PRI: Armenian winemakers hope to maintain ancient tradition after Karabakh war

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia has one of the world’s oldest wine industries — archaeologists have unearthed fragments of jugs and presses dating back more than 6,000 years, and even after the devastating war in Nagorno-Karabakh, winemakers hope to maintain ancient tradition following Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to a report from The World, published by Public Radio International (PRI).

For 70 years, the Soviet economy demanded that Armenia prioritize brandy production instead of wine, and occasionally experimented with prohibition. Poverty in the 1980s and conflict with Azerbaijan also stymied business.

But in the last decade, Armenia has experienced a wine-drinking renaissance. Just as businesses were growing, the war came to Armenia, and some of the country’s most notable vineyards had to be urgently evacuated and are now behind enemy lines.

"War and the Covid-19 pandemic have wrecked the Armenian economy. The same attachment to the land of Nagorno-Karabakh that has produced such fine wines has also cost thousands of lives," the article reads.

"But against all the odds, Armenia’s winemakers are defiant and hope that by invigorating the country’s ancient tradition and boosting local businesses, the region one day might have something to celebrate․"