By Dr. Vasif Huseynov

The Academy also announced that MaryJane Partlow will become executive vp, awards production and special events.

• Scott Feinberg

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has promoted Teni Melidonian to chief Oscars officer, a newly created position, and MaryJane Partlow to executive vp, awards production and special events, Academy CEO Bill Kramer announced Tuesday.

Melidonian will continue to report directly to Kramer. Partlow will report to Melidonian.

Melidonian will lead strategy, talent relations, special events and production teams for all awards programs and events. She will collaborate closely with the Oscars producers and show host, Disney/ABC and Academy leadership, including the board of governors and its committees and oversee the teams involved in developing and executing the Oscars for a global viewing audience.

Melidonian will lead strategy, talent relations, special events and production teams for all awards programs and events. She will collaborate closely with the Oscars producers and show host, Disney/ABC and Academy leadership, including the board of governors and its committees and oversee the teams involved in developing and executing the Oscars for a global viewing audience.

As the lead liaison with Disney/ABC, the Academy’s broadcast distribution partner, Melidonian heads Oscars ad sales, marketing, advertising and synergy strategies supporting audience growth opportunities globally.

Partlow will lead the teams in producing all awards special events throughout the Oscars season, including the Governors Awards, nominations announcement, nominees luncheon, Scientific and Technical Awards and the Oscars Governors Ball.

“These positions and department are vital to the Academy’s evolution and success as we head into our 100th Oscars and beyond,” Kramer said in a statement. “Teni is creative and forward-thinking — and her years of Academy experience and strong knowledge of our awards are a huge asset for our organization during this exciting and historic time. She played a critical role in the success of last year’s show. MaryJane is a truly innovative leader, and her prowess in producing top-notch events is exceptional. I am deeply grateful for their strategic partnership and support.”Melidonian will lead strategy, talent relations, special events and production teams for all awards programs and events. She will collaborate closely with the Oscars producers and show host, Disney/ABC and Academy leadership, including the board of governors and its committees and oversee the teams involved in developing and executing the Oscars for a global viewing audience.

As the lead liaison with Disney/ABC, the Academy’s broadcast distribution partner, Melidonian heads Oscars ad sales, marketing, advertising and synergy strategies supporting audience growth opportunities globally.

Partlow will lead the teams in producing all awards special events throughout the Oscars season, including the Governors Awards, nominations announcement, nominees luncheon, Scientific and Technical Awards and the Oscars Governors Ball.

“These positions and department are vital to the Academy’s evolution and success as we head into our 100th Oscars and beyond,” Kramer said in a statement. “Teni is creative and forward-thinking — and her years of Academy experience and strong knowledge of our awards are a huge asset for our organization during this exciting and historic time. She played a critical role in the success of last year’s show. MaryJane is a truly innovative leader, and her prowess in producing top-notch events is exceptional. I am deeply grateful for their strategic partnership and support.”

In 2022, under Kramer’s leadership, Melidonian led the newly created Oscars strategy division, successfully creating a unit working year-round on all awards-related programs. The team also oversees guest and nominee ticketing and seating for awards season events and spearheads member screenings.

Melidonian was most recently executive vp, Oscars strategy. She began her Academy career in 2005 as a publicist, advancing to head communications and publicity and overseeing brand strategy and marketing before moving over to lead the Oscars strategy team. Prior to the Academy, Melidonian worked in Washington, D.C., including for the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia.

Partlow joined the Academy in 2013 and most recently held the position of senior vp, awards production and special events, contributing significantly to the Academy’s marquee events. Prior to joining the Academy, Partlow produced events for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Emirates airline and several high-profile global philanthropic families.In 2022, under Kramer’s leadership, Melidonian led the newly created Oscars strategy division, successfully creating a unit working year-round on all awards-related programs. The team also oversees guest and nominee ticketing and seating for awards season events and spearheads member screenings.

Melidonian was most recently executive vp, Oscars strategy. She began her Academy career in 2005 as a publicist, advancing to head communications and publicity and overseeing brand strategy and marketing before moving over to lead the Oscars strategy team. Prior to the Academy, Melidonian worked in Washington, D.C., including for the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia.

Partlow joined the Academy in 2013 and most recently held the position of senior vp, awards production and special events, contributing significantly to the Academy’s marquee events. Prior to joining the Academy, Partlow produced events for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Emirates airline and several high-profile global philanthropic families.

Trace through centuries of wine history and almost every trail will lead back to Armenia. As the Book of Genesis describes, the country—nestled between Iran to the south, Turkey to the west and Azerbaijan to the East—was home to the world’s first grapevines. When Noah’s Ark ran aground on Mount Ararat, he planted rows of vines (and got quite drunk off the first harvest). Students of history know that the snow-capped peak, despite its present-day location within the borders of neighboring Turkey, is an iconic symbol of Armenia.

You can label the Noah’s Ark story as legend or lore depending on your beliefs, but in 2007, the world’s oldest-known winery was uncovered in Areni, a town just 60 miles from Mount Ararat. Nestled deep in a cave perched up a rocky outcrop, researchers found a 6,000-year-old grape press and fermentation vats buried in the floor. It’s thought that wine played a significant role in the era’s human sacrifices and other religious ceremonies.

Winemaking continued in the country for thousands of years until practices wilted under Soviet rule. “Georgia was tasked with wine production and we got brandy,” says Mariam Saghatelyan, owner of InVino wine bar in Yerevan. Grape varieties better suited to spirits production were introduced and still-wine production fell dormant.

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Over the last twenty years, however, producers have re-emerged, reclaiming family land and planting indigenous grapes like Tozot, Voskehat and Khatoun.

When Paul Hobbs started his Yacoubian-Hobbs project with the Yacoubian brothers in Armenia two decades ago, “the wine industry was in rough shape,” he says. “A lot of expertise was lost and Soviet-era facilities were rusted and run down.”

So he tried planting American grapes to match his California background. “I looked to classic Western varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir—a total disaster,” he says. “We wanted to understand how these vines would behave in the Old World. It’s been very revealing—most of the varieties we brought ripened earlier and jumped up in sugar. They didn’t work here. Meanwhile, the indigenous varieties ripen late and never get out of control.” Now he relies on Armenian grapes—hyper-aromatic examples like Voskehat or intense reds like Areni Noir, just two of the offerings that make up Armenia’s 400 autochthonous grape varieties.

To really understand Armenian wine, these indigenous varieties are the place to start.

Known as the queen of Armenian grape varieties, Voskehat has been cultivated for over 3,000 years, most commonly in the cooler, forested province of Aragatsotn and higher altitude sites in Vayots Dzor.

Voskehat is known for its longevity and ability to withstand increasingly unpredictable climates, thanks to its thick skin and hardy vines. (It’s not uncommon to find 150-year-old plantings of Voskehat.) Because of these traits, wineries are starting to look to this grape as the future of the region amidst warming conditions.

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Voskehat is also malleable to style preferences. Depending on the growing season or winemaking treatment, the grape can be formed to bring out vegetal and key lime flavors or richer tropical notes of white flower and beeswax.

“I appreciate Voskehat because of its similarity to Chenin Blanc,” says Danya Degen, wine director at Meli in Washington, D.C. “Both grapes blend floral flavors with moderate acidity and fuller body. Like Chenin Blanc, acidity and body also make it a fabulous blending variety for sparkling wine. Armenia makes some of the best non-Champagne, non-Prosecco bubbles from Voskehat.”

Scott Stroemer, beverage director of Galit in Chicago, describes Khatoun (also known as Khatun, Khatouni or Khatun Kharji) as “a total acid freak.” With a yellow-green hue and near-colorless juice, Khatoun is known for its tart lemon, alpine flower and pineapple characteristics. “It’s great as a blending grape for Voskehat, which can be a bit flabby on its own,” he says.

Kangun (or Gangun, depending on who you ask) was born during Soviet rule and specifically created for brandy production. It’s the child of three grape varieties: First, it was crossed with the Ukrainian grape Sukholimansky Bely and the Georgian grape Rkatsiteli, then that offspring was later crossed with Chardonnay. It settled well in Armenian terroir and was adopted for not just brandy, but white and sparkling wines. Expect a light straw color, ample freshness and notes of honey, wildflower and quince.

The white grape variety—found most commonly in the Ararat region—is planted widely in the clay and higher desert soils of Armenia. It’s known for its vegetal and ripe pear characteristics, though Stroemer compares it to something more French in nature. “I want this to be the Sancerre of 2024,” he says.

“Areni Noir, often known as Sev Areni or Sev Malahi, is considered the pearl of Armenian grape varieties,” says Bertil Jean-Chronberg, the owner and operator of Bonde Fine Wine Shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “It grows in the Vayots Dzor region—distinguished by a unique climate of mild winters and sunny days—at an average altitude of 3,000 to 5,900 feet. This terroir reflects the peculiar characteristics of this grape variety: In its youth, it produces wines with a pronounced acidity and a deep and intense color with delicate aromas of cherry, blackcurrant and black pepper. Aged in Armenian oak barrels, it becomes finer and more velvety and gains aromatic complexity and roundness.”

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Areni Noir is “thin-skinned with bright acid,” adds Stroemer. “When grown in Vayots Dzor, Areni Noir becomes more Burgundian in presence with a black pepper finish.”

While Tigrani is Armenian in origin, part of its parentage comes from Georgia, the Caucasus’s other historic wine region. The grape is a cross between Saperavi, one of Georgia’s ancient grapes, and Areni Noir.

It’s seldom seen on its own. Instead, Tigrani lends fruit and florality to more tannic red varieties. The grapes are juicy, sweet and tart with deep natural color, a subtle spice and touches of ripe pomegranate.

Translating to “victory” in Armenian, Haghtanak’s deep purple berries and intense red juice have made the grape one of Armenia’s most beloved varieties. It’s often found in blends—the deep color adds oomph to lighter grapes like Tozot—though if you do find a single varietal wine, it’s deeply cherry-like, hyper tannic with additional notes of plum, cloves, coffee and vanilla. “I find it quite similar to Saperavi from Georgia,” says Stroemer. “It’s red-fleshed and super tannic.”

Kakhet has deep roots that date back to the 4th century, but for the last few centuries, the grape has been exclusively reserved for Port-style sweet wines. Producers are wising up to the grape’s potential: While Haghtanak and Areni are rich and tannic, Kakhet tends to be berry-forward and terroir-driven—it’s light and aromatic, with notes of blackberry, black currant, fig and black pepper. Experts at U.C. Davis reckon the grape is a relative of the French varietal Carbonneau.

“I see a lot of potential in this grape,” says Pavel Vardanyan, who makes a Tozot at Noa Wine in Vayots Dzor, located at the tippy-top of one of the region’s rolling mountains. “You can make Tozot elegant and ageable, you can make it into a rosé, you can make it into a blanc de noir,” he explains.

While Tozot isn’t found widely (and often only in older vineyards), the red grape offers up high acidity and freshness, with vibrant, bright strawberry notes not dissimilar to something from, say, Beaujolais.

Because of its rarity, “these days, it’s often blended into a still wine, used in table wine, dessert wine or distilled into Armenian brandy,” says Jean-Chronberg. “If vinified alone, it produces wines of great freshness, which are unique and invigorating.”

Published: January 11, 2024

https://www.wineenthusiast.com/basics/grapes-101/armenian-wine-grapes/ 

The Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatovic

The Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatovic, has urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to focus in their ongoing peace talks on ensuring rights for everyone affected by the conflict between the two Caucasus rivals.

In a statement on January 12, she said her visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh region in late October — the highest-profile rights visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh region in decades — highlighted the plight of more than 100,000 Karabakh Armenian refugees.

Following decades of control by ethnic Armenians, nearly all of the residents fled Nagorno-Karabakh after Baku wrested control of the internationally recognized Azerbaijani region in a lightning offensive in September.

Mijatovic said "Karabakh Armenians found themselves abandoned without any reliable security or protection guarantees by any party, and…leaving home was the only reasonable option available."

She said those former residents must be allowed to return with their properties intact.

Ethnic Armenians have accused Baku's forces of retributive attacks and other abuses, including the widespread destruction of property.

Mijatovic welcomed "the steps taken by the Azerbaijani government to facilitate the return of internally displaced persons to the Karabakh region" but "expressed the hope that all internally displaced persons who so wish will be able to return as soon as possible in safety and dignity."

She said that "pending a possible return, ways should be promptly found, including by establishing security guarantees, for Karabakh Armenians to temporarily access their homes or places of habitual residence, and visit graveyards where loved ones are buried."

She said the Azerbaijani authorities were responsible for ensuring the protection of property and the prevention of looting.

"The few ethnic Armenians who have stayed in the Karabakh region should also benefit from all human rights protection, including by having their freedom of movement secured," she added.

She encouraged both sides to build trust.

Mijatovic's statement was a follow-up to her visit to the region from October 16-23.

As international officials have pressed peace talks, the leader of Nagorno-Karabakh separatists ousted from the region in September, Samvel Shahramanian, said in December that a decree he signed on the dissolution of separatist institutions was no longer valid.

The United States in January put mostly Muslim Azerbaijan on a watch list for engaging in or tolerating “severe violations of religious freedom” since Baku retook Nagorno-Karabakh from mostly Christian ethnic Armenians.

Luis Moreno Ocampo is a welcome guest at the Armenian Embassy where Ambassador Hovhannes Virabyan pinned a Medal of Gratitude on his lapel.

Not quite the same limelight as at the start of last year when the film Argentina, 1985 portraying his exploits convicting military juntas was a hot favourite to win an Oscar but on January 5 (Christmas Eve for Orthodox churches) Luis Moreno Ocampo was a welcome guest at the Armenian Embassy where Ambassador Hovhannes Virabyan pinned a Medal of Gratitude on his lapel.

Why the gratitude? For using his prestige as the first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to bring attention to the escalating Azeri aggression against Nagorno Karabakh as from 2022, a full year before the Armenian enclave was finally overrun last September. A month beforehand Moreno Ocampo had issued a report on “Genocide against Armenians in 2023,” not hesitating to use the G-word when others might describe the Azeri invasion of Nagorno Karabakh as the hardly less serious ethnic cleansing – at his acceptance speech in the Embassy, Moreno Ocampo only regretted that his report had come too late to bring United States attention to the danger in time, a danger continuing into the present and future because Baku constantly describes Armenia as “Western Azerbaijan.”

Beginning with praise of Armenians worldwide as a uniquely talented diaspora and ending with a quote from Martin Luther King: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Moreno Ocampo centred his speech entirely on Nagorno Karabakh. 

The medal presentation was accompanied by a short video to mark the occasion from Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan himself and followed by a reception offering Armenian delicacies.

A whole book about a bunch of kids washing rugs with their grandmother? Author Astrid Kamalyan says she'd understand if you heard that pitch and thought, "Huh?"

But — of course — it is so much more than that.

"It's actually a book about Armenian joy and the beauty of Armenian family," says Kamalyan. "It has so much of what made our childhoods so happy."

In Bábo: A Tale of Armenian Rug-Washing Day, a little girl named Tato steals some cherry plums before grabbing a brush. She joins friends and siblings outside, where they soak, soap, and wash the rugs.

"We scrub. Brushes bop-bop-bop," Kamalyan writes. "Until our hands are warm. Until our knees and toes tingle a little. Until it's time to clear the foam. Time to slide!"

"I think it's the most favorite activity in Armenia," says Anait Semirdzhyan, who illustrated Bábo. Both Kamalyan and Semirdzhyan are from Armenia — they moved to the United States within three years of each other — and they both grew up washing rugs with their grandmothers.

Semirdzhyan says her grandmother would usually set it all up, and then leave her and her cousins to it. "And then she would come back and check if everything is done properly," she says.

"There is no formal rules or ways," Kamalyan explains. "You kind of just do it and have fun with it."

"Swoosh. We glide. Swoosh. Droplets splash," she writes. "We twirl. Bubbles pop-pop-pop."

Kamalyan wrote Bábo in 2020, right before conflict broke out in Armenia. She says it was important to have her book illustrated by someone who shared her background. She recommended Semirdzhyan, whose work she had long admired.

Semirdzhyan was thrilled when she got the manuscript. "I never, ever expected that I will illustrate a book about my childhood," she says. Plus, here was a story she could draw from memory — she didn't need to research what the buildings or streets would look like, or what Armenian kids would wear. Kamalyan says she recognized so much of her own childhood in the illustrations, it was almost like they had communicated telepathically.

That balcony that Semirdzhyan based on her grandma's house? "The balcony looks so much like my mom's balcony," says Kamalyan.

The gata — an Armenian pastry — on the table at the end of the story, when all the kids sit down for a treat? Kamalyan hadn't even told Semirdzhyan about her grandma's favorite gata recipe.

Even Semirdzhyan's rendition of a chicken coop rang familiar to Kamalyan's dad, who grew up in an Armenian village. "Apparently, what you have there is the classical — the right — way of doing a chicken coop," Kamalyan says.

One thing both author and illustrator had to research in order to make this story ring true? The rugs.

"Because we never pay attention to what colors and patterns are used on the rugs," says Semirdzhyan.

So Astrid Kamalyan met with a carpet weaving expert — and learned about pattern sizes and color combinations. One of the rugs in her story has a dragon motif — it's red, white, and blue — a red curve weaves up and down and forms an S-shape. "If it were green, brown, and purple you would know something is a little off," Kamalyan says she knows now, after looking at thousands of carpets.

Another assist came from her grandmother — who caught one crucial omittance: in an early version of the story that Kamalyan was relaying, Tato and Bábo forgot to wash both sides of the rug.

"I felt like a five year-old girl again," says Kamalyan. "You know, when parents say, 'Don't forget to wash behind your ears.'" So she added it to the book.

"'Areg, help me turn this one over?' Sevan asks. The pale mysterious backs of the carpets are like behind our ears. We must wash them, too."

Anait Semirdzhyan illustrated Bábo digitally — she said the hardest part was that most of the action in this story centers around a single activity that takes place primarily in a single location. How to keep it from becoming boring?

"I realized, oh God, this is so difficult to illustrate," Kamalyan says. "How do you show all the beauty?"

Semirdzhyan used perspective and angles. Some scenes zoom in on Tato's feet, as she walks down stone steps to meet her grandmother. Other illustrations zoom out on a scene of the whole neighborhood chasing escaped chickens. There's a bird's eye view of the carpets as the kids roll them up — "Figures and patterns all shine bright — dragons, eagles, diamonds and crosses, leaves and flowers in wondrous weaves."

After the rugs are clean, the kids roll them up and lay them on a bench. Once the water drips off, they'll open them up to dry. Meanwhile, everyone hurries off for treats — gata, fruit, apricot pie, walnut preserves.

"What you see on the table is what I usually would eat at my grandma's house," says Semirdzhyan.

Even though Kamalyan has very faithfully and accurately described the process of rug-washing, she does have one word of caution for readers: Do not try this at home!

"If you have heirloom carpets, have them professionally cleaned," Astrid Kamalyan says. "You have to be careful with the dyes and everything. You can spoil the rug."

But if you choose to ignore this advice, at least listen to Anait Semirdzhyan.

"When the rug is soaped, it's very slippery," she cautions. "So be careful running on that rug."

Armenia, the ancient land nestled in the cradle of viniculture, is experiencing a resurgence in its wine industry, driven by its distinctive local grape varieties. Among its prized indigenous grapes, Voskehat stands out. Often referred to as the queen of Armenian grape varieties, Voskehat is celebrated for its thick skin, longevity, and versatility in winemaking. This allows it to produce a spectrum of flavors, ranging from vegetal and key lime to tropical notes.

Wine experts often draw parallels between Voskehat and Chenin Blanc due to their similar blending capacities, especially for sparkling wines. Its versatility and adaptability to the region’s climate have earned Voskehat a revered status among Armenian grape varieties.

Besides Voskehat, the Armenian vineyard is home to a plethora of unique grape varieties. Khatoun, celebrated for its high acidity and tart flavors, often finds itself in a blend with Voskehat. Kangun, a grape developed during the Soviet era for brandy production, has adapted well to the Armenian terroir, lending freshness and honeyed notes to white and sparkling wines.

Another noteworthy grape is Garan Dmak. Known for its vegetal and ripe pear flavors, this grape is often compared to French Sancerre. However, the pride of Armenian grape varieties is the Areni Noir. This grape, often described as the pearl of Armenian grape varieties, produces wines with pronounced acidity, deep color, and aromas of cherry and blackcurrant. Wine connoisseurs often liken Areni Noir to Burgundian wines due to its thin skin and bright acidity.

The Armenian wine industry also boasts hybrids like Tigrani, a cross between Saperavi and Areni Noir, that adds fruitiness and florality to tannic red varieties. The grape Haghtanak, translating to ‘victory’, is a deeply colored and tannic grape often found in blends. Kakhet, traditionally used for Port-style sweet wines, is now recognized for its light, aromatic profile with notes of berries and pepper. A rare gem in the Armenian vineyard is Tozot, a grape with high acidity and vibrant strawberry notes, used in various wine styles, including rosé and brandy.

These unique grape varieties encapsulate the potential and richness of the Armenian wine industry. The increasing interest among wine enthusiasts and professionals signals a promising future for Armenian wines on the global stage.