Vineyards on a fertile plain at the foot of Mount and volcano of Ararat and famous monastery of Khor Virap in the background at sunset.

This ancient winemaking country was never on my radar. Was it because few of the wines have historically been available in the U.S. or because the bulk of indigenous wine grapes are not familiar to us in the U.S.? It certainly also doesn’t help that the country has been buffeted by war on many sides for much of its long wine-making history.

Vineyards in Armenia

The wine grapes from the Caucasus, primarily Armenia and Georgia, never made the leap to Western Europe. As a result, most U.S. and European consumers don’t know much about them or how to pronounce them.

However, on my first trip to Armenia, I was impressed with the overall quality of the wines and the passion that local producers put into them. Sadly, very few of them are present on the U.S. market. Storica, the Boston-based importer who led this trip, is changing that up. As are international winemakers like Paul Hobbs, while collaborating on winemaking endeavors there; and the fact that the latest SOMM film, part of a series of four, is based on wine production in Armenia. The film was just released in the U.S. and I recently reviewed it.

This was also a particularly moving trip, which most wine country trips aren’t always, given the political situation in the country. Armenia has long had a tenuous relationship with neighboring Azerjaban and it is not getting any better. So, I felt that the producers really poured their heart and soul into hosting us there in more ways than one. I wonder how many American producers might have canceled tastings and winery visits if their homeland felt imperiled?

The Background

Ancient Storage Jar Found in Areni-1 Cave, World’s Earliest Known Winery in the Village of Areni, Archaeological site in Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia

Anyone interested in understanding Armenia should look at the country’s deep history of winemaking. The Areni-1Cave, the oldest known winery dating from over 6,000 years ago shows evidence of wine consumption dating back to 6000 B.C. The country’s primary Christian population has also ensured that wine has long been made for use in the church and at home.

There is also a deep-seated tradition of home winemaking all around the country—much like you see in Italy or any southern European country—which is testament to how much countryfolk like crafting what they grow in their yards in into a great dinner pairing. This is something we observed in abundance on this trip, at places like Yeganyan’s Gastroyard, an interactive culinary center where visitors can make lavash bread and traditional sweets (and enjoy them with BBQ at dinner right afterwards).

Churchkhela, Sweet sujukh – nuts covered with grape juice

The wine industry here is fueled by stalwarts who are reinventing the wheel, from within, and those who have come back from many years abroad. Vahe Keushguerian, the charming protagonist of SOMM4, vividly expresses why he headed home after years of living in Italy and the U.S. Paul Hobbs, the legendary California winemaker, who has put some new styles of Argentine Malbec on the map also became interested in producing wine this country in high-elevation vineyards with tons of sunshine. Hobbs has been making wine under theYacoubian-Hobbs label since 2014 and he has been producing wine in Sonoma since the early 2000s.

The Background on Hobbs

Paul Hobbs is a renowned California winemaker who boasts an extensive career, marked by exciting collaborations with producers in several countries. Among these are Argentina, Cahors in South France, and most recently, Armenia via his Yacoubian-Hobbs label venture over the past ten years.

In our brief exchange, he shared the origins of his collaboration with Armenia. Hobbs discussed his encounter with two Armenian brothers based in Los Angeles, who were fans of his California wines and acknowledged his key role in globalizing the Argentine wine industry. The brothers seriously proposed a venture to augment the global perception of their homeland’s wines and desired Hobbs’s assistance.

Hobbs shared that his early career experiences had strongly imprinted Armenia in his imagination, and with various factors aligning, he felt compelled to explore this opportunity. Once there, one core factor became pivotal – the terroir. If it elicited a positive response, exploration would intensify. If not, he would return home. He added that, logically, he also worked with a variety of famous European varietals to comprehend their adaptive response to this sector of the world’s unique terroir.

The Basics

Armenia has long been cut off from the international wine-producing world as it was part of the Soviet Union until 1991. As the Soviets did, with other neighboring countries like Moldova, the Armenians were told to focus on “Cognac,” and other fortified wines. This clearly is not even Cognac as it is made outside the French region of the name.

Rows of vineyards with Mount Ararat (5137 m) in the background, Armenia.

Areni is the country’s flagship red grape. What is more, many vineyards here are phylloxera-free and have been planted on their own roots: which is something you don’t see much in Europe except for small regions like Colares in Portugal.

A few of my favorites tasted on this trip included Noa Arkuri Noah Of Areni 2022, which had lovely stone fruit notes and flowers. The rosé sparkler from Kuesh is delightfully over the top with a fragrant aroma and hints of berries on the palate. It’s made by Keushguerian. Van Ardi is another notable producer with a nice estate. The winery’s 2022 Kangun—an indigenous white grape—had rich stone fruit notes, good acidity and notes of citrus and apricot skin on the finish.

Kebabs at Carousel.

Some of these unique varietals are picking up traction in U.S. restaurants, particularly where there is a large Armenian community in places like Glendale, in Los Angeles. Rosalie Tcholakian, an owner of the two-location Carousel restaurant shares that her dinners are growing more interested in Armenian wines. She adds that many non-Armenia customers are also showing up, so “Armenia is definitely on the map!”