At 6,000 Years Old, Wine Press Is Oldest Yet Found

[MosJan]

 

At 6,000 Years Old, Wine Press Is Oldest Yet Found

Armenia now

YEREVAN (Reuters)—Archeologists have unearthed the oldest wine-making facility ever found, using biochemical techniques to identify a dry red vintage made about 6,000 years ago in what is now southern Armenia.

 

http://www.armenianweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/www.reuters.com_-300x199.jpgA wine press © is seen, behind which an archaeological identification kit is placed in this undated photograph released to Reuters on January 10, 2011.

 

The excavation paints a picture of a complex society where mourners tasted a special vintage made at a caveside cemetery, the researchers reported on Jan. 11 in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

 

“This is the world’s oldest known installation to make wine,” Gregory Areshian of the University of California Los Angeles, who helped lead the study, said in a telephone interview.

 

Carbon dating showed a desiccated grape vine found near a wine press was grown around 4000 BC, his team reported.

 

This makes it 1,000 years older than any other wine-making facility discovered, the team from Armenia, the United States and Ireland reported.

 

The team found the world’s oldest leather shoe, about 5,500 years old, at the same cave complex last year.

 

The wine press would have held a few gallons of juice and crushed grapes, likely working with the time-honored technique of barefoot stomping, Areshian said.

 

“This was a relatively small installation related to the ritual inside the cave. For daily consumption they would have had much larger wine presses in the regular settlement,” said Areshian, who was deputy prime minister in the first government of the independent Republic of Armenia in 1991.

 

Chemical traces point to grape juice and, given the lack of refrigeration, the juice would certainly have been fermented into wine, Areshian said.

 

“We also know that still, in the villages in the vicinity, the culture of wine is very old and traditional,” he said.

 

The rich red wines produced there are merlots and cabernet sauvignons, he said.

 

The expedition, paid for in part by the National Geographic Society, also uncovered copper processing equipment. Areshian said the team would detail those findings later.

 

The cave complex, known as Areni-1, is in the Little Caucasus Mountains near Armenia’s southern border with Iran.

 

The press itself is a shallow clay basin about three feet (one meter) in diameter, surrounded by grape seeds and dried-out grape vines.

 

The team found grave mounds nearby and obsidian tools—indicating some complicated trade was going on. The closest source of obsidian, a black glassy mineral, is 35 to 45 miles away, a three-day walk, Areshian said.

 

“We can say that this was a quite complex society formed by multiple communities,” he said.

 

(Editing by John O’Callaghan)

 

 

 

[Sip]

In related news, Turkey just declared that they invented wine 7000 years ago.

[Yervant1]

In related news, Turkey just declared that they invented wine 7000 years ago.

Tomorrow Azeris will declare 10,000 years ago.

[Anoushik]

The excavation paints a picture of a complex society where mourners tasted a special vintage made at a caveside cemetery, the researchers reported on Jan. 11 in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

How awesome is this? I know that I hold the views that all ethnicities and nationalities are unique in their own ways (and recent Armenian history shows that Armenians have a lot of catching-up to do) but I simply cannot ignore the fact that we are the descendants of an extraordinary people!!! Cheers!

[MosJan]

De inch asats Anushik jan - Qerin yev Azat@ mi ban giten or Areni Gini en xmum Anuhs lini

[Ashot]

Mos jan, asumem et wine pressov vor sksen eli gini artadrel arachi shish@ xosqem talis vor qonna linelu!

[Arpa]

Tomorrow Azeris will declare 10,000 years ago.

 

http://www.armsite.com/maps/

http://www.armsite.com/maps/mshow.phtml?when=now&slide=6

---

Yes, Yervant, soon they may declare that Areni is in fact "aZreni"one of their villages. Look at the maps above and see where Areni is, (it is several miles southeast of Yeghegnadzor), it is at an arm’s length from Nakhjavan.

On our way back from Noravank we stopped at a roadside stand in Areni where the main feature was wine, some in labeled bottles and some in bulk containers. The owners were themselves the winemakers and the stand was at the edge of their house/vineyard, where it is assumed the grapes were grown.

Edited January 12, 2011 by Arpa

[nairi]

On our way back from Noravank we stopped at a roadside stand in Areni where the main feature was wine, some in labeled bottles and some in bulk containers. The owners were themselves the winemakers and the stand was at the edge of their house/vineyard, where it is assumed the grapes were grown.

 

That stuff is disgusting, not to mention the conditions it's produced under.. Then again, I'm not an oenophile, so what do I know?

[Harut]

did these come from the same cave?

[Ashot]

Harut jan, good seeing you! No the wines in your pictures come from the neighboring winery in Aparan... It's hilarious how our folks from villages advertise their products, back in 1990's they used to write "Մորս արև լավ բենզինա", who here remembers those days? Hey, look at it this way we have progressed now we have "gas stations" here... nothing like the ones in LA, however, there is no such a thing as self service, makes-up for it doesn't it?

[Yervant1]

did these come from the same cave?

Yes they did, the corbon dating on it showed 87,840 minutes!

[Arpa]

ARENI

 

http://new.praguepost.com/images/food_restaurants/armenian-wine.jpg

 

http://new.praguepost.com/images/food_restaurants/armenian-wine.jpg

 

http://new.praguepost.com/food-and-drink/40633-wineries-in-armenia-slowly-modernizing

 

From GROONG

Wineries in Armenia slowly modernizing

Katia Peltekian

by John & Helena Baker

Oldest winery ever discovered sits in the footsteps of Noah

Mount Ararat -- where according to the Bible, Noah's Ark came ashore --

majestically overlooks Armenia's capital, Yerevan. This peak is an

essential element in the nation's sense of identity, especially since

a great majority of Armenians have long lived in a diaspora spread

across the globe.

 

Today, however, Mount Ararat is not even in Armenia. It stands a

little over 30 km across the border with Turkey, a country with which

Armenia has no diplomatic relations, in the main due to the genocide

of 1915.

 

Armenia is a small and ancient nation (population 3.2 million

inhabitants, with another 8 million living abroad), located at the

southern end of the Transcaucasian region that bridges Europe and

Asia, bordered by Russia, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan and the

Caspian Sea. The region has for ever been a meeting point for a mix of

cultures, which is reflected in Armenia's long and often troubled

history. Interestingly, it was the first country to adopt

Christianity as its official religion.

 

As is the case with Georgia (usually reckoned to be the seat of

viticulture), Armenia's mountains and plains bear evidence of

mankind's first winemaking endeavors. Vines are indigenous and

excavations have revealed that vines of the genus Vitis vinifera

silvestris (ancestor to the today's wine grapes) have been growing

here for over a million years.

 

The 6,100-year-old winery that was discovered in 2007 in a cave in the

village of Areni in the southwestern Vayots Dzor province is the

world's oldest, dated at least a thousand years before the one

unearthed in the Jordanian West Bank in 1963.

 

This winery has a press, fermentation vats, storage jars, while

pottery shards, grape seeds and pressed grape remains were also

present on the scene, and a leather shoe was found in the same cave

the following year.

 

Areni is also the name of the noble grape variety, whose wines

received their first written mention in the 5th century. The Areni is

perhaps the most interesting of all the myriad local grapes, giving at

best some fresh, delicate almost Burgundian reds in the Yeghegnadzor

region southeast of Yerevan.

 

Despite lying between the Black Sea (an inland sea) and the Caspian

Sea (variously classed as the world's largest lake or also a sea), the

climate in most Armenian vineyard areas is very dry and decidedly

continental, with vast deserts to the south and extensive plains to

the north. Vines grow mostly between 500 meters and 1500 meters where

diurnal temperature swings can be extreme.

Winters are also harsh enough to warrant protection as the threat of

frosts both in spring and autumn is very real. Despite these and many

other difficulties the arrival of decent irrigation methods has made

viticulture a more practical undertaking in today's Armenia, allowing

it to rise in commercial importance.

There are 13,000 hectares under vine though the majority of these

supply raw material for the far more illustrious Armenian brandy. Much

investment nowadays comes from Armenians abroad and wineries are

modernizing slowly from the old Soviet-style wine factories that

traditionally still supply the huge but largely unsophisticated

Russian market.

Winery of the month: Vinaøství ©abata

Vladimír ©abata, not long out of the Lednice wine school, set about

making his first wine in his back garden in Bøeclav. Later his family

moved to a property in Rakvice that had a minute 10 ares of vineyard

attached. Here he made wine with friends and in 1997 he went as far

as bottling his first solo batch. This only awakened the desire to go

professional. Subsequently he found and purchased a small property in

the not-too-distant hilltop village of Zajeèí where he based his small

production. In 2004 he was joined by his eldest son, Václav.

With boom times sweeping Moravia, ©abata decided on a new expanded

project, building a modern winery on a virgin site outside the

village. By 2009 this allowed for an annual production 30,000

bottles. With youngest son Jan now on board, ©abata and his old

colleague and investor Ivan Bene¹, founded the company Vinaøství

©abata s.r.o. in 2011.

Vinaøství ©abata has dedicated itself not just to making better wine

but to the growing trend of eno-tourism, running tastings for groups,

with lodging also available at the newly-completed 12-room Penzion and

Restaurant U vinaøství within the complex.

©abata has always stuck close to nature with all grapes sourced

locally, and the company speciality is the red and rosé made from

"samotok", the free-run (unpressed) wine made fresh and ready for sale

every year on Nov. 11, as with traditional Saint Martin's new wine.

Another house speciality is the Sur-Lie cuvée, a special blend which

spends a minimum of nine months on its lees.

Wines come from 15 grape varieties and cost between 105 to 155 Kè.

See also: Vinarstvisabata.cz

Wines of the Month:

White: Ryzlink vla¹ský 2013

Producer: Vinaøství Vladimír ©abata, Zajeèí, Moravia

This is a Welschriesling made from grapes that grew on the Pøítluky

slopes near Zajeèí. The wine has a pale straw appearance with

distinct goldeny tinges on the rim. The nose is elegant, floral, very

fresh with a good dab of butterscotch well to the fore. The bone-dry

palate is very pleasing, green apples delicately flushed out with a

predominant mineral character. Refreshing and light - just 11%

alcohol. (125 Kè)

Red: Areni Nairian 2008

Producer: Areni, Armenia

This wine has a beautiful deep red aspect, it is dry, made in the

famous Armenian wine village of Areni in the Vayots Dzor region. On

the nose one can sense tobacco, juniper and forest berries, mingled

with mountain herbs. The wine is well-knit in the mouth, with a full

texture and highlights of delicate raspberry accompanied by pleasing

vegetal and spicy tones. This is a modern-style Areni: clean,

transparent and smooth, with good acidity. Matured at least two years

in oak barrels from the Caucasus itself. (259 Kè)

 

http://new.praguepost.com/food-and-drink/40633-wineries-in-armenia-slowly-modernizing

=====

Why must we and others always invoke that drunken idiot Noah every time we talk about Armenia and Ararat/Masis?

Are there any Armenians named Noah ՆՈՅ//NOY?

Genesis 9

[18] And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.

[19] These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

[20] And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

20Նոյը՝ հողագործ այդ մարդը, առաջինն էր, որ հող մշակեց եւ այգի տնկեց: 21Նա խմեց դրա գինուց, հարբեց ու մերկացաւ իր տան մէջ**:

Why did the first thing that idiot make from the grapevine was this

http://www.aniland-shop.de/images/product_images/thumbnail_images/83_0.jpg

http://www.standard.co.uk/incoming/article7582982.ece/alternates/w620/ArArAt.jpg

Not this. TOLI-TEREV PATOUK?

http://georgefamily.net/food/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/DSCN0480.JPG

We never remember that what he planted was an AGHOURI GRAPEVINE KHAGHOGHENI

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=53490&page=1&&do=findComment&comment=308446

Why the first thing that idiot make from the grapevine was this

http://www.railwaysleepers.com/files/images/product/grapevine.jpg

http://www.aniland-shop.de/images/product_images/thumbnail_images/83_0.jpg

http://www.standard.co.uk/incoming/article7582982.ece/alternates/w620/ArArAt.jpg

===

Origin of GRAPE

Middle English, from Anglo-French grape grape stalk, bunch of grapes, grape, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krāpfo hook

====

AGHOURI

http://www.nayiri.com/imagedDictionaryBrowser.jsp?dictionaryId=7&pageNumber=1026

http://www.nayiri.com/imagedDictionaryBrowser.jsp?dictionaryId=7&pageNumber=1027

ԽԱՂՈՂ KHAGHOGH Not XAXOX please.where we dont know which is KH and which GH.

I cannot find a convincing etymology, not even in the Ajarian above.

Some have suggested that it is from Arabic ԽԱԼՈԿKhalog, and others say it is from ԽԱԿ/unripe, raw/Sour/ԹԹՈՒ..

Remember Aerops fable of Sour Grapes?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fox_and_the_Grapes

=====

** Hangover ԳԻՆԱՐԲՈՒՔԷՆ ՎԵՐՋ - WINEFEST AFTERMATH

 

ԳԻՆԱՐԲՈՒՔէՆ ՎԵՐՋ

Դանիէլ Վարուժան

ՀԵԹԱՆՈՍ ԵՐԳԵՐ

 

(Նկարիչ բարեկամիս` ԱրսԷն ՄարկոսԵանին)

 

Սըրահն է լուռ: Կոչնականներն հեռացան:

Ջահերն ոսկի դեռ կը վառին մոլեգնած,

Եվ կը հեղուն, սեղաններուն վրա անձայն,

Արիւնն իրենց երակներուն բորբոքած:

 

Վինը լըռեց: Կը թափառի նըւաղուն

Երգն իր վերջին` զոր հարբած սիրտը չըմպեց:

Անոնց բերնին վըրա և ցոփ աչքերուն

Կը սըփռէ քունն իր չըղջիկի թեւը մեծ:

 

Սեղանին վրայ է ամէն ինչ ցիրուցան:

Սափորին մէջ կ'երազէ մաս մը գինի:

Նուռ մը լըքուած, ակռաներու վէրքեր վրան,

Ջահերուն տակ, ջահերուն հետ կ'արիւնի:

 

Եւ կը փըշրի բաժակ մ'հանկարծ, հեծելով

Լըռութեան մէջ: Զայն ճեղքած էր նախապես

Կին մը արբշիռ` երբ կը ներկեր կըտղանքով,

Գինիին խորն, ատամներն իր, բուստի պէս:

 

Ծաղկամանին մէջ կը թոռմին հիրիկներ`

Որոնց բոյրով գուսանն եղաւ սըրարբած:

Աթոռին վրայ հողմահա՛ր մ'է մոռցըւեր`

Զերդ հոլաթեւ մեծ թիթեռնիկ մը մեռած:

 

Դուրս կը հոսին բաց մընացած դուռներէն

Գաղջ ալիքներն հալվեներուն ու մուշկին:

Եվ քըրքիջներն ու կըտղուցներն համորեն

Հայլուէներուն խորութեան մէջ կը մեռնին:

 

Կ'աշխատին հոն միայն երկու գերիներ,

Մին` աղախին, միւսը` ծառայ մ'անճոռնի,

Որ կը խըմէ մերթ աւելցուկ գինիներն

Ու կ'համբուրէ ընկերուհին, գողունի

Edited August 3, 2014 by Arpa

[Arpa]

Related to Areni, here is Zorah winery

http://asbarez.com/125581/armenia-fund-in-vino-veritas/

- Asbarez Armenian News - http://asbarez.com -

Armenia Fund: In Vino Veritas

Zorah Wine's vineyard in Rind, Armenia

 

Armenia Fund continues its new series on welcome developments in Armenia, including Artsakh. For over two decades, the Fund has been doing humanitarian work throughout Armenia and this series is a showcase of encouraging initiatives, some that are a direct result of Armenia Funds work and some that are the product of innovation and pure determination.

Pliny the Elder was convinced that in wine, there is truth in vino veritas. His early adage about the drink has been followed by thousands more seeking to succinctly express its mystical properties. Whatever the motivation behind the millennia-long enchantment with wine, it has returned to Armenia.

Zorik Gharibian is a fashion mogul in Italy. You might even have bought clothing in Los Angeles manufactured by his company without knowing it. Growing up in the wine-obsessed culture of Italy, he dreamed of one day tending to his own vines in the countrys famed Tuscany region. Until he visited Armenia, that is.

Zorik Gharibian

After running soil tests at university laboratories in Italy, Gharibian was assured that the traditional winemaking area of Vayots Dzor in southern Armenia would be the ideal place for his vineyards. He chose Rind as the center of his operations, not far from Areni, where the worlds oldest winery was discovered.

Karas, in Armenian, translates to amphora, the clay jars in which wine was aged for thousands of years before the advent of wood barrel aging. These are the jars that were found at the ancient winery in Areni. Karasi is the name of Gharibians most famous production thus far. Listed among bottles of wine costing thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, it was chosen as a top 10 wine by Bloomberg from a field of over 4,000 wines.

Besides being just a name that honors a method of winemaking used in the ancient world, Karasi is actually aged in amphora. Gharibian recognizes that employing these disused clay jars is not easy: We of course have trouble finding amphora [to use in our wine production] because unfortunately there is no longer amphora production in Armenia, says Gharibian. The ones used by Zorah Wines the name of his winery were bought, piece by piece, by visiting the homes of local villagers.

Not one to be discouraged, Gharibian plans to establish a school in Rind where the art of making amphora will be revived by a new generation of expert artisans. Serendipitously, his wife, Yeraz Tovmasyan, is an expert ceramicist whose skills will be put to good use when the school opens.

If it wasnt already obvious, Gharibian insists on originality and that goes for the grapes he uses in his wines. While most people had dismissed areni as a good enough grape to be used in quality winemaking, the ambitious entrepreneur did his research and found strains of areni that he says can compete with any grape variety in the world. He believes that by embracing and promoting indigenous Armenian grape varieties as opposed to imported foreign ones like cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir those grapes will become as well known, putting Armenia on the wine worlds map.Wine in traditional amphora at Zorah Wines

Tenaciously pursuing his goal of making Armenia a global player in the wine market, Gharibian says that in 2016, Zorah will release a red wine better than Karasi, the one that was listed in Bloombergs top ten. Asked where he gets his inspiration, he references Armenias 6,100-year winemaking tradition that is apparent throughout Armenian culture from social customs to stone carvings.

For Zorik Gharibian, winemaking is not a business so much as it is a labor of love. It would seem then that Pliny the Elder was right. It was in wine that Gharibian found the truth that his passion belongs in one place: Armenia.

http://asbarez.com/App/Asbarez/eng/2014/08/4.jpg

 

http://asbarez.com/App/Asbarez/eng/2014/08/5.jpg

 

http://asbarez.com/App/Asbarez/eng/2014/08/7.jpg

====

Amphora

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphora

 

ԿԱՐԱՍ Karas

http://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Կարաս

Edited August 4, 2014 by Arpa