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Vayots Dzor, Aragatsotn, Armavir, Ararat, Tavush
Armenia Wine Route
The oldest winery on earth was found in a cave here, and the vines above it still grow on their own roots. Travel Door drives the wine route as a private day or a longer trip, with a licensed guide, our own driver and tastings booked ahead.
- All five wine regions, not just Areni
- Areni-1 cave, where wine was made in 4100 BC
- Areni Noir, Voskehat and the grapes you will not find at home
- A driver, so everyone at the table can taste
Let’s talk about the wine world of Armenia
6,100
Years of winemaking
Back to about 4100 BC
450+
Native grape varieties
Most grown nowhere else
5
Wine regions
From Ararat to Tavush
1,800 m
Highest vineyards
Some of the highest on earth
The short answer
What is the Armenia Wine Route, and where is it?
The Armenia Wine Route is not one signposted road. It is the set of driving routes that link the country’s wine regions, and the best known of them runs south from Yerevan into Vayots Dzor, around the village of Areni, about two hours away. Four more regions sit within a day of the capital: Aragatsotn, Armavir, Ararat and Tavush. You pick a region, we build the day around its wineries.
Good fit if you
like small producers over big brands, want the history as well as the glass, or simply want someone else to drive.
like small producers over big brands, want the history as well as the glass, or simply want someone else to drive.
Quick answers
Armenian wine at a glance
| Does Armenia make wine? | Yes, and it is one of the oldest wine countries on earth |
|---|---|
| Does Armenia have good wine? | Yes. Armenian wines now win medals at international competitions |
| What is the best wine in Armenia? | Areni Noir for red and Voskehat for white are the signature grapes |
| Main wine regions | Vayots Dzor, Aragatsotn, Armavir, Ararat and Tavush |
| Where the route starts | Yerevan. Areni is about 120 km and two hours south |
| Best month to visit | September and October for harvest, or May and June for green vineyards |
| Booking type | Private, quoted for your group, no fixed departure |
Where the wine comes from
The five wine regions of Armenia
Armenia plants roughly 15,000 hectares of vines. Most of it sits in four provinces, with Tavush adding a cooler, greener fifth. The bars show how much each one actually grows, which is not the same as how famous it is.
ArmavirAbout 7,100 ha
The largest by far. Sunny Ararat Valley floor at 800 to 900 m, deep soils. Whites from Garan Dmak and Mskhali, and the Karas estate with its buried clay jars.
AraratOver 5,000 ha
The valley around 800 m, in sight of Mount Ararat. Many old red varieties, and the road passes Khor Virap on the way south.
AragatsotnAbout 1,700 ha
Volcanic tuff and basalt on the slopes of Mount Aragats at about 1,200 m. Modern wineries, cellar tours and the underground Wine History Museum.
Vayots DzorThe famous one
Smaller than the valley regions but the most celebrated. High stony terraces above the Arpa river, the home of Areni Noir and the Areni-1 cave.
TavushThe green one
Forested north-east, cooler and wetter. Aromatic whites, the Banants and Lalvari grapes, and the Ijevan wine and brandy factory.
Which region should I pick?
Vayots Dzor for the history and the boutique estates. Aragatsotn for a shorter drive and polished tasting rooms. Armavir and Ararat if you want scale and Ararat views. Tavush if you are heading north anyway.
Vayots Dzor for the history and the boutique estates. Aragatsotn for a shorter drive and polished tasting rooms. Armavir and Ararat if you want scale and Ararat views. Tavush if you are heading north anyway.
What is in the glass
The grapes you will taste
Armenia has more than 450 native grape varieties, and because the country escaped the phylloxera that wiped out Europe’s vines in the 19th century, many are still grown on their own roots rather than grafted. These five turn up most often on a tasting.
Red
Areni Noir
The flagship. Medium bodied, bright cherry and black pepper, firm but not heavy. The grape whose seeds were found in the Areni-1 cave.
Drink with grilled lamb, barbecue, aged cheese
White
Voskehat
The signature white, sometimes written Voskeat. Full and textured, with quince, beeswax and dried apricot rather than sharp citrus.
Drink with fresh cheese, grilled vegetables, trout
Red
Khndoghni
Also called Sireni. Deep colour and dark fruit with a floral lift, softer tannins than Areni.
Drink with stews, pork, mushroom dishes
Red
Karmrahyut
Inky and firm, with blackberry and black plum. Often blended in to add depth and colour.
Drink with slow cooked beef, strong cheese
Orange
Kakhet
An old variety now used for skin contact, or orange, wine at the more experimental estates. Divisive and worth trying once.
Drink with spiced food, dried fruit, hard cheese
Also ask for
The rest of the list
- Kangun and Garan Dmak, whites from the valley floor
- Mskhali, old and citrus fresh
- Haghtanak, a red that ages well
- Banants and Lalvari, aromatic whites from Tavush
Where it all started
Areni-1: the oldest winery on earth
In 2007 archaeologists digging in a cave above the Arpa river found a complete winemaking set-up, dated to about 4100 BC. It is at least a thousand years older than anything found anywhere else. The cave sits beside the road, ten minutes from Areni village, and you can walk into it.
- A clay basin press about a metre long, still stained with red wine pigment
- A fermentation vat sunk 60 cm into the floor
- Karas storage jars, grape seeds, pressed skins and dried vines
- Drinking cups beside graves, so the wine was probably ritual
- A layer of sheep dung sealed it all and stopped the mould
It goes by three names
Areni-1, the Bird Cave and T’rchuneri. Booking sites use all three and they are the same place, so do not book it twice.
Areni-1, the Bird Cave and T’rchuneri. Booking sites use all three and they are the same place, so do not book it twice.
The long story
Six thousand years in one line
Armenia did not discover wine recently. It nearly lost it, then took it back.
- At Karmir Blur near Yerevan, storage jars from around 650 BC were found marked with vintage years and volumes
- Under the Soviet Union, Armenia was told to make brandy, so red vines were neglected for decades
- When Yerevan's first modern wine bar opened in 2013 it could pour ten Armenian wines. Now it is over a hundred
Four ways to do it
Armenia wine route options and timings
Pick by how far you want to drive and how many tastings you actually want in a day. Three is usually the honest limit.
| Route | Time | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vayots Dzor day | 10 to 12 hrs | Khor Virap, Areni-1 cave, Noravank, two or three wineries | A first wine day |
| Aragatsotn day | 6 to 8 hrs | Two wineries on the Aragats slopes, plus a fortress or a cellar museum | A shorter drive |
| Ararat and Armavir day | 7 to 9 hrs | Valley estates, karas cellars and Ararat views | Big estates, easy roads |
| Two or three days | 2 to 3 days | Two regions, a night in Areni or Yeghegnadzor, more small producers | Serious wine travellers |
Sample day
A Vayots Dzor wine day, hour by hour
Times are a guide. We shift them for your pace and for what the wineries can take that day.
- 08:30 Leave Yerevan, south across the Ararat plain
- 09:30 Khor Virap, with Ararat behind the monastery (45 min)
- 11:15 Areni-1 cave, the oldest winery on earth (45 min)
- 12:15 First tasting at an Areni village estate (1 hr)
- 13:30 Lunch with the wine, usually at the winery (1 hr)
- 15:00 Noravank monastery in its red canyon (45 min)
- 16:15 Second tasting, a smaller producer (1 hr)
- 19:00 Back in Yerevan
Vineyard, cellar and table: the three parts of every day on the route.
Who opens the door
Wineries you can visit on the route
These are the estates most often included. Which ones we book depends on your date, your group size and who is open, so treat this as a menu rather than a fixed list.
Classic
Hin Areni
Areni village, Vayots Dzor
One of the first estates in the village to open to visitors. A full range including sparkling and rosé, and a relaxed tasting room.
Polished
Trinity Canyon Vineyards
Aghavnadzor, Vayots Dzor
A hillside site above the Arpa gorge with a polished tasting room and medal-winning Areni Noir and Voskehat.
Small and personal
Momik Wines
Near Areni, Vayots Dzor
A small wine cube among the vines, often hosted by the winemaker, and usually paired with a long lunch.
By appointment
Zorah and Yacoubian-Hobbs
High Vayots Dzor
Vines above 1,700 m give tighter, more mineral wines. Both are appointment only, so they need booking well ahead.
Large estate
Karas Wines
Armavir, Ararat Valley
A large modern estate named after the clay karas jar, on the sunny valley floor with Ararat in view.
History
Voskevaz and the Wine History Museum
Aragatsotn
A village with a winemaking record going back centuries, and an underground museum of Armenian wine history.
We book the tastings, you just turn up
Small Armenian estates are not shops. Several open by appointment only, some close one day a week, and at harvest the winemaker may be in the vineyard. We confirm every stop before your date so you are not standing at a locked gate.
Small Armenian estates are not shops. Several open by appointment only, some close one day a week, and at harvest the winemaker may be in the vineyard. We confirm every stop before your date so you are not standing at a locked gate.
When to go
The wine route through the year
- May and June: green vines, flowering, quiet tasting rooms
- July and August: hot on the valley floor, better up in Vayots Dzor
- September and October: harvest, the busiest and best window
- November to April: cellars only, but easy to book and very calm
The Areni Wine Festival
Armenia’s biggest wine event fills Areni village for one Saturday in early October, with dozens of producers pouring alongside food and folk music. Entry is free, and the village now has guesthouses and home restaurants of its own. Dates are published by Armenia’s official tourism board on its Armenian wine page. Book your car and your rooms early, because the village fills up.
Armenia’s biggest wine event fills Areni village for one Saturday in early October, with dozens of producers pouring alongside food and folk music. Entry is free, and the village now has guesthouses and home restaurants of its own. Dates are published by Armenia’s official tourism board on its Armenian wine page. Book your car and your rooms early, because the village fills up.
Harvest is different, not just busier
In late September and October you may see the crush, taste juice straight from the press and eat with the family. It is also when winemakers have the least time, so we book earlier.
In late September and October you may see the crush, taste juice straight from the press and eat with the family. It is also when winemakers have the least time, so we book earlier.
The practical bit
Why a wine route needs a driver
This is the part the booking sites skip. A wine route is a drinking day on mountain roads, and the two do not mix.
- Armenia has a zero tolerance drink driving law, so the driver cannot taste
- With a hired car, one of your group has to sit out every tasting
- There is no public transport between the estates
- Mountain roads, sharp bends and long distances between stops
- Your guide can also translate, because not every winemaker speaks English
How much should I expect to pay for wine?
Tastings at Armenian estates are inexpensive by European standards, and bottles bought at the winery usually cost less than in Yerevan shops. Tasting fees and bottles are paid on the day, so bring some cash in dram.
Tastings at Armenian estates are inexpensive by European standards, and bottles bought at the winery usually cost less than in Yerevan shops. Tasting fees and bottles are paid on the day, so bring some cash in dram.
Taking bottles home
Every estate sells its wine and most can pack it for a suitcase. Check your airline’s rules for liquids in checked baggage before you buy a case.
Every estate sells its wine and most can pack it for a suitcase. Check your airline’s rules for liquids in checked baggage before you buy a case.
How you travel
Private, your own group, or a longer trip
Most people choose this
Private wine day
Your own guide and driver, your own pace at each estate.
- Hotel pick-up in Yerevan
- Stay longer where you like the wine
- Everyone can taste
For your own people
Your group only
Friends, family or colleagues in one booking.
- One quote for the whole group
- A larger vehicle when needed
- Good for wine clubs
Across the Caucasus
Georgia and Armenia together
We are a Caucasus company, so the wine can carry on across the border.
- Kakheti in Georgia, Vayots Dzor in Armenia
- Two very different wine cultures
- We plan the border timing
Your quote
What shapes your wine route quote
Every wine route is quoted for your group. Five things move it.
1
Group size
Sets the vehicle.
2
Region
Vayots Dzor is a longer drive than Aragatsotn.
3
Number of tastings
Two is relaxed, three is a full day.
4
Length
One day, or two with a night in Areni.
5
Dates
Harvest weeks book out first.
Keep going
Pair the wine route with another day
Most of our Armenia days pass through wine country anyway, so they combine easily. Several of these sit on the same roads as the wineries, so adding one rarely adds a whole day.
Ask us to combine them
Tell us how many days you have in Armenia and we will fit the wine route around the rest, instead of selling you the same drive twice.
Tell us how many days you have in Armenia and we will fit the wine route around the rest, instead of selling you the same drive twice.
- Khor Virap and Noravank: both sit on the road to Areni
- Jermuk tour from Yerevan: the spa town at the far end of Vayots Dzor
- Tsaghkadzor tour from Yerevan: ropeway and monastery near the Aragatsotn wineries
- Amberd and Aragats: the fortress above the Aragatsotn vineyards
- Echmiadzin and Zvartnots: the mother cathedral, close to Armavir
- Garni and Geghard: a Roman temple and a rock-cut monastery
- Sevan and Dilijan: the high lake on the way to Tavush
- Tatev Monastery: the long cable car in the deep south
- Gyumri City Tour: tuff streets in Armenia's second city
Questions
Armenia wine route questions answered
It is not one signposted road. The best known route runs south from Yerevan into Vayots Dzor, around Areni village, about 120 km and two hours away. Aragatsotn, Armavir, Ararat and Tavush all have their own routes within a day of the capital.
Vayots Dzor, Aragatsotn, Armavir, Ararat and Tavush. Armavir plants the most vines, at roughly 7,100 hectares, while Vayots Dzor is the most celebrated.
Yes, and for longer than almost anywhere. The Areni-1 cave winery dates to about 4100 BC, which makes it the oldest known winemaking site in the world.
Yes. After decades of making brandy under the Soviet Union, Armenian winemaking revived in the 1990s and its wines now win medals at international competitions.
Areni Noir is the signature red and Voskehat the signature white. Which bottle is best is a matter of taste, so a tasting flight at two or three estates is the honest way to find out.
September and October, for the harvest and the Areni Wine Festival. May and June are the quieter second choice, with green vines and easier bookings.
A Vayots Dzor day runs 10 to 12 hours because of the drive. Aragatsotn is 6 to 8. Two or three days lets you cover two regions without rushing.
Two or three. More than that and the tastings blur together, and the driving gets long.
Yes, we do it for you. Several estates are appointment only, some close one day a week, and at harvest the winemaker may be out in the vineyard.
No. Armenia has a zero tolerance drink driving law. That is the main reason to book a tour rather than hire a car, because then everyone in your group can taste.
Several estates serve food with the tasting, and we can build the day around a vineyard lunch. Food and tasting fees are usually paid on the day.
Wine is good value here by European standards, and buying at the winery is usually cheaper than buying the same bottle in a Yerevan shop. Tasting fees and bottles are paid on the day, in Armenian dram.
Yes. Every estate sells its own wine, usually cheaper than in Yerevan, and most can pack bottles for a suitcase. Check your airline rules before buying a case.
Yes. We work across the Caucasus, so a trip can take in Kakheti in Georgia and Vayots Dzor in Armenia.
Tell us the language you need and we match a guide to it.
Find us in Tbilisi
Ready when you are
Taste Armenia with Travel Door
Tell us your dates, your group size and whether you want one region or several. We reply with a plan and a quote.
- A destination management company for the Caucasus
- Licensed guides and our own drivers
- Tastings booked and confirmed before you travel
