Wine Arcana

Grape

Voskehat

Also known as Voskeat, Khardji, Kharji

Voskehat is an old white wine grape strongly associated with Armenia. It supports a broad range of wines, from fragrant, textured dry whites to sparkling blends and historically sweet fortified styles. Modern Vayots Dzor examples make the relationship between mountain fruit and cellar choices especially clear.

The University of California, Davis grape registry lists Voskeat as its principal name and Voskehat, Khardji, and Kharji among its synonyms. Its commentary suggests a western Armenian origin and also records the grape in Azerbaijan under the name Kharji.1. University of California, Davis, Foundation Plant Services, “Voskeat,” grape registry, accessed 21 September 2026.

Zulal and still Voskehat

Zulal's 2019 Voskehat offers a specific view of the grape in Vayots Dzor. Importer Storica describes fruit from a south-facing plot in Aghavnadzor, at an altitude of about 1,400 metres, with limestone and volcanic material in the soil. The wine was made entirely from Voskehat, fermented in stainless steel, and bottled from tank.2. Storica Wines, “Zulal – Voskehat 2019,” technical sheet hosted by Massanois, accessed 21 September 2026.

The importer describes peach-blossom and apricot aromas and emphasizes texture. Fermentation and maturation in tank allow those characteristics to be considered without an added layer of oak flavour. A substantial white wine can derive its weight from ripe grapes and fermentation even when it has had no barrel maturation.

Yacoubian-Hobbs also grows Voskehat in Vayots Dzor and describes its thick-skinned berries. Skin thickness is a vineyard characteristic; extracting compounds from those skins is a separate winemaking choice. A pressed white and a skin-contact white wine can therefore differ considerably even when made from the same grape.

Sparkling wine and the harvest

Keush sources fruit from Khachik's high vineyards and uses Voskehat with Khatouni for traditional-method sparkling wine. Its Origins bottling is listed as 60% Voskehat and 40% Khatouni. The blend places Voskehat within an active Armenian sparkling-wine tradition as well as the growing range of varietal still whites.

Grapes for a sparkling base wine are selected for a balance that can support a second fermentation and later lees aging. The intended style changes the harvest decision: preserving acidity for sparkling wine and pursuing fuller fruit for a still white place different demands on the same variety.

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