What Is Voskehat? Armenia's Golden White Grape

Open Container 2019 Reserve Voskehat, green label, white wine from Armenia

Voskehat is a white wine grape native to Armenia. Its name means "golden berry": "voske" is gold, and "hat" is a berry or a piece. It makes a dry, fresh white with apricot, pear and a touch of key lime, close in style to a Sauvignon Blanc but softer and rounder, without the sharp, green edge.

When I pour Voskehat for someone new, I start with the freshness. Apricot and pear jump out of the glass, then a little key lime. People who drink Sauvignon Blanc usually like it right away: it is crisp and refreshing, but it doesn't have those tart, kiwi notes.

Why it's called "a piece of gold"

In Armenian, voske means gold, and hat means a berry, a grain or a piece. The old name was "a piece of gold", and you understand why when you stand in the vineyard at harvest. Ripe Voskehat grapes turn a deep golden yellow, and the berries glow in the sun.

An ancient Armenian grape

Voskehat is one of Armenia's own grapes. It is not a cross or an import, and Armenians have grown it for thousands of years. It comes from the same land as the Areni-1 cave, the oldest known winery in the world, about 6,100 years old. (We wrote about that in What Is Areni Noir?.)

For much of the 20th century, in the Soviet years, Armenia's grapes went mostly into brandy and fortified wines, and Voskehat was used mainly for sweet, fortified styles. My own grandmother ran a cognac factory in Ijevan in those days. Since the 1990s, Armenian winemakers have gone back to Voskehat as a dry white wine, and that is how we make it: fresh, dry and true to the grape.

Today Voskehat is grown mainly in three regions of Armenia: Aragatsotn, Armavir and Vayots Dzor, where our family's vineyard is.

Armenia's signature white grape

If you drink white wine in Armenia, there is a good chance it is Voskehat. Almost every Armenian winemaker who makes white wine works with it, either on its own or in a blend. It is to Armenian whites what Areni Noir is to Armenian reds.

The reason is simple: Voskehat is tough. It has thick skins, and it handles both the hot, dry summers and the very cold winters of the Armenian highlands. In a country where vineyards sit on volcanic, rocky mountainsides, a grape has to be hardy to survive, and Voskehat has done that for thousands of years.

Where it grows: high in Vayots Dzor

Our grapes grow around the village of Areni in Vayots Dzor, in southern Armenia. The village sits at about 990 meters (about 3,250 feet), and the vineyards around it climb to about 1,200 to 1,400 meters (roughly 4,000 to 4,600 feet).

That height is what makes the wine. Summer days are hot and sunny, and the nights turn cool. The grapes ripen slowly and keep their freshness. Voskehat is a late-ripening grape, so it needs that long season in the sun to turn gold.

Winter is the other side of mountain farming. Armenian winters are cold enough that most vineyards in the country need protection, and in many regions growers still follow an old tradition: in the fall they bury the base of the vines under soil, then uncover them in spring. In a hard freeze, the buried vines are the ones that survive.

Harvest: mid-September, by hand

We usually pick our Voskehat in mid-September, when the mountain air starts to turn cold. The exact day changes every year. It depends on how hot the summer was and how much stress the vines went through, but mid-September is the average.

Everything is done by hand. We don't use any machinery. We start early in the morning, while it's still cool, and pick into small crates so the grapes don't get crushed. Every bunch is sorted by hand, right there in the rows.

The people picking are villagers from Areni, many of whom have been doing this their whole lives. They know the vines better than anyone.

From the vine to the bottle

As soon as the crates are full, the grapes go straight to our neighbors' winery nearby, so they arrive cool and whole. There, with the master winemakers we work with, we press them gently and ferment the juice in stainless steel. Stainless steel keeps everything clean and bright: the apricot, the pear, the citrus and the floral notes all stay fresh.

Then comes the part that makes our Voskehats different: a short stay in oak. We use Artsakh oak, from the oak forests of the Armenian highlands, so even the barrel is Armenian. The wine doesn't sit in the barrel for long. The goal is a touch of oak, not a heavy one.

What a touch of oak does to a white wine

A barrel does two things. First, it adds flavor: barrels are usually lightly toasted inside, which gives soft notes of vanilla and warm spice. Second, it changes the texture. A barrel lets a tiny amount of air reach the wine over the months, which softens it and gives it more weight and a creamier feel in the mouth.

Too much oak can bury a white wine's fruit. A short time in the barrel does the opposite: the fruit stays in front, and the oak adds roundness and length behind it. That is the balance we aim for with Voskehat.

What Voskehat tastes like

A good Voskehat is dry, fresh and crisp, with:

  • ripe pear and golden apple;
  • Armenian apricot;
  • a lift of key lime and citrus;
  • white flowers and honeysuckle;
  • bright acidity and a mineral finish.

Next to a Sauvignon Blanc, Voskehat has the same freshness and crispness, but it is softer and rounder, without the kiwi and green, tart notes. If you like Sauvignon Blanc but sometimes find it too sharp, try Voskehat.

Our two Voskehats

We make two wines from Voskehat. Both start in stainless steel to keep the fruit bright. Then the oak gives each one more depth.

2019 Reserve Voskehat. Six months in stainless steel, then eight months in Artsakh oak. The oak adds a rounder, fuller mid-palate, a creamy texture and a whisper of vanilla, while ripe pear, golden apple and Armenian apricot stay in front. The finish is long and mineral, and the acidity keeps it fresh.

HAYK White, dry white wine of Armenia made from Voskehat, with the archer Hayk on the label
HAYK White, made from Voskehat.

HAYK White. A balance of stainless steel and six months in oak. Fresh apricot, pear and key lime come first, with gentle weight and a hint of vanilla behind them, and a bright, clean finish. HAYK is our finest line, named after Hayk, the legendary founder of Armenia. Our HAYK White is not in our online shop yet; contact us to ask about it.

In both wines, the oak frames the fruit rather than covering it up.

How to taste Voskehat like we do at our tastings

At our tastings we teach five simple steps. Try them with a glass of Voskehat:

  1. See. Tilt the glass against something white. Look for the golden color that gave the grape its name.
  2. Smell. Swirl the glass, then breathe in. Look for apricot, pear, citrus and white flowers.
  3. Sip. Take a small sip and let it sit on your tongue. Notice the freshness first.
  4. Swish. Move the wine around your mouth. This is where you feel the creamy texture from the oak.
  5. Swallow. Notice how long the finish lasts. A good Voskehat leaves a clean, mineral finish.

How to serve Voskehat

Serve it lightly chilled, about 55°F, not ice cold. Take it out of the refrigerator a little before you pour, and let it warm a bit in the glass. That's when the creaminess and the vanilla come through.

Voskehat is wonderful with:

  • lobster bisque;
  • lobster and crab;
  • chicken, especially mesquite chicken;
  • rich, creamy sauces;
  • stuffed grape leaves, and tomatoes or green peppers stuffed the Armenian way.

Stuffed grape leaves, called tolma in Armenia, are a natural match. They are often made with young grape leaves picked in spring, so the leaf and the wine can come from the same kind of vineyard. The herbs and lemon that often go into tolma bring out the citrus and freshness in Voskehat.

How long Voskehat keeps

With its acidity and a touch of oak, our Reserve Voskehat is built to age. Most bottles are best within 10 to 15 years, and in our experience the best keep for up to 20. Store them on their side in a cool, dark place, away from sun and heat.

Try our Voskehat

We ship to 40 states by FedEx Ground, once a week on Tuesday. An adult 21 or older must sign for every delivery. Want Voskehat and our reds every season? Join the Wine Club.

Questions about Voskehat

What does Voskehat mean?
"Golden berry." Voske means gold and hat means a berry or a piece, for the deep golden color of the ripe grapes.

How do you say Voskehat?
Roughly "vohs-keh-HAHT".

Is Voskehat sweet?
No. Our Voskehats are dry white wines.

Is Voskehat like Sauvignon Blanc?
It is close: fresh and crisp, with citrus. Voskehat is softer and rounder, with apricot and pear instead of Sauvignon Blanc's kiwi and green, tart notes.

Where is Voskehat grown?
In Armenia, mainly in Aragatsotn, Armavir and Vayots Dzor. Ours grows around the village of Areni in Vayots Dzor, at about 1,200 to 1,400 meters.

When is Voskehat harvested?
Ours is usually picked by hand in mid-September, early in the morning.

What temperature should I serve it at?
Lightly chilled, about 55°F.

How long can Voskehat age?
Our Reserve is best within 10 to 15 years, and in our experience the best bottles keep for up to 20.

New to Armenian wine? Start with our guide to Armenian wine: the history, the grapes, the regions and how to buy it in the US.

You must be 21 or older to buy wine. Please enjoy responsibly.

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