Arpine Manukyan
Armenia
Arpine is an Armenian wine professional and winemaker, based in Yerevan, Armenia. Originally pursuing a career as a linguist, in 2014 Arpine decided to drastically change her path and instead began pursuing winemaking, saying: “I have no regrets, as it allowed me to pursue my true passion”. Since making this change, she became the first person in Armenia to achieve the WSET Diploma and Weinakademiker qualifications. She has also achieved a Master’s Degree in Oenology, going on to get on-the-job experience during harvests in Italy, Germany, Argentina and the USA. Despite these impressive achievements. Arpine has had to face up against “gender-based barriers” which “marginalise women and hinder their professional growth and educational opportunities”. Due to the male-dominated nature of winemaking in Armenia, she has found her qualifications and opinions constantly questioned and belittled by men who, in many cases, are less experienced than she is. Such setbacks have not deterred Arpine from being “resilient and determined to overcome any obstacles and prove that women have the skills and passion to excel in any aspect of winemaking”. Her goals are now two-fold: to pursue the MW certification strengthening her position to rebut sexist attitudes towards women within the wine industry in Armenia, and to begin the production of her own wine.
