Armenia makes more wine than it can reasonably drink, in more styles than any single guide can carry. This almanac is our reading of it. 12 regions, ranked the way we'd visit them; the houses our critics keep returning to; and a short list of restaurants where we'd spend the evening.
Femente · Country Almanac
A wine guide toArmenia
Armenia
12
164
6
The country, in numbers and adjectives.
The terroirs, by hand.
9 regions worth the trip first — chosen by the Femente desk for the houses we’d open with, the variety of styles within each, and the cooking that grew up around them.
Vayots Dzor
Vayots Dzor's reds—thick-skinned Areni and Karmrahyut grapes ripened on high, continental plateaus—carry the mineral weight of slate and…
Yerevan
Yerevan's winemakers chase intensity through high-altitude fruit and ancient varietals, pulling wines of dark fruit and mineral snap from…
Ararat
The volcanic plateau between Mount Ararat and the Armenian highlands makes wines of unusual minerality and structure—reds with grip,…
Wine of Armenia
Armenian winemakers chase minerality and lift in sparkling wines where others might reach for weight, while their reds lean toward bright…
Armavir
Armavir's red wines show the ripeness and structure of Armenia's high-altitude plateau, where continental cool tempers the warmth and…
Aragatsotn
High-altitude vineyards near Armenia's volcanic plateau push ripeness against cool nights, yielding whites of mineral precision and reds…
Areni
The volcanic soils of Areni yield wines of mineral intensity and dark fruit that speak less to fashion than to Armenia's oldest…
Artsakh
Artsakh's winemakers chase ripeness in high-altitude vineyards, building reds with dark fruit depth and whites with mineral precision—a…
Kotayk
Armenia's Kotayk valley splits its identity three ways—crisp whites and bright sparkling wines from high-altitude sites trade places with…
The houses that keep showing up.
9 Armenia estates the prestige critics have agreed on — ordered by the count of 95+ scores across Vinous, Decanter, Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.
Where to spend the evening.
6 rooms across Armenia our editors keep coming back to — chosen for the cooking and the wine list, in that order.
Yasaman Restaurant
Grill · Traditional — Ծաղկաձոր
40
Humos Tushpa
Grill · Street Food · Traditional — Yerevan
40
Lemonade Café
Bakery · Coffee · Traditional — Yerevan
40
Anakota Restaurant
Traditional · European — Yerevan
40
URBAN GASTRO & WINE BAR
Grill · European · Traditional — Yerevan
40
Grab&Go بگیر و بِبَر
Middle Eastern — Yerevan
40
Add Armenia to your cellar journal — or pick a region and start walking.
A short note in your inbox when we add a new region, find a winery worth crossing town for, or open a tasting we’d send you to. No noise. Just the ones we’d book ourselves.