How did a coincidence turn into an opportunity to engage in winemaking? This seemingly simple question is not a joke but proof that nothing happens by chance. One day, while making pomegranate juice, Hasmik Movsisyan forgot to close the bottle before placing it in the refrigerator—and that’s where it all began.

“I made pomegranate wine for the first time by accident. Once, I had guests over and treated them to homemade pomegranate juice. After they left, I got caught up in household chores and forgot to close the bottle. When I finally remembered, I saw that the juice had already started to ferment. I tasted it and liked it very much. That’s how we decided to start making pomegranate wine,” says Hasmik.

Whenever she enters the pomegranate factory, Hasmik Movsisyan always does so with a smile. She instinctively touches the wine storage containers before getting down to work. When asked how she decided to start this business, she first responds with a proud smile, then explains:

“We followed our dream and achieved our goal. To be honest, we only dreamed of all this. A year ago, if you had seen the conditions here, you simply wouldn’t have believed it. Now, nothing remains of the old setup—everything has changed and improved.”

As part of the “Pomegranate” project under UNDP’s Sustainable Communities programme, the first pomegranate juice factory of the project was established in the village of Alvank, in the Meghri community of Syunik region. The beneficiary received wine storage containers, a juice extraction device, a hydraulic press, a gravity pump, a layer filter, a stoppering device, a measuring jug, and other essential equipment. Construction work was carried out on the production facility, and quality control of the juice and wine was conducted. The beneficiary also received professional consulting.

“Before becoming a program beneficiary, I never believed that our dream would come true. Everything seemed impossible until the very last moment. But now, when I look around, I see that our years of hard work were recognized, and we were able to establish our pomegranate production plant,” says Hasmik.

The plant produces both pomegranate juice and wine. Even pomegranate seeds are in high demand—they can be used to make a skincare scrub.

“Our family has been engaged in winemaking and juice production for 20 years. In the past, we did everything manually, using homemade equipment. We had to store the wine in glass containers, which made the process difficult. With large production volumes, we simply didn’t have enough containers and constantly had to buy new ones,” explains Hasmik.

Thanks to the new equipment provided by UNDP, production volumes have doubled, and pomegranate procurement has also increased. Hasmik Movsisyan notes that the villagers are excited about her workshop, knowing that their harvest will be preserved and their products won’t go to waste. Today, they procure pomegranates from more than 50 villages.

“In the past, when I heard people say that winemaking is a philosophy, I thought they were exaggerating. But then I realized it’s true—when do you drink it, at what time, with whom, in what glass? I fell in love with this profession, and with the help of my sons, we gradually became skilled in this craft. Every time, we discover something new—and we continue to do so. We have now established a new pomegranate orchard with improved varieties that are easier to harvest. In the near future, we plan to expand our orchards even further,” says Hasmik.

Looking ahead, the goal is to increase production, establish additional pomegranate orchards, and create new jobs.