The whirlwind ninth day of my Armenia trip began in the village of Areni! Come along with me as I indulge in more Armenian food and wine and visit the oldest winery in the world! Lusine:
Armenia Travel:
We started at Noravank Monastery, a 13th-century monastery that has two churches: the two-story Surb Astvatsatsin Church, and Surb Karapet Church.
On the site are the ruins of the academy and a 9th-century church. There are also beautiful khachkars, as well as a cemetery between the two churches.
At the entryway of Surb Karapet are 6 more beautiful gravestones. There are also beautiful carvings on the façade, including carvings of the face of God.
Inside the church are more gravestones. There were lots of inscriptions and khachkars, as well as lots of crosses carved into the walls. The carvings were mind-blowing. I’d never been to churches where they carved into the rock like this!
Then, we saw the ruins of the academy and the larger church, Surb Astvatsatsin. It’s one of the first two-story churches in Armenia. I slowly climbed up the steep, narrow stairs and saw more inscriptions and an altar inside. It was really beautiful and unique. I’d never seen a two-story church before! To get back down, I scooted down the stairs on my butt! Be careful!
The bottom level of the church still has a dirt foundation. There are more crosses, including one carved in the center where the altar is. Beneath it is a single grave.
Then, we headed to the oldest winery in the world, which is located in a cave called Areni-1 and is 6,100 years old!
There were excavations going on there, as archaeologists had laid out a grid. I could see a broken pot and a 13th-14th-century tonir oven. The oldest leather shoe in the world was also uncovered there!
We headed through a tight tunnel called Trench 2, where coins, fragments, tools, and jars were found. There are many rooms there, including ones that haven’t been opened yet.
The Areni-1 cave is one of the few places in the world where you can stand so closely to an open archaeological site. They also found three 6,100-year-old human skulls in the cave, and one of them still had its brains intact inside. They may have been sacrificed for wine worship.
Back outside, I bought two stunning carvings from a craftsman who does beautiful work. It takes him weeks to make his creations!
Then, we drove to Old Bridge Winery. We headed to their showroom and tried some amazing Voskehat dry white wine, cheese with thyme, bread, lavash, oil, olives, sundried tomatoes, and more! I loved dipping the bread into the oil. I also loved the oily olives, which were grown near the border with Iran.
Then, we tried their Areni Noir, and another nice mix with notes of chocolate and honey. Next, I dug into a thick, refreshing pumpkin soup with beans, red pepper, and peas. Then, we had a 2013 gold-medal-winning wine that’s aged for 24 months in oak barrels from Artsakh.
Then, I tried roasted eggplant stuffed with cheese and herbs, an Armenian tomato with cheese, tender beef and vegetables cooked in white wine.
Then, I had a drink that’s like a cross between grappa and brandy. It was strong and has a smoky flavor! Then, we finished up with some creamy and crumbly chocolate cake!
And that’s it for our endless Armenian food and wine feast and our visit to the oldest winery in the world in Areni, Armenia!
Special thanks to my friends at Armenia Travel for their kindness, hospitality, and for arranging my trip. I couldn’t have done it without them!
Also, if you would like to visit Areni, please contact Lusine.
I hope you enjoyed exploring more of Areni, Armenia with me! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment. Also, please subscribe so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures!
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About Me:
My name is David Hoffmann. For the last decade, I have been traveling around the world in search of unique culture, food, and history! Since starting David’s Been Here in 2008, I have traveled to over 1,100 destinations in 76 countries, which I welcome you to check out on my YouTube channel, travel blog, and social media sites.
I focus a great deal on food and historical sites, as you probably have seen! I love to experience the different flavors that each destination has to offer, from casual street food to gourmet restaurant dining. I’m also passionate about learning about the local history and culture.
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