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7,000 applicants from 41 countries are competing side by side for the title of the best, the color is the same. However, the taste and the quality are rather different. For days, 700 wine experts go on sipping, tasting and walking from pavilion to pavilion with a glass of wine in hand to choose the best.

The Berliner Wein Trophy is the biggest and most prestigious wine award ever. Many Armenian companies take part in this audit every year. The competition is tough, along with the French, Italian, Spanish and Georgian the Armenian is not far behind, it even wins awards. The participants make a joke; the Armenians came to Berlin, conquered and left.

Located in Sasunik village of Aragatsotn region, the tufa-stone factory building of Armenia Wine Company welcomes you with a view of Mount Ararat in the distance. We are going to meet Jean Batiste Sula, a man who knows a lot about wine.

The occasion of our visit is the new victory of Armenia Wine. Four wines by Armenia Wine once again won gold and silver medals in Berlin.

A mild wind strokes the sunny vineyard. Jean, with a smile on his face, welcomes us.

-Welcome to our home.

As we go in, he immediately, as friendly as possible, begins to praise this victory upon everyone, starting from the winegrowers to the founders. With care typical to a landlord, he reaches his hand out to the newly-born 14-hectare vineyards.

 “We promote bio-production because Armenia boasts all necessary conditions for it. At first, when I came and said Armenian wine, everybody objected, saying not Armenian but Georgian is good wine. Now, in 10 years’ time I can feel a colossal change, the consumer prefers Armenian. If we compare, the quality of average wine in Armenia is better than that of France,” says Jean Baptiste in a tender talk, inviting to continue the conversation at Nazani restaurant, which is in the territory of the factory.

- Mr. Sula, let's talk a little about the authority of the «Berliner Wein Trophy» award. Which countries take part in the competition?

- You know, it is the leading wine competition in the world, held by OIV, the International Wine and Grape Organization. There are competitions in every country, with more or less important, but this is a competition with overwhelming authority. Thousands of wines from Chile, France, Argentina and many other countries apply for participation. The competition is tough.

How many types of wine did Armenia Wine present at the awards ceremony, and which one was a success?

- We were thinking a lot on which assortment to take to Germany. We decided to introduce four types of wines – two from Tariri, and two from Takar. These are our premium and super premium class wines, which won 2 Gold and 2 Silver.

- What peculiarities do these wines have?

"Takar" is a premium, and "Tariri" is a premium class wine, two different concepts. "Takar" is an expression of Armenian nature and grapes; it’s purely Armenian, whereas "Tariri" is an Armenian and European combination.

- What will these awards give to Armenia Wine?

-10 years ago, when I had just come to Armenia and introduced myself as a French winemaker in restaurants, I offered Armenian wine, people refused, they didn't even want to try. They said Armenian wine was not good; there was no confidence. There was only one winery; there was no wine culture. Our first prize was in 2013, when Armenia Muscat participated in the Muscat World Festival held in France, and Armenia Wine returned with a prize. From then on Armenian wine gained its fame. Armenian wine was in the first place, the Spanish and Argentinean wines came only after it. First, it gave us confidence in the potential of Armenian wine, then it passed on to consumers and other manufacturers.

-Was the victory at “Berliner Wein Trophy” a logical continuation of the success in 2013?

- Armenia Wine is well known both in Armenia and out of its boundaries, as 60% of wines exported from Armenia is form our side. Both local and international competition is very strong. It is hardly enough to have good wine, a good label, a good price, there must also be good prizes. This competition is endless. If you have a bronze one year, you should definitely get a silver next year, then a gold one. Then you will need 2 golds (laughs…).

- When will the latest success affect the volume of production?

-This is the problem of the negotiators, we are the producer and as a producer, we can issue a limited amount. If we want to sell more, we must expand. Our task is to ensure quality so that we can always satisfy the consumer. We are more engrossed in working with winegrowers, teaching them, working with them for a long time, and only then expanding.

Four years ago, there was no Takar, and within a few years, we are selling tens of thousands of Takar bottles. At that time, the winegrowers were not able to supply that quality grapes so that we could get that sort of wine. That is why we have to collaborate with them to move ahead proportionally. We want to develop agriculture that creates value and enables everyone to make a good living. The other direction we are starting to develop is bio-production.

-If you compare Armenia Wine with other wineries you are familiar with, what will the differences and peculiarities be?

- If I compare with the producers of Bordeaux, we are 30 years ahead. Here the winemaking dreams come true; 21st century vineyards, fully modernized equipment, international technologies, drip irrigation systems, a professional and caring staff…

- What is the reason for this kind of tremendous difference, the owners’ approach or the good management?

- I should really point out the approaches of the two shareholders of the company, who set very high benchmarks. Every detail is taken into account. For example, it may take months to agree on the smallest item on a label. Their approach and high benchmarks make the difference. They collaborating with the best in the field, it's no coincidence that I, the wine consultant, am from Bordeaux, the brandy consultant is from the French Cognac City, and we have an Italian consultant for champagne and sparkling wines.

- How did they find you?

- It was absolutely by accident. One day I got a phone call asking if I was interested in coming to Armenia to make wine. Let me note, that I myself was ready to pay to come to Armenia and work in one of the oldest wineries in the world. I was happy, I came ... (smiling). Four years after Armenia Wine opened, I joined the team. Most of the factory was not built, there were no barrels, we grew up together.

- Will we see any major changes here in 10 years?

- The owners of the company surprise me every time. There was a time when it was very hard, the factory was not fully built, but both construction and production were carried out during that time. As we get older, we lose our memory and forget about bad things (smiling…). Last year the restaurant "Nazani" was small, half size, I came in two months, I saw the restaurant has so expanded. Then I came and saw the new place for baking bread. We have become close friends with the owners, for me it has really become a part of the family; I bring my parents, my children here. It is a human adventure, which I enjoy every time I come here.

-What do you have to say to the Armenians?

-I will convey this message to the Armenians: You have an area the land of which is blessed, you should be proud of it and you should not buy wines from other countries, you make it better here, enjoy your wines, be proud and promote your 6,000-year-old winemaking history...