GARNI — One of the world’s most prestigious wine tasting competitions, the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, has opened in Armenia with a cultural ceremony at the Temple of Garni, bringing together nearly 400 international wine experts, journalists, sommeliers, importers, buyers, and other industry representatives from 65 countries.
Zaruhi Muradyan, executive director of the Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia, said that 8,000 wines — including red, white, and sparkling varieties — will be tasted during the competition.
“For the first time in the history of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, the competition will be held in two sessions at the same time: one for red and white wines, and another for sparkling wines,” Muradyan said. “The tasting is blind. The tasters do not see which country or grape variety the wines come from. After tasting, they immediately submit their evaluations, and within 10 days the results will be announced.”
Around 130 Armenian wines are also being presented at the competition. Muradyan said the foundation supported broad Armenian participation because international awards help bring recognition to both the country and its wines.
As part of the event, guests will visit Armenia’s main wine-producing regions, including Vayots Dzor, Armavir, Aragatsotn, and Tavush. The visits will introduce participants to Armenia’s rich winemaking traditions, local grape varieties, and modern wine culture.
Armenia’s Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said the competition places Armenia firmly on the global winemaking map.
“The competition gives Armenia, Armenian winemaking traditions, and Armenian wine constant visibility in the international wine community,” Papoyan said. “It also gives our winemakers the opportunity to interact with international buyers, sommeliers, experts, bloggers, and journalists, helping make Armenian wine more exportable and positioning Armenia as a wine tourism destination.”
Papoyan noted that while global wine consumption as a beverage has seen some decline, wine tourism is growing. He added that international guests have already shared numerous posts about Armenia’s winemaking traditions on social media, generating millions of views and helping raise the country’s visibility.
Quentin Havaux, director of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, said he first visited Armenia three years ago and was deeply impressed by the country’s culture and history.
“It was obvious to us that we had to organize this competition here in Armenia to show the world what Armenia can offer — not only in wine, but also in culture, history, and gastronomy,” Havaux said.
He said the project took three years to organize and added that the organizers were pleased to introduce Armenia to tasters, journalists, and international buyers.
The results of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles will be published on June 10 on the competition’s official website.
