📍 Tavush

Tavush is a province in the north-east of Armenia, on the border with Georgia and Azerbaijan. It is part of Armenian winemaking. The land is wooded, with mountain rivers, and the vineyards lie in valleys and on slopes. The towns of Ijevan, Berd and Noyemberyan belong to the province.

The climate is noticeably wetter and milder than in the rest of Armenia, so Tavush wines are often fresher. Vineyards in the province are old, with many bush vines grown without trellises.

Grapes grown here include Rkatsiteli, long present in Armenia, and Areni, the main local red grape. Areni is named after the village of Areni in Vayots Dzor, where traces of ancient winemaking about 6,000 years old were found in the Areni-1 cave. It also grows in Tavush, though its main area is the south of the country.

The province's grapes go into dry wines. Small village wineries and tastings in Ijevan and Berd are of interest to travellers. Armenia's main wine area, Vayots Dzor, lies in the south, while Tavush shows another side of the country: green mountains, monasteries and small households where wine is often made for family and guests.