Armenian Wines: The oldest wine on Earth

When someone thinks of wine the immediate thought is rolling vineyards in Southern France or the rocky, hills of Northern Italy. Further back in time there is the expansive vineyards of the Romans and Greeks. One is not always drawn towards the former Soviet bloc when it comes to such matters. However, this is the birthplace of wine in the form we know and  love today. There has been wine making in this region as far back as 200 BC. There is much contention over what country truly holds the honour of the "creator of wine" be it Armenia or Georgia but what is undeniably true is that the quality, strength and longevity of these remarkably unique wines is something not even the best French vintner could dream of.

If it's a classic oaked Chardonnay or a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon; Armenia can provide that. However where it comes into it's own is with it's indigenous grape varieties. Armenia has some of, if not the oldest, grape varieties known to man. Many of our favourite modern wines are a result of centuries of wild and forced cross breeding across Europe of these varieties. Grapes like Areni, Kangun, Voskehat, Aligoté. All unique and wonderfully expressive plants that you would struggle to find anything to come close to even at the higher end of the Old (should I maybe say "Less Old")World market.

The majority of Armenia's vineyards are organic and bare bones farms. Not for some modernist, idealistic view but because pesticides and fertilisers were historically expensive and the notion of chemical free farming is just the status quo. Most of the wines created are hand made, hand picked, hand grown and will be fermented and stored under the ground in traditional earthen amphora. In modern wine where it is a mass produced, chemically farmed robotic process made for quick production and even quicker consumption this would push the product into the realm of a"specialist" category and a price point to match. In Armenia this is just wine. There is nothing else. I implore you, pick up a bottle of Armenian wine. You will not be disappointed.