Just two hours south of Yerevan, in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor province, you can discover beautiful natural areas rich in cultural heritage and some of Armenia’s best wineries. Whether you are just passing through Vayots Dzor, or planning to stay awhile, be sure to visit one of local wineries to learn about Armenia’s rich wine heritage and sample some of the finest wines in the Historic World.
Vayots Dzor boasts over 6000 years of wine-making history and culture, including the site of the oldest known winery in the world in the village of Areni. Beginning in the village of Areni and continuing to the city of Yeghegnadzor, the Vayots Dzor wine route extends about 20 kilometers through one of Armenia’s most fertile wine growing regions.
A handful of grape varietals, including Areni and Voskehat, have been growing continously on the steep mountain – sides of this region for millennia.
Today, a handful of enthusiastic, professional wine makers continue to cultivate these ancient varietals. Local wine factories are producing traditional Armenian wine, with natural components, without the use of modern mass production practices. Some of them experimenting with different grades of grapes: by this kind of combining they get a unique and exceptional taste of wines.
In 2017 CNN included Vayots Dzor in the list of “15 best wine tours and trails” of the world.