Kazakhstan, art & gastronomy

Kazakh four-time medallist Arba Wine visits Alsace

The Mondial des Vins Blancs Strasbourg welcomes edition after edition to bring together exceptional white wines from the 5 continents and to celebrate them.

A perfect example comes straight from Kazakhstan. Arba Wine estate covers no less than 200 hectares in one of the largest areas of ancient viticulture in the world.

Located near the village of Karaquémer in the Tourguegne river valley, the estate produces wines from white (Aligoté, Chardonnay, Gewurtraminer, Riesling, Rkatsiteli) and red grape varieties (Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot, Saperavi).

One of the remarkable characteristics is the altitude of the Arba wine vineyard : between 900 m and 1500 m.

Viticulture is therefore a heroic viticulture for an equally exceptional result.

AK ARBA Kazakh Riesling 2018 médaille d’argent

2015 Zeinulla KAKIMZHANOV, the audacious owner of the estate, decided to take part for the first time in the Mondial des Vins Blancs Strasbourg.

AK Arba – Riesling Assa Valley ALMATY then wins a gold medal; and regularly, with the goal of gauging themselves against the other white wines of the world and getting recognition for the work done by its teams (more than 80 people), Arba Wine regularly participates in the contest.

The Riesling are awarded regularly and delight the nose and taste buds of the panel of judges during the tastings.

This estate offers high quality wines, splendid wines of aging. The more you keep them, the more they will surprise you !

Under the guidance of the Consul General of Kazakhstan in Strasbourg, Anuarbek Akhmetov, two exceptional meetings were organized on Alsatian territory last November.

In fact, Zeinulla KAKIMZHANOV having organized a European tour made a stop in France. It was the perfect opportunity to make a studious and gastronomic stay in our beautiful Alsace. On the program among other discoveries, visit of Alsatian estates of international renown, presentation of Kazakh wines at the contemporary art fair ST’ART and exceptional tasting at the Auberge de l’Ill, restaurant with two Michelin stars.

Serge Dubs, best Sommelier of the World 1989, godfather of our competition, was pleased to welcome and serve the wines during the starred dinner in Illhausern. The organization of the Mondial also invited wine journalists who were more than delighted: focus on the terroirs of Kazakhstan, on the methods of winemaking and heroic viticulture, on the history of the vines cultivated in this country since the 7th century BC.

Did you know that, as in Chile or in Cyprus, the vine was spared by the phylloxera epidemic of the 19th century ? It means that the vineyard is entirely composed by ungrafted vines which makes it even more spectacular and a unique heritage.