GastroVino covered HALDE, Maran Winery’s underwater wine-aging project in Lake Kari on Mount Aragats, and its second year of partnership with Wilco Wealth Management. In the piece, HALDE co-founder Frunz Harutyunyan described the origins and development of the project, from its first scientific trials in 2020 to today’s multi-year aging technique, while Irina Belysheva, CEO of Wilco, spoke about the values connecting the two companies.
Frunz explained how HALDE evolved from an internal experiment testing whether underwater aging improved wine quality into a limited annual release, aged using Armenia’s native Areni grape and marked each year by a ceremony at the lake. He also described how Wilco has taken part in the HALDE ceremony for two consecutive years.
Irina spoke about why the partnership made sense for Wilco, pointing to shared values around patience, long-term vision, and family legacy between Maran Winery and Wilco’s approach to wealth management. She described the collaboration as a way for Wilco to engage with Armenia’s cultural and social context beyond its core business, and drew a parallel between the patient, generational nature of winemaking and Wilco’s investment philosophy.
