Vins d'Arménie wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

Armenia produces wine across three main regions: Vayots Dzor, the historic cradle of Armenian winegrowing around the village of Areni, Aragatsotn, on the foothills of Mount Aragats, and Armavir, the largest of the three, on the Ararat plain. Vineyards sit at an average altitude of around 1,500 metres, with individual plots ranging between 900 and 1,800 metres depending on the area. The climate is continental, with cold winters and hot, dry summers, marked by wide day-to-night temperature swings that help preserve aromatic freshness in the grapes. Soils are of volcanic origin, enriched with limestone on the higher ground of Aragatsotn and more clay-sand based in the lower-lying areas. Indigenous varieties dominate the vineyard, notably Areni Noir for red wines and Voskehat for white, alongside Kangun, Garan Dmak and Kakhet. The Areni region has yielded the remains of the oldest known winery, dating back around 6,100 years.