Taste the experience only at GiniFest®
About GINIFEST®
The Ginifest® Wine & Spirits Festival is a showcase of unique wines from all around the world and of course, Armenia’s and the Armenian Diaspora’s premier wine and Spirits products. Now, after it’s sixth year, the festival once again will showcase wines from Armenian and International wineries – with Armenian heritage, spirits companies, caterers, sweets, cheese, and cigar exhibitors.
6
Festivals to Date
2,000+
Attendees
120+
Wines & Spirits
180
Vendors & Sponsors
PourING Proudly
The mission of the Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival GiniFest® is to promote and celebrate fine wines and spirits of Armenia and international companies with Armenian heritage.
The GiniFest Story
Over the Years
2023
6th Annual Ginifest Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival
GiniFest® Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival
Marriott Burbank Airport
Sunday, May 7th, 2023
3pm to 7pm
2022
1st Annual International Ginifest Wine & Spirits Festival
GiniFest® Wine & Spirits Festival Fall 2022
Saturday, November 19th 2022
4 pm – 9 pm VIP
5 pm – 9 pm General
2022
2nd Annual Virtual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival
2nd Annual Virtual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival hosted over YouTube Live! including all of the great brands attending the 4th Annual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival.
2022
4th Annual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival
4th Annual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival where we had 25 wineries | 9 Brandies |
2 vodka | 4 Distributors | 2 Cheeses | 2 Cigar | 1 Sweets | 1Coffee | 2 Catering Companies | 3 Digital Apps | 2 Book Publishers | 10 Armenian Businesses | 3 Artist | and more than 1,500 attendees
2021
3rd Annual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival
3rd Annual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival where we had 25 wineries | 9 Brandies |
2 vodka | 4 Distributors | 2 Cheeses | 2 Cigar | 1 Sweets | 1Coffee | 2 Catering Companies | 3 Digital Apps | 2 Book Publishers | 10 Armenian Businesses | 3 Artist | and a total of 700 attendees
2020
1st Annual Virtual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival
1st Annual Virtual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival hosted over YouTube Live!
2019
2nd Annual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival
2nd Annual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival where we had 19 wineries | 9 Brandies | 2 vodka | 3 Beer | 5 Distributors | 2 Cheeses | 1 Cigar | 1 Sweets 1 Coffee | 2 Catering Companies | 1 Bookstore | 7 Organizations | Armenian Carpets | 2 Travel Agencies | 1 Soap Company |1 Software company | 700 attendees
2018
GiniFest, The First Annual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival was founded
1st Annual Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival where we had 10 wineries | 3 Brandies |
1 Vodka | 2 Cheeses | 1 Cigar | 1 Chocolate | 4 Distributors | 300 attendees
The Mission of GiniFest
The mission of the Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival GiniFest® is to promote and celebrate fine wines and spirits of Armenia and international companies with Armenian heritage.
What is Gini?
“Gini” is the Armenian word for wine. It is derived from the earlier Armenian word “geni [գէնի],” [pronounced gini or kini], whose root is the ancient Indo-European word “voinio.” “Voinio” is also the root word of “oinos,” a Greek word for wine. “Oinos,” the Hebrew “yayin,” the Latin “vinum,” and the English “wine” all express the same generic idea, as including all sorts and kinds of the juice of the grape.
Armenian winemaking has a rich tradition that goes back millennia. In 2010, the world’s oldest winery was discovered near the village of Areni, in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor Region. The winery is 6,000 years old.
Today, Areni is a major hub of Armenian winemaking, with many wines produced in the area having garnered international acclaim. In fact, ever since the 1990s, wines produced in regions throughout Armenia have been winning top awards at wine competitions across the globe, just as Armenian wines become more and more available in world markets.
Winemaking was a key industry in Urartu, or the Kingdom of Van, which was centered around Lake Van, in the Armenian Highlands. The kings of Urartu of the 8th century BC referred to Armenia as “the land of the vineyards.” The renown of Armenian winemaking was also echoed in the writings and inscriptions of antiquity. The Assyrian king Sargon II and the Greek historians Xenophon, Strabo, and Herodotus were among those who have praised the high quality and variety of Armenian wines.
Armenia has four major wine regions: Ararat, Armavir, Aragatsotn, and Vayots Dzor, which is home to the Areni Wine Festival. Another major wine region is the Republic of Artsakh as a whole. Nearly 2,000 of the 6,000 grape varieties in the world have been found in Armenia. Today’s top Armenian wine varieties include Voskehat, Areni (Areni Noir), Khndoghni, Garran Dmak, Karmrahyut, Nrneni, Azateni, Mskhali, Kangun, Meghraghbyur, Nerkarat, Ararat, Shahumyani, and Anahit.
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Every GiniFest has a primary goal of helping those in need across the globe by raising funds for Knowledge Truck Inc. a non-profit 501(C)(3) tax-exempt not for profit corporation established in 2015. Tax ID # 47-3315326
Furthermore, GiniFest advocates and promotes wine and spirit education through direct one-on-one access to world class Armenian products.
Ultimately, GiniFest aims to bring global, national and regional attention to the wine and spirits offerings of Armenia and Armenian Diaspora. The Armenian Wine & Spirits Festival is a showcase of Armenia’s and Armenian Diaspora’s premier wine and Spirits products. Now, in its fourth year, the festival once again will showcase wines from Armenian and international wineries with Armenian heritage, spirits companies, caterers, sweets, cheese, and cigar exhibitors.
Meet The Founder
Meet The Director
GiniFest Founder – Stepan Partamian
GiniFest Director – Anush Gharibyan O’Connor
