Armenian wine: ‘youngest oldest winemaking country’ is coming of age

Although Armenia recently lost a war with neighbour Azerbaijan over the disputed province of Nagorno-Karabakh, which saw Armenians lose vineyards planted with unique grape varieties, the mood at the masterclass was defiantly optimistic. Gilby dubs Armenia the ‘youngest oldest winemaking country’ because although it was one of the cradles of viticulture with evidence of winemaking dating back over 6,000 years, its modern industry is incredibly recent. 

During Soviet times, the country was designated as a brandy producer, making what they still call ‘konyak’. The country’s entire viticulture was turned over to high-yielding grapes to provide a neutral base for a brandy that oiled the wheels of the Soviet Union. Ordinary Armenians drank vodka and the link with Armenia’s great winemaking past was nearly severed completely. But not quite. The tradition of home winemaking never died out.

The revival began with Armenian independence in 1991 but it would take two diaspora Armenians to create serious export-quality wines: Zorik Gharidbian from Italy at Zorah, which released its first wine in 2011, and Eduardo Eurnekian from Argentina at Karas Wines, which launched in 2010. They brought a very different philosophy: Zorah uses indigenous grapes and worked with Italian consultant Alberto Antonini, while Karas enlisted the help of Michel Rolland and planted French varieties. 

The Zorah approach seems to be winning out. Other diaspora Armenians like Vahe Keushguerian at Keush and Varuzhan Mouradian at Van Ardi are using native varieties. And what a wealth of grapes the country has: more than 350, with around 50 of them used commercially. Furthermore, most of the vineyards are phylloxera-free, meaning there are some extremely old vines. 

The star red grape is Areni, named after the town of Areni in Vayats Dzor, a distinctive fragrant red grape that produces a wine not unlike Syrah in the northern Rhône. Then there’s Voskehat, an ancient white grape that may be as much as 3,500 years old. Gilby describes it as ‘queen of Armenian vineyards’ and compares it to Roussanne or Grenache Blanc, producing textured wines that often have a noticeable stone-fruit character. 

The country has five main winemaking regions: Vayots Dzor, Armavir, Aragatsotn, Ararat Valley, and Tavush. What they all share is high altitude; 90% are over 1,000m above sea level, with an extreme continental climate. There’s plenty of sunshine, more than 300 days a year, but it gets cold at night and winters can be harsh. In some regions, vines must be buried to protect them from the cold, which adds to production costs. 

What also adds to the expense is Armenia’s precarious geopolitical location as a landlocked country with neighbours that range from the actively hostile, like Azerbaijan and Turkey, to the difficult, like Iran. All the winemaking equipment, including tanks, presses and barrels, have to be imported, usually from France or Italy, and come by road through Georgia. The wines have to go out the same way.

Some producers are working with traditional amphora known as karas but the skills used to make them died out during the Soviet era. Consequently, winemakers have to search through old houses for buried clay jars and carefully remove them, a laborious and tricky process. Zorah’s first vintages were made in stainless steel and aged in oak but now the wines are fermented in concrete and aged in karas.

On the whole, the wines on show were well-made and clean, without the strange flavours you sometimes get in Georgian bottles. There were still some ‘out there’ wines, like one made from Nrneni, a teinturier cross with Alicante and Saperavi heritage, which was like drinking Mega Purple. There were also some wines with unpronounceable names for English speakers, like Jraghatspanyan, that are due to be rebranded for the international market.

What was clear is that in Areni, Armenia has a distinctive, delicious red-grape variety that responds particularly well to a fresh style of winemaking with minimal oak influence. The leader is still Zorah, by quite some way, but there were delicious examples from other producers. It clearly has a bright future.

Despite the growth of the wine industry in Armenia, around 85% of vineyards are still for brandy production. Overall, the country produces around 14 million litres of wine a year, which is similar to Georgia. Russia is by far the largest export market followed by the US. Domestic consumption is growing, particularly among younger people, with wines festivals in the capital Yerevan and in towns like Areni in Vayats Dzor.

The British market is still very small. One attendee speculated that a marketing push like the recent EU-funded one for Greek wine would help. The big difference is that while Greek wines might initially feel unfamiliar, many British people have visited Greece and know Greek people. In contrast, Armenia is a mystery (though the situation in the US, with its large Armenian diaspora, is very different). Gilby thinks the key is ‘communication, communication communication’. For Lianna Abelyan from Vine and Wine Foundation of Armenia, it’s all about ‘working together rather than in competition.’

Armenian wine has much going for it, including two superb, easy-to-pronounce native varieties, quickly improving winemaking, and money and ambition from the diaspora. Tourism is also on the up – it’s one of the most fascinating and beautiful countries I have ever visited. Don’t be surprised if Armenian wine goes mainstream in the next few years.

Five Armenian wines to try