Founded by Michael Franzese in partnership with Armenian wine producers, Franzese Wine was created to showcase Armenia’s ancient winemaking heritage to a wider audience. The “Areni” bottling is produced from the indigenous Areni Noir grape grown in the high-altitude vineyards of the Vayots Dzor region, where volcanic soils, abundant sunshine, and dramatic diurnal shifts preserve freshness and aromatic complexity. Often described as a distant ancestor of Pinot Noir, Areni thrives in this rugged mountain terroir, producing wines that combine bright red fruit, vibrant acidity, and a distinctive mineral character rooted in one of the world's oldest winemaking regions.