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Beirutis Develop Taste For Armenian Pomegranate Wine

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  • Beirutis Develop Taste For Armenian Pomegranate Wine

    BEIRUTIS DEVELOP TASTE FOR ARMENIAN POMEGRANATE WINE

    http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/01/10/8395/
    11:53 10.01.2013

    Armenian pomegranate wine is gaining popularity in Beirut~Rs Armenian
    suburb of Burj Hammoud and beyond after making a big impression at the
    Beirut Cooking Festival in November where visitors couldn~Rt get
    enough, The Daily Star reports.

    Armenia is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, but
    the pomegranate, with its tight clusters of seeds and vivid color, has
    special significance in the culture.

    ~SThe pomegranate represents family, solidarity, a community that
    sticks together, and the color symbolizes happiness,~T said Arpi
    Mangassarian.

    Mangassarian wears many hats in the local Armenian community as a
    municipality official and founder of the Badguer Restaurant and
    HeritageCenter, which is responsible for introducing the wine to the
    public at the Cooking Festival.

    Armenian food has already distinguished itself among the cuisines of
    the region for its rich palette and playful mix of spicy, sweet and
    savory flavors, so it~Rs no surprise that this tart, semisweet wine is
    just as surprising and delicious.

    In the Badguer dining room, pomegranate wine is served alongside
    hearty, traditional Armenian dishes such as stuffed carrots and
    kebbeh. The fruit~Rs symbolic significance is also clearly on display,
    with pomegranate motifs adorning everything from the curtains to the
    napkins.

    ~SIts presence makes us feel there is balance and joy and prosperity,~T
    Mangassarian explained.

    ~SThey say if you count all the seeds in a pomegranate there are
    exactly 365, but I never counted!~T she added.

    Until now, the wine, which is imported from Armenia, is hard to find,
    even among wine and liquor shops in Burj Hammoud. According to
    Mangassarian, most Lebanese Armenians acquire a taste for the drink
    when they visit Armenia.

    But according to Elie Maamari, an oenologist and export manager for
    Ksara, that could soon change as pomegranate wine is enjoying somewhat
    of a renaissance internationally.

    As a wine expert, Maamari says he was taken aback by the sweetness of
    the drink, which he considers more of a liquor or a dessert wine. ~SI
    think it will catch on in Lebanon, but the question is what can you
    consume it with? Maybe cheese or dessert,~T he suggested.

    Despite its marketability, Maamari sees little opportunity for the
    commercial production of pomegranate wine locally, pointing out that
    Lebanon does not grow enough pomegranates to sustain such an industry.

    Syria, he added, would have been an ideal place to produce pomegranate
    wine, if not for the current crisis

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