Wine region | |
Country | Azerbaijan |
---|---|
Sub-regions | Kur-Araz Lowland Caucasus Mountains |
Growing season | Cold dry, rainy or snowy winters Warm, dry, sunny summers |
Climate region | Continental |
Heat units | Region III, IV, V |
Precipitation (annual average) | 250mm-600 mm |
Total area | 86,600 km2 (33,000 sq mi) |
Size of planted vineyards | 6,062 km2 (2,000 sq mi) Ranked 6th |
Varietals produced | Vitis vinifera, Pinot noir, Rkatsiteli, Pinot blanc, Aligoté, Madrasa |
Wine produced | 7,200 tons (2007) |
Azerbaijani wine is produced in several regions throughout Azerbaijan. Before communist rule in the 20th century, the region which makes up modern-day Azerbaijan had produced wine since the second millennium BC.[1] The territory of modern-day Azerbaijan has a long history of wine production, that was rediscovered at archaeological digs of settlements in Kültəpə, Qarabağlar[2] and Galajig where archaeologists discovered stone fermentation and storage vessels that included residue and grape seeds dating back to the second millennium BC. The Ancient Greeks were well aware of wine production in the area by at least the 7th century BC according to Herodotus. Later Strabo would comment in the 1st century BC about a wine known as Albania from the region. Arabic historians and geographers—most notably Abu'l-Fida, Al-Masudi, Ibn Hawqal and Al-Muqaddasi - described the extensive viticulture around Ganja and Barda that was taking place even after Islamic conquest of the area.[1]
Since Azerbaijan's independence as a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ardent attempts have been made to revive and modernize the Azerbaijani wine industry. Today, vineyards are found in the foothills of Caucasus Mountains as well and the Kur-Araz lowlands near the Kura River. In the 21st century, Ganja, Nakhchivan, and Nagorno-Karabakh have emerged as centers of wine production in the region. Among the grape varieties used to produce Azerbaijani wine include Pinot noir, Rkatsiteli, Pinot blanc, Aligote, Matrassa, Podarok Magaracha, Pervenets Magaracha, Ranni Magaracha, Doina, Viorica and Kishmish Moldavski.[1] Local grape varieties indigenous to Azerbaijan include White Shani, Derbendi, Nail, Bayanshire, Gamashara, Ganja Pink, Bendi, Madrasa, Black Shani, Arna-Grna, Zeynabi, Misgali, Khindogni, Agdam Kechiemdzhei, Tebrizi, and Marandi.[2]