Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand! That’s ‘Merry Christmas’ in Armenian.
While the glow of the holiday season is fading in the U.S. and Christmas trees have been stripped of their glory and are heading to the curb, today is Christmas Day in Armenia. Armenian Christmas is celebrated January 6. So it is both ironic and fitting that the wine tasting at 12th & Olive Wine Company, this past Saturday, featured pomegranate wine.
The pomegranate, with its symbolic association with fertility, is the national fruit of Armenia. When Big Papa and I visited Yerevan this past September, the pomegranate was everywhere. At the Vernissage Flea Market in the center of the city, we saw glass pomegranate earrings, pomegranates painted on bookmarks and artwork and dried pomegranate Christmas tree ornaments.
“Pomegranate” is from the Latin “pomum granatum” which means “apple of many seeds.” Pomegranates are high in antioxidants. 100 ml of pomegranate juice has three times the antioxidants of 100 ml of red wine or 100 ml. of green tea. The health benefits are almost legendary. Consuming this fruit is thought to prevent lung, prostate and breast cancer, Alzheimer’s and Osteoarthritis. It protects the arteries, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and may reduce dental plaque. It is even purported to increase virility and fertility.
At the 12th & Olive tasting we sampled three wines made from pomegranates, a sparkling wine from Argentina, Armenian wine, and an Israeli dessert wine. All three had their own unique charm. Big Papa and I were excited to have a taste of the Armenian wine as it’s a rarity to find anything made in Armenia here in Seattle.
Both the Argentinean sparkler and Armenian wine were produced by ReVah. Steven, the wonderfully knowledgeable, friendly and helpful owner of 12th and Olive told us ReVah sources the fruit from each country. The Armenian wine is made at the Proshyan Wine Factory, which also makes some of Armenia’s famous brandy. We noticed Proshyan is in Yerevan and hope to visit the wine factory on our next trip.
Holding our glasses to the light, the color of the wine was a deep red, with shades of violet and raspberry. Putting my nose to the glass there was no mistaking the intense aroma of pomegranates. The wine was a bit sweet on the palate but not as syrupy as I imagined it might be, with hints of fresh fruit and light acidity. For $12.99 it’s a nice wine to enjoy on a warm summer’s day…or for those days when I want to conjure memories of being in Armenia.
When I was a child, my parents often bought pomegranates as a special treat. On a recent trip to visit my mother, she had a pomegranate waiting for me. I love the magic of cutting open the fruit to reveal hundreds of ruby-colored seeds.
Pomegranate’s subtle sweetness now holds an even deeper meaning for me, a thread to the heart of Armenia. Many Armenian fairy tales end thus: “Three pomegranates fell down from heaven: One for the story teller, one for the listener, and one for the whole world.”
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