The grapes of Vayots Dzor
CNN has listed Armenia’s Vayots Dzor region as a one of ‘15 Wine Trails Worth Getting Sidetracked On.’
Here’s how CNN describes the region in Armenia believed to be the place where the first wine was produced.
“According to the Bible, Armenia was the first wine-producing region in the world, since it was on the slopes of Mount Ararat that Noah planted the first vine after the flood.
Archaeologists agree — at least on the long tradition: a 6,100-year-old winery was discovered not long ago.
The local Areni variety has been unchanged for centuries, being highly resistant against disease with a thick skin that helps shield it from cold extremes.
The easiest wine-growing region to get to from the capital, Yerevan, is Vayots Dzor, where a microclimate ensures 300 sunny days a year.
Most organized tours zoom in on the Areni Noir, an incomparable red that put Armenia on the map when it was launched internationally in 2012.â€
