, enjoying the alcohol.

This brandy also goes well with coffee and fruit.

How to distinguish the original Stone Land cognac from a fake

1. The first three digits on the barcode are the country of origin code. In the case of Armenia, it should be 485.

2. In addition, the bottle must have an excise stamp, as with all beverages supplied from abroad. Labels must be glued on evenly and have all the necessary information about the country of origin, namely aging and composition.

3. The bottle itself should have a rounded shape, sometimes a tube shape, the glass should be transparent. There should be an image of Mount Ararat on the film sealing the neck.

4. The cork should be corky, of the standard form for cognacs.

Interesting facts about Krayina Kameniv cognac

1. In Armenian, the name of the Country of Stones is "Karastan", as Armenians call their country.

2. The drink is sold on the international market. It is supplied to America, Europe and the CIS countries.

3. Cognac is produced using ancient technologies on the latest equipment, so the quality of cognac is always on top. All stages of production are carefully controlled.

4. Ararat Winery continues its successful development. In 2000, it was awarded a medal for the first place at the Vinexpo exhibition. In 2011, the cognac won the Breakthrough of the Year award at the international exhibition PRODEXPO in Moscow.

Update: 29.02.2020

Category: Brandy and Cognac