Story
Rooted deep in history
Adruni Vineyards is new to Sonoma, but its name goes far back in history. Co-founder Garo Kholamian was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Chicago. His father, however, grew up in Amman, Jordan, an Armenian of the diaspora. The name Kholamian, before being simplified during the process of immigration into America, was something closer to Khulmunyan, which meant one who did trade with the village of Khulmun. Thus Kholamian has been our family’s name while living in America over the past two generations. And yet, there was another name, one considered more ancestral and true – and that was Adruni.
Adruni is not only a name that strongly stands for our Armenian ancestry, but also stands for our idea of the future. The name goes back to an ancient line of Armenian heritage, who were also among the world’s first winemakers, as evidenced by the famous Areni-1 Cave. This historical site is where the world’s oldest winery was discovered. While it had other significant ritual meaning for the 6000 year old inhabitants, the cave was a place, above all else, for storing wine!
The millennia old wine amphoras in the cave provide evidence of the prestigious wine-making reputation the Armenian kingdom of antiquity. These pieces of the past, along with the still-cultivated Areni grapes in modern day Armenia, speak to the enduring tradition of Armenian winemaking.
To bring this name to California feels a bit like coming home, in so many ways – Nancy Kholamian, co-founder, was born and raised in Northern California. The mother of three Midwestern boys, this new chapter of life is also a return to her roots. An avid gardener, Nancy has a habit of cultivating life and joy wherever she goes. In Sonoma that doesn’t just mean grapes and olives, but also in fostering new friendships and renewing old ones. Nancy and Garo both have endeavored to make Adruni a place that brings people together.
The Armenian symbol of eternity on our bottle hints at the cycles of life that bring us together. The roots of our vines mirror the roots we seek to establish in Dry Creek Valley for this new chapter of life. So, for us, Adruni is about making old traditions new, and lost things becoming found – preferably over a glass of world-class wine.
