The Djabourian Estate

Anahide Djabourian is the representative of the wines of Domaine Djabourian, acquired by
her family. This 33-year-old French woman, originally from Saint-Chamond, lives
for four years in Armenia. Journey of an entrepreneur.

ZMROUTHE AUBOZIAN

The Vayots Dzor region of Armenia is THE wine-growing region of the country. It was in Areni that the oldest wine cellar was discovered, dating back 6,100 years. At an altitude of 1,400 meters, lies the Djabourian Estate (around ten hectares) in the village of Aghavnadzor. There, hand-harvested, they work with ancestral indigenous grape varieties such as Areni (red wine) aged in stainless steel vats for 14 months or Voskéhat (white wine), aged in French oak barrels for 16 months. Both are marketed under the name Yeriza, city of the deities of the Kingdom of Armenia, in honor of the goddess of love Anahit.

France Armenia: What is your background? What are you like?
arrived to represent Djabourian wines?

Anahide Djabourian: I graduated from an international business school and then a master's degree in events and luxury hospitality. After 7 years of entrepreneurship in retail, with Covid having a strong role to play, I had to rethink my professional life. It was time to take a break and explore new horizons. In September 2021, I went to Armenia to volunteer for a month. I liked life in Yerevan, the gentle way of life, the people I met, etc. I decided to extend my volunteering for another 5 months. Since I wanted to settle there, it was time to find work. That's when I decided to take the reins of the family project.

What led your family to acquire in 2020
vineyards in Armenia?

First, a gamble, a dream to acquire a vineyard and produce our own wine. Then, of course, a social challenge, the need to contribute to the country's economic development. Finally, a legacy to pass on, the desire to anchor ourselves in our Armenian lands.

What exactly does your job consist of?

Today, I oversee all the departments. Little by little, I surround myself with people and delegate tasks. Today, we are training a cultivation manager, Seroj. He is responsible for various tasks related to the vineyard. We are doing everything we can to ensure he learns the trade and becomes independent throughout the year. Establishing and sustaining our vineyard is the priority. This takes time, years.

You are probably helped by an oenologist.

Absolutely, a French oenologist/agronomist and a winemaker. Firstly, because I continue to learn alongside them.

the profession, every day. And also, because we want to pass on our knowledge, our know-how and working methods to the entire team. We do not change the DNA of our terroir in any way, it's important.

Currently, you produce at a colleague's premises; you don't have your own cellars. What's the status of their construction? Will there be a tasting room?

It's underway... the work takes time. We're aiming for 2026. But this place is here to stay! So, we might as well do things right and be patient. The location is magnificent, close to our vineyard. The scenery is breathtaking. Of course, there will be a tasting area. However, I don't want to convert this workspace into a tourist attraction. There will be tastings from time to time, but it will remain a private space.

What difficulties did you encounter?

At first, I thought that being a young “foreign” woman would be an obstacle. Of course, it arouses the curiosity of the locals; I know that half of the village of Aghavnadzor knows me as the young French woman established on the site. And I like that. I think I have my place today. Neighboring producers very often ask me for advice.

The real difficulty is finding labor. On a daily basis, we employ 4/5 people, during the harvest season, 10/15 per day. This labor is not necessarily qualified, because we are committed to training our workers. Simply, motivated people, who want to learn a trade. They are very rare! Of course, the farming profession is far from easy. But it is also rich, exciting, and diverse.

It's hard for the workers to believe in our project in its early stages. However, once our winery is built, they'll learn another facet of the profession! Two young women on the team trust us. They understand the challenge. Obviously, what we bring them is vital for them, but their work and investment are essential for us. It's a win-win relationship.

What is your production? Which countries do you export to?

Our yield is still quite limited to date. Since we produce at a fellow producer's, there are space constraints. In addition, only 50% of the vineyard is in production to date.

It's safe to say that if you've tasted our wine, you're one of the lucky ones! When we're fully established, our production capacity will be around 50,000 bottles per year.

France is obviously the first country to which we export our wines. We now sell directly on our website (www.domainedjabourian.com) and we hope to soon collaborate with a distributor to find our wines in restaurants and at wine merchants.

Your wines are priced at 30 euros. How can you compete with great French wines that cost 30 euros?

Our terroir is different. This isn't competition; rather, we're looking to offer something different to the consumer, with a different taste profile and the enhancement of this unique terroir.

French wines have nothing left to prove to the world. But we have a lot of work to do. Yet, we have enough to make all wine-producing countries furious because the potential is there: the terroir, the history, the climate, the altitude, the indigenous grape varieties, etc. We must work together to move forward together on the international scene. And I assure you that the prices of our wines are more than justified.

What about wine tourism?

This is essential for the reputation of Armenian vineyards and wines. Wine tourism developed late but quickly in Armenia. Today, it is rare for tourists to miss a visit to a winery during their stay. Many producers offer tours and tastings. For some, it's even their main activity. This will not be the case for us. Everyone sees their business as they see fit.

Your Yeriza 2022, Areni, received the bronze medal at the IWSC 2024 (International Wine and Spirits Competition).

This is our first award-winning vintage, so we can only be proud of it. It's an international competition, and the panel of tasters is diverse. There's plenty of room for improvement, but it's still encouraging. I'm very optimistic about the future of our estate and our wines. I know we have many great years ahead of us.