The Republic of Armenia in the Near East with the capital Yerevan covers 29,743 km². It borders Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan and Iran to the south, and Turkey to the west. The former USSR state became independent in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
History
The country corresponds to the north-eastern part of the formerly much larger Armenian settlement area and comprised the entire Anatolian region in the 7th century BC. Large areas have belonged to Turkey since the 15th century. Just over the border lies Mount Ararat, where, according to the Bible, Noah's ark landed after the end of the Flood. The area south of the Caucasus is part of Transcaucasia, while a smaller area belonged to ancient Mesopotamia, which extended from here to the south. This area is the origin of the cultivated vine and viticulture.
The legendary Argishti I (reigned 785-753 BC) was king of Urartu, a forerunner of modern-day Armenia. He transformed the capital city of Tushpa into a garden city with numerous vineyards. Excavations in the ancient city of Teschebaini (Karmir Blur) brought to light wine cellars with many large earthen wine vessels (pithos) labelled with vintage and quality information. The Greek author Xenophon (430-354 BC) reports that the ancient Armenians not only fermented grapes, but also wheat, barley and beans and stored them in craters (vessels). The high-alcohol wine was usually mixed with water. The sophisticated wine culture suffered repeated setbacks due to constant Arab and Turkish invasions and the associated Islamic ban on alcohol.
Possibly the oldest vineyard in the world has been discovered by archaeologists on the Georgian-Armenian border. During excavation work near the border town of Areni (Wajoz Dzor province) in 2010, a team of researchers found a wine cellar and grape press dating back to between 4000 and 4100 BC.
Viticulture today
The vineyards are mainly located at altitudes between 400 and 1,700 metres above sea level. The continental climate with dry summers requires mostly artificial irrigation. Two thirds of the vineyards are located in the Ararat Valley, as well as in the Ararat foothills, in Vayots Dzor and in Zangezur. Armenia is best known for its sweet dessert wines in the style of sherry (Ashtarak, Bjurakan), Madeira (Oshakan), Malaga (Arevshat) and port wine (Aigeschat), as well as its white wines. Around half of the vineyards are used for the production of around 50,000 hectolitres of brandy.
Mostly indigenous grape varieties are cultivated, which also occupy the top five places. In 2022, the vineyards covered 16,500 hectares of vines and the wine production volume was 122,000 hectolitres. The grape variety index:
Map: © Goruma
Coat of arms: by yeraguyn.com; Public domain, Link
