The Areni-1 winery is the world’s oldest known

winery A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...

, discovered in 2007 in the

Areni-1 cave complex The Areni-1 cave complex () is a multicomponent site, and late Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age ritual site and settlement, located near the Areni village in southern Armenia along the Arpa River. Findings In 2008, Armenian PhD student and ar ...

near the village of

Areni Areni () is a village and the center of the Areni Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in Armenia. Areni is best known for its wine production, with the majority of wine produced locally from the nearby village of Getap, Vayots Dzor, Getap. ...

Vayots Dzor Province Vayots Dzor (, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. It lies at the southeastern end of the country, bordering the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the west and the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan to the east. It covers an area of . With a ...

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

. Excavated by a team of Armenian and international archaeologists, the winery dates to approximately 4100–4000 BC during the Late Chalcolithic period, making it at least 1,000 years older than the winery unearthed in the

West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

in 1963, previously the oldest known.Maugh II, Thomas H.
Ancient winery found in Armenia
" ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.Santini, Jean-Louis.
Scientists find 'oldest ever' winery in Armenia
" '' Agence France Press''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011. The winery’s discovery provides critical insights into early

viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

, and social complexity in the Near East. The excavations were led by Boris Gasparyan of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography,

National Academy of Sciences of Armenia The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) (, ''Hayastani Hanrapetut’yan gitut’yunneri azgayin akademia'') is the Armenian national academy, functioning as the primary body that conducts research and coordinates activ ...

, and co-directed by Ron Pinhasi (initially at

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...

, Ireland, later

University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...

) and Gregory Areshian of the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

(UCLA) Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. Initial funding came from the Gfoeller Foundation and University College Cork, with UCLA and the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, natural sc ...

joining as sponsors in 2008. Excavations were completed in 2010.Areshian, G., Gasparyan, B., Avetisyan, P., Pinhasi, R., Wilkinson, K., Smith, A., Hovsepyan, R., & Zardaryan, D. (2012). “The Chalcolithic of the Near East and Southeastern Europe: Discoveries and New Perspectives from the Cave Complex Areni-1, Armenia.” ''Antiquity'', 86(331), 115–130. In 2008, the

Areni-1 shoe The Areni-1 shoe is a 5,500-year-old leather shoe that was found in 2008 in excellent condition in the Areni-1 cave located in the Vayots Dzor province of Armenia. It is a one-piece leather-hide shoe, the oldest piece of leather footwear in th ...

, the world’s oldest known leather shoe (circa 3600–3500 BC), was also found in the same cave, highlighting the site’s exceptional preservation.Pinhasi, R., Gasparian, B., Areshian, G., Zardaryan, D., Smith, A., Bar-Oz, G., & Higham, T. (2010). “First Direct Evidence of Chalcolithic Footwear from the Near Eastern Highlands.” ''PLoS ONE'', 5(6), e10984.

Discovery

Excavations at the Areni-1 site, located in a three-chambered karstic cave along the Arpa River, began in 2007 and concluded in September 2010. The cave’s stable microclimate, with minimal temperature fluctuations and low humidity, preserved organic remains exceptionally well. Archaeologists unearthed a well-preserved winery in the cave’s first gallery, including a fermentation vat, a clay basin wine press coated with

malvidin Malvidin is an O-methylated anthocyanidin, the 3',5'-methoxy derivative of delphinidin. As a primary plant pigment, its glycosides are highly abundant in nature. Natural occurrences Malvidin is responsible for the blue color found in petals ...

(a red wine pigment), large storage jars (karases), pottery sherds, and organic remains such as grape seeds, pressed grape skins, desiccated vines, prunes, and walnuts.Barnard, H., Dooley, A.N., Areshian, G., Gasparyan, B., & Faull, K.F. (2011). “Chemical Evidence for Wine Production Around 4000 BCE in the Late Chalcolithic Near Eastern Highlands.” ''Journal of Archaeological Science'', 38(5), 977–984. Owen, James.
Earliest Known Winery Found in Armenian Cave
" ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

''. January 10, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011. The winery’s proximity to burial sites, including pots containing human skulls (one with preserved brain tissue), suggests its use in funerary or sacrificial rituals.Belluck, Pam.
Cave Drops Hints to Earliest Glass of Red
" ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011. Drinking cups found near these graves further support the site’s ritual significance.Squires, Nick.
World's earliest known winery discovered in Armenia
" ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011. The cave was abandoned after a roof collapse, and organic materials were preserved by a layer of sheep dung, which inhibited fungal growth.

Analysis

Biochemical analysis, published in the ''Journal of Archaeological Science'' in 2011, confirmed wine production through the detection of

and other residues in the vat and storage jars. Botanical and genetic analyses identified the grape remains as domesticated ''

Vitis vinifera ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern ...

'', indicating advanced viticulture.

Radiocarbon Carbon-14, C-14, C or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic matter is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and coll ...

dating by researchers at the

University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Irvine, California, United States. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, U ...

and

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

placed the winery between 4100 and 4000 BC, aligning with the Late Chalcolithic period. The winemaking process involved pressing grapes by foot in the clay basin, with juice draining into the vat (capacity ~14–15 gallons or 65 liters) for

fermentation Fermentation is a type of anaerobic metabolism which harnesses the redox potential of the reactants to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organic end products. Organic molecules, such as glucose or other sugars, are catabolized and reduce ...

, followed by storage in clay jars. Some researchers suggest tree resin may have been added to preserve the wine, potentially resembling Greek

retsina Retsina () is a Greek white (or rosé or very rarely red) resinated wine, which has been made for at least 2,000 years. Its unique flavor is said to have originated from the practice of sealing wine vessels, particularly amphorae, with Aleppo ...

. The winery’s sophistication reflects advanced horticultural knowledge, including grape domestication, vineyard management, and fermentation techniques. According to Gregory Areshian, the discovery illuminates early agricultural innovation and social complexity in the Near East. Patrick E. McGovern, a biomolecular archaeologist at the

University of Pennsylvania Museum A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

, noted that the large-scale wine production implies prior grape domestication, positioning the Caucasus as a cradle of viticulture. Genetic studies suggest ''Vitis vinifera'' evolved in the Caucasus and Near East, reinforcing Areni-1’s significance. The winery’s builders are not definitively identified but may be linked to the

Kura–Araxes culture The Kura–Araxes culture (also named ''Kur–Araz culture, Mtkvari–Araxes culture, Early Transcaucasian culture, Shengavitian culture'') was an archaeological culture that existed from about 4000 BC until about 2000 BC, which has traditionally ...

, known for regional trade networks. The site’s ritual context and technological advancements suggest a society with complex social and economic structures.

Cultural and Modern Significance

The Areni-1 winery underscores Armenia’s ancient winemaking tradition, which continues in Vayots Dzor with indigenous grape varieties like Areni Noir and Voskehat. The cave, a UNESCO-recognized site, is a tourist attraction, often visited alongside modern wineries and the nearby Noravank Monastery. The annual Areni Wine Festival, launched in 2009, celebrates this heritage. The discovery has reshaped understandings of early viticulture, highlighting the Armenian Highlands and Caucasus as a key region for grape domestication and winemaking innovation. Ongoing research, including DNA analysis of grape remains, aims to further clarify the winery’s role in prehistoric communities. Areni-1 cave panorama

Notes

Bibliography

* Areshian, G., Gasparyan, B., Avetisyan, P., Pinhasi, R., Wilkinson, K., Smith, A., Hovsepyan, R., & Zardaryan, D. (2012). “The Chalcolithic of the Near East and Southeastern Europe: Discoveries and New Perspectives from the Cave Complex Areni-1, Armenia.” ''Antiquity'', 86(331), 115–130. * Barnard, H., Dooley, A.N., Areshian, G., Gasparyan, B., & Faull, K.F. (2011). “Chemical Evidence for Wine Production Around 4000 BCE in the Late Chalcolithic Near Eastern Highlands.” ''Journal of Archaeological Science'', 38(5), 977–984. * Pinhasi, R., Gasparian, B., Areshian, G., Zardaryan, D., Smith, A., Bar-Oz, G., & Higham, T. (2010). “First Direct Evidence of Chalcolithic Footwear from the Near Eastern Highlands.” ''PLoS ONE'', 5(6), e10984.

External links