Ancient accounts have long acknowledged Armenia as a cradle of winemaking. In
2007, researchers with the University of California, Los Angeles and the Armenian Institute of Archeology and Ethnography unearthed archeological evidence of the world’s oldest known winery in the village of Areni in southeastern Armenia.
Beneath a layer of sheep manure inside a cave, the remains of crushed grapes and vessels for collecting and fermenting grape juice dating to 6,100 years ago were recovered, proving that humans produced wine systematically one thousand years earlier than thought.
Being one of the top 15 wine tour destinations in the world according to CNN, Armenia offers most diverse tours to best local wineries complete with production facility visits and tastings.Whether you are a professional winemaker, a connoisseur or an enthusiast, Armenia is definitely the next pin on your wine world map.
Armenia is also known for its brandy. Churchill used to say “Never be late for dinner, smoke Havana cigars and drink Armenian brandy”. People say that he drank a bottle of Armenian brandy per day. So why not to taste the brandy which has historical significance?
It is widely known that Armenians has one of the richest cuisines. It includes dishes, based on local products, flavored with various spices, organic fruits and vegetables, mountain herbs and other ingredients. Most of them have festive and ritual origin. Moreover, vegetarians can also find something among different types of dishes.
Every province of Armenia has dishes peculiar to them and they are all authentic. Each person who once visited Armenia knows about Armenians’ hospitality. Armenian people are always glad to host guests and always lay a table full of various dishes and snacks.
Gastronomic tours in Armenia will satisfy any gourmet. There are must-try dishes such as tolma, khorovats (Armenian barbecue), harisa, zhingyalov hats, spas, gata and many others. You definitely need to taste lavash. It is traditional bread which can be kept for several month and which is listed in UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. Most recipes came from the depth of centuries and are used by now.
National Geographic included Yerevan in the list of “Six Unexpected Cities for the Food Lovers”. The capital of Armenia was mentioned here as one of the best places in Asia which offers rich cuisine. Every year various food festivals are heldin Armenia which are accompanied with Armenian traditional songs and dances. So don’t miss the chance to discover Armenia from another angle.