Tevan Poghosyan is the founder & Winemaker for MOONQ Wines in Yerevan, Armenia. He grew up in Artsakh, where his grandfather first introduced him to winemaking. Although he built a distinguished career in public service—including roles as Artsakh’s Representative to the United States, head of a public policy think tank, Member of the Armenian Parliament, and Advisor to the President of Armenia—his passion for wine remained constant.
In 2004, he began making small batches of wine inspired by his grandfather’s methods, a tradition he continued for nearly two decades. In 2021, he founded TP Winery and launched MOONQ Wines, dedicated to reviving rare Armenian grape varieties such as Nrneni. Today, he produces limited-production wines that reflect Armenia’s rich viticultural heritage and the philosophy of unity at the heart of MOONQ.
Media Inquiries: tevan.poghosyan@gmail.com | https://moonqwines.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique & memorable about your winery brand?
What makes our winery unique is both its origin and its focus. I founded TP Winery in 2021 after nearly two decades of making small batches of wine at home—just 100 bottles a year, shared with friends. What began as a personal passion grew into a commitment to share something meaningful on a larger scale.
At the heart of MOONQ is the rare Armenian grape Nrneni, grown on just 0.5 hectares. Our wines are produced in very limited quantities and crafted entirely by hand, allowing for precision and care at every step.
We produce only about 1,000 bottles of Nrneni annually, along with small amounts of blends, Reserve wines, and experimental styles such as Karas and sparkling. This small scale, combined with our focus on reviving a rare indigenous variety, makes each wine distinctive and deeply connected to place, heritage, and purpose.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained. Sky’s the limit!
One day, during a family celebration, my grandfather took me aside and said, “If life is kind to you, one day you’ll sit with your grandson and tell him about the miracle of wine—how it heals, brings people together, and unites hearts.” I have carried that dream ever since.
My journey into winemaking began almost by chance after the birth of my fourth daughter, though I believe it was guided by something greater. By profession, I am a computer engineer and political scientist, and I spent decades in public service—as a diplomat, think tank leader, Member of Parliament, and advisor. Yet through it all, I made wine each year as a passion, until in 2021 it became my life’s work.
Today, I craft wines from the rare Nrneni grape, helping revive a nearly lost variety. My dream is simple but enduring: that MOONQ will live for generations. Perhaps one day, centuries from now, people will still come to taste something unique—made in the same place, with the same spirit, by my descendants.
MOONQ means “we.” It is a wine of unity—bringing people together, connecting past and future, and reminding us that together, we are stronger.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and winemaking style? Tell us its story.
For any winemaker, it is always difficult to say which is his or her best creation. However, to emphasize the uniqueness of MOONQ, it would be MOONQ NRNENI 2024. During its five years of production, MOONQ has already produced collectible wines, while some wines have achieved sold-out status. However, its flagship will always be MOONQ Nrneni.
Nrneni is an Armenian grape variety created through artificial crossing. It is the result of crossing 1-17-1 Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Saperavi. It is the only Armenian grape variety that has Cabernet Sauvignon as one of its parents. The grape bunches are medium-sized, cylindrical, and moderately dense, with pulp and juice displaying an intense red color.
Nrneni means “pomegranate-colored,” an adjective derived from the color of the pomegranate. This adjective was given to the grape variety as its name. Here’s the Nrneni Wine Review.
Bonus Question: What are your wholehearted convictions related to the wine business?
“In vino veritas”, meaning “in wine, there is truth.” For me, this does not simply mean that people speak the truth after drinking wine. It means that wine reflects your true mood. If you craft it with passion, kindness, and love, it will reflect those same qualities. However, if it is created only through calculation, the wine will reflect that as well. Wine feels the winemaker and reflects the truth.
For me, every winemaker is, at heart, a romantic. Winemakers do not see wine merely as a business; their true passion is creating an exceptional wine. Like a painter, an architect, or a writer, a winemaker is an artist whose medium is creation. In real life, I am a romantic and a dreamer, crafting my own work of art.