Perhaps following the Latin proverb "in vino veritas," a group of Azeri hackers decided to recently use the website of a major Armenian wine producer to spread their version of the "truth." Reports Armenia's News.am:
Azerbaijani hackers cracked the website of Armenia-based “Armenia Wine” factory on the night of June 25.
A group of hackers calling themselves “Anti-Armenia team” posted an article about alleged Armenia’s “aggression” towards Azerbaijan, photos, videos about Azerbaijani leader and armed forces.
In response, the Armenia Wine company said the hack was not fueled by the political tensions that exist between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but rather by Azeri sour grapes over the recent growth of the Armenian wine industry. Again, from News.am's article:
In its statement the company said Azerbaijanis are angered by Armenia’s ability to develop production and enter international market even being under the blockade. The company representatives assured that promotion of Armenian wines in the international market will continue regardless of any attempts.
Indeed, as previously reported on this blog, the Armenian wine industry has been making strides lately, with the creation of a handful of new wineries that are working to bottle world-class wines and with several older wineries also revamping their production to boost the quality of their product.
Not to be outdone by its rival, Azerbaijan is also working hard these days to fix the dismal reputation of its wine, at least according to an article in Sommeliers International magazine, which suggests that the country is now using "western-style" growing and winemaking techniques to good effect:
We discover now Azeri wines of a high quality with a beautiful sensory expression, mono or bi-varietals, sometimes associating Azeri and French grape varieties. It is a very big reconversion, in mind of the modern vine growing that leads now Azerbaijan in the circle of the new producing countries of the Old World.
For now, the jury is still out on this new wave of Azeri wines. What is clear, though, is that like with so many other things, Azeris and Armenians will likely find a way to turn even the subject of winemaking into something to fight about.
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