Armenia

Armenia is where wine began. The oldest winery ever found — clay vessels, a grape press, seeds — was discovered in a cave here, dating back over 6,000 years. This isn't marketing. It's archaeology.

During the Soviet era, Armenia was designated as the brandy producer for the entire USSR — by some counts, close to a quarter of all Soviet brandy came from these vineyards. Traditional winemaking didn't disappear; it survived quietly in family cellars and small home plots, on grapes that weren't destined for industrial stills. When Armenia regained independence in 1991, that quiet tradition became the foundation for a new generation determined to make wine again, not just spirit.

The vineyards sit at 800 to 1,200 metres above sea level, on volcanic and clay soils, under extreme sun with cold mountain nights. The indigenous varieties — Haghtanak, Kangun, Areni — exist nowhere else on earth. They don't taste like anything from France or Italy or Georgia. They taste like altitude, heat, and history.

Armenian wine is only beginning to find its audience outside the country. The people making it have been at it for millennia.

Tushpa Wines

Tushpa Wines

A third-generation family winery in the Ararat Valley — keeping Armenian wine alive through the Soviet decades, and finally sharing it with the world.

Founder Mihran Manasserian established the winery in 1992, the third winemaker in his family line, continuing a craft passed down from his father and grandfather. Today it is a true family affair — Mihran's wife Liana and their children Abraham, Karlen, and Ani are all part of the story.

Set in the village of Taperakan, 35km west of Yerevan, the winery sits at roughly 800 metres above sea level. The combination of clay and volcanic soils, generous sun, and cool mountain breezes creates that particular concentrated intensity. Tushpa grows both indigenous varieties — Haghtanak and Kangun — and Muscat, grapes that have called this valley home for millennia, with roots older than many grown in France.

Tushpa stays true to the oldest Armenian winemaking practices: spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, ageing in Caucasian oak, and traditional clay vessels called karases — alongside modern equipment where it helps. The winery works entirely by gravity, and you'll find both a water well and a lavash-baking tonir on site — a reminder that here, wine and culture are inseparable.

The result is wine that's honest, rooted, and alive. Whether it's the full-bodied indigenous Haghtanak red with its pomegranate depth, the aromatic Muscat, or the experimental Pet Nat series exploring rare Armenian grapes — every bottle carries the weight of 6,000 years of winemaking history, and the warmth of one family's lifelong dedication to keeping it alive.