A Taste of the Armenian wine

Arrival to Yerevan, meeting at Zvartnots International airport. Transfer to the hotel. Yerevan City tour: We will see the Republic Square, the National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Then we will visit cultural – architectural complex Cascade, the monument “Mother Armenia”. Armenian Genocide memorial and museum. Visit Megerian Carpet Factory, where you will take a tour and you will get acquainted with Armenian carpet history and technique. Visit Noy Brandy and wine factory: excursion with the degustation. Overnight in Yerevan:

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to Erebuni Archeological museum: the settlement constructed in 782 BC by one of the greatest kings of Urartu. Drive to the Sasunik Village in Aragatsotn Province. The wine produced in Aragatsotn is mainly from the vineyards located to the south of the Aragats and Arteni mountains. Visit to “Armenia Wine” winery: introduction to Armenian wine, excursion inside the factory-brandy production units, aging cellars, souvenir shop and wine tasting in a specialized tasting room (grapes: Kangun, Areni).
Next stop is “Voskevaz winery” which is one of the oldest wineries in the region since 1932. Today the winery produces wine using both modern winemaking technology and traditional old karases. This includes – wine cellars tour, museum, brief introduction to the winery’s history, winemaking technologies and particularities and wine tasting (grapes: Voskehat, Haghtanak, Kakhet). Drive to Yerevan. Overnight in Yerevan.

Optional: Drive to the last stop “Armas winery”. Excursion in vineyards and orchards. The guide will provide a narrative of the history of wine and brandy in Armenia. A walk through the winery and distillery will introduce you to current production methods, as well as provide insight into the age-old tradition of barrel aging. Wine tasting grapes: Kangun, Karmrahyut.

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Echmiadzin, the spiritual and administrative center of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Visit the world’s first Christian Cathedral (301AD) and the museum. Drive to one of the leading companies in Armenia “MAP”. Excursion inside the factory, getting acquainted with factory’s classic technology of wine and brandy production (receiving grapes, processing, ethyl alcohol distillation, ageing in oak casks in wine-cellars, brandy blending and bottling, the museum), tasting rules. One of the aims of the company was to use local wine base (Kharji, Voskehat, Garan Dmak, Rkatsiteli grape varieties) but later other grape sorts. Continue to Zvartnots Cathedral ruins, a complex of structures erected in the middle of the 7^th century. Drive back to Yerevan Optional:  At evening you can visit Enoteca wine bar in Yerevan to taste interesting range of wines from all Armenia and enjoy live performances of Yerevan’s most talented musicians, mostly Jazz performances (on each Friday or Saturday). Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. A trip to Ararat valley, visiting one of the most revered shrines of the Armenian people – the Monastery of Khor Virap, where for many years was imprisoned first patriarch of Armenia, St. Gregory the Illuminator. The monastery is located 200 meters away from the Turkish border and is considered to be a pilgrimage center for all Armenians, from where we can have the best view of Biblical Mount Ararat. According to Genesis, it is on the mountain Ararat that Noah plants the first vineyard and becomes drunk on wine.

Drive to the southern part of Armenia, Areni village which is famous for its rich vineyards. Here is the place where the world’s oldest wine cellar (6100 years old) was found by archaeologists, inside the Areni Cave (Vayots Dzor Region). Located at 1000 meters above sea level, the village of Areni is believed to be a place where one of the oldest grape varieties has been cultivated since ancient times. This is the earliest, most reliable evidence of wine production. The archaeologists have unearthed a wine press for stomping grapes, fermentation and storage vessels, drinking cups, and withered grape vines, skins, and seeds. Visit to Areni wine factory to taste local wine and familiarize with the technology of wine making: (Menu: raspberry, apple, apricot peach, pomegranate, cherry wines etc.) and Areni Cave. Afterwards, drive to Noravank Monastery which is built in an inaccessible location among stunning nature. On the main highway to Yerevan individual wine-makers offer their homemade wine, possible to have a stop and enjoy the homemade wine. Drive back to Yerevan. Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the forested resort town of Dilijan, which is called “Armenian Little Switzerland” for its nature, flora and fauna. Here we will visit one of the highlights of the region – the medieval Monasteries Haghartsin. Drive to one of the first wineries of Armenia “Ijevan” winery. Ijevan wine-brandy factory produces high quality brandy, grape and fruit wine, fruit vodka, a wide range of canned and dried fruits. Excursion inside the factory, visit to wine cellar, product-aging area of brandy, wine tasting (grapes: Lalvari, Rkatsiteli, Bananc, Tigrai, Karmrahyut). Drive to Lake Sevan which is situated at an altitude of 1900m. Its crystal-clear transparent water changes colours several times during the day leaving unforgettable expressions. Visit Sevan Monastery, located on the peninsula that offers magnificent panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Drive back to Yerevan. Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to the repository of ancient manuscripts, research institute and museum Matenadaran. It holds one of the world’s richest depositories of medieval manuscripts and books which span a broad range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, history, medicine, literature, art history, and cosmography in Armenian and many other languages. Drive to the pagan temple –Garni (1^st century) – only Hellenistic temple extant in the region. Inspection of “Temple of the Sun” and the ancient royal baths, situated on the edge of the picturesque valley. We will continue our trip and find ourselves in Garni Gorge – a wonderful canyon shaped by the ever-flowing river Azat. Along the sides of the gorge are cliff walls of well-preserved basalt columns. This part of Garni Gorge is typically referred to as the “Symphony of the Stones”. A trip to the cave Monastery Geghard (4-13^th cc), which consists of three churches and a huge mausoleum carved into the mountain. Lunch in a local family house where we will see the baking process of Armenian traditional flatbread, lavash. We will taste both appetizing dishes and delicious homemade fruit wines. Opportunity to participate in the process of baking. Drive to Yerevan. Visit to “Ararat” brandy factory where you will have a unique journey through the history of the Armenian brandy making and a degustation of legendary brandy. Visit to the large open-air flea market Vernissage. Overnight in Yerevan.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport.