Nikol Pashinyan wants to abandon the name “Armenian cognac” – Meduza

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the name “Armenian cognac” should be abandoned and the alcoholic beverage produced in the country should be called brandy.

Speaking at a government meeting, writing The Armenian Time, Pashinyan recalled that cognac, like champagne, was not originally a drink, but a region.

“We have left the culture of eating “Soviet champagne,” said the Prime Minister of Armenia. – However, champagne is not sparkling wine, but sparkling wine made from grapes grown in Champagne region. As well as cognac, a brand made from grapes found in the Cognac region.”

“Owning someone else’s intangible value is disrespectful,” Pashinyan said, noting that disputes over the name hinder, among other things, the development of the country’s economy.

The most famous Armenian cognac, Ararat, is produced by the Yerevan Brandy Factory. It is owned by the Pernod Ricard group, which also owns Chivas Regal, Jameson, Ballantine whiskey, Absolut vodka, Olmeca tequila, Havana Club rum, Mumm champagne and Perrier Jouet. Before Russian troops invaded Ukraine, Russia was the main market for Ararat. Because of the war, Pernod Ricard, like several other large international companies, left the Russian market.