| Wine region | |
 | |
| Other names | Azerbaijani Wine |
|---|---|
| Country | Azerbaijan |
| Sub-regions | Kur-Araz Lowland Caucasus Mountains |
| Growing season | Cold dry, rainy or snowy winters Warm, dry, sunny summers |
| Climate region | Continental |
| Heat units | Region III, IV, V |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 250mm-600 mm |
| Total area | 86,600 km2 (33,000 sq mi) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 6,062 km2 (2,000 sq mi) Ranked 6th |
| Varietals produced | Vitis vinifera,Pinot noir,Rkatsiteli,Pinot blanc,Aligoté,Madrasa |
| Wine produced | 7,200 tons (2007) |
Azerbaijani wine is produced in several regions throughoutAzerbaijan. Before 20th centurycommunist rule, the region which makes up modern-day Azerbaijan had produced wine since the second millennium BC.[1] The territory of modern-day Azerbaijan has a long history of wine production, that was rediscovered at archaeological digs of settlements inKültəpə,Qarabağlar[2]
Since thefall of Communism and the restoration ofAzerbaijani independence, ardent attempts have been made to revive and modernize the Azerbaijani wine industry. Today, vineyards are found in the foothills ofCaucasus Mountains as well and theKur-Araz lowlands near theKura River. In the 21st century, Ganja,Nakhchivan, and the separatist region ofNagorno-Karabakh controlled by the self-proclaimedRepublic of Artsakh have emerged as centers of wine production in the region. Among thegrape varieties used to produce Azerbaijani wine includePinot noir,Rkatsiteli,Pinot blanc,Aligote andMatrassa.[1] Local grape varieties indigenous to Azerbaijan and neighbouring regions includeWhite Shani,Bayanshire andMadrasa.[2]
InGoygol Rayon of the country, archeologists have found jars with remains of wines which date back to the second millennium BC.[1]
The culture of wine-making was enriched with the arrival ofGerman immigrants toTovuz in the early 19th century.[3] German immigrants fromWürttemberg weresettled in Azerbaijan by the Russian tsarAlexander I circa 1817-1818 and enhanced the wine and cognac producing potential of the country by heavy investments into the industry.[4] Famous German family businesses such as Vohrer Brothers and the Hummel family based inHelenendorf industrialized the wine production, making it competitive with European wines.[5]
The contemporary wine-making in Azerbaijan is seen inGanja-Qazakh andShirvan economic zones.[6] Vineyards in these regions account to about 7% of the country's cultivated land. The regions are famous for 17 vines and 16 table grape varieties, the most common of the wine cultivars beingPinot Noir.[7]
Azerbaijan is one of the main wine producers in theCaspian Sea region. Contemporary wine-making was ambitiously developed during the 1970s by Soviet authorities, who preferred to increase the wine production versus development of the grain industry. As per special decrees of theCabinet of Ministers, more funds were allocated for the industry, setting between 70 and 80 thousand hectares of land for vineyards. The initial plans were to produce as much as 3 million tons of grapes annually by 1990. Due to increased productivity, Azerbaijan was producing nearly 2.1 million tons of grapes by 1982.[8] The industry brought about 100 millionrubles annually.[4] Most of the wines produced in Azerbaijan during Soviet rule were exported to Russia, Belarus, and the Baltic, however, during the 1980s export was slowed due to Gorbachev'salcoholism prohibition campaign.[3]
Currently, there are nearly 10 wineries and vineyards producing wine in the country. The largest one isVinagro, created in 2006. It uses theGoygol Wine Plant nearGanja founded in 1860 by German immigrants. Exports to other countries are steadily growing due to good quality of Azerbaijani wine products.[3] Most of the produce is currently being targeted for Russian and European markets, as well as new growing markets for Azerbaijani wine such asChina.[9] Due to growing demand, new grape plantations have been set up over 100 hectares in Shamkir region of Azerbaijan.[10] Azerbaijan has been increasing its wine production for the last several years. In 2003, it produced 3,790, in 2005 - 4,005 and in 2007 - 7,200 tons of wine.[11]
In 2012, Azerbaijani president approved a decree "State Program for development of grape growth 2012-2020".[12] The aim of the program is to increase the grape growth as well as develop winemaking, and rise the rate of exportation.[12] Each year, the size of the territories for growing grape is rising.[13] Within the state program, territory of grape gardens will be 50 thousand hectares.[13] It is expected that the grape growth will reach to 500 tons until 2020.[13] 30% of grape is considered to be consumed for eating.[13] The rest of the crop will be used to produce various brands of wine.[13]
The mountainous geography of Azerbaijan and its close location to the large Caspian Sea creates a vast diversity ofmacro andmicroclimates that depend on exact location as well asaltitude,latitude and orientation and degree of slopes. While generally considered acontinental climate, wine regions in Azerbaijani can see anything from moderately warmgrowing seasons with dry winters to very cool growing seasons with rainy, wetharvests and winter seasons with nearly 10% of Azerbaijani vineyards needing to utilizing some form of winter protection. Nearly half of all Azerbaijani vineyards need to utilize some form ofirrigation to help deal with periodic droughts during the warm summer months.[1]
The average annual temperatures for many Azerbaijani wine regions fall between 10.5 and 15.5 °C (51-60 °F). Azerbaijan includes Regions III, IV and V on theheat summation scale with areas seeing anywhere from 3,000 to 4,6000degree days. Annual rainfall in the lowlands, where most of the grapes are grown, up to the foothills varies from 250-600mm.[1]
Among the names of wine brands areReyhani,Jumhuri,Mishmish,Valani,Arastun,Handigun andSalmavey. Contemporary brand names includeShahdagh,Chinar,Sadili,Aghdam,Kurdamir,Aghstafa andMadrasali.[14] Others, such as "Giz Galasi" (Maiden Tower), "Yeddi Gozal" (Seven Beauties), "Gara Gila" and "Naznazi" made from theMadrasa pink grape are exclusive to Azerbaijan since they are indigenous toMadrasa village ofShamakhi Rayon only.[8]Rkatsiteli is another kind of grape grown and used for wine-making inGeorgia, but which also gets used in northwestern Azerbaijan.[6]
Wine is considered as the second most popular alcoholic beverage inAzerbaijan, which is preferred by 37 % of the drinkers according to theWHO reports.[15] Wine consumed in Azerbaijan is both locally produced and imported from other countries. Recent years Azerbaijani wine is being produced in larger quantities, namely more than 1 million deciliters of which 375 thousand was exported.[16][17]
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 835,5 | 1 003,1 | 1 035,0 | 1049,0 | 1020,1 |
Russia was the main export destination for Azerbaijani wine with 90% of the total amount in 2017. The other main export countries areChina,Kyrgyzstan andBelgium.[18][19]
| Years | Quantity (in thsd. deciliters) | Value, thous. US dollar |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 223.9 | 4034 |
| 2011 | 338.4 | 5963.3 |
| 2012 | 389.4 | 7135.4 |
| 2013 | 409.4 | 6895.1 |
| 2014 | 337.0 | 6137.9 |
| 2015 | 194.5 | 3794.7 |
| 2016 | 189.5 | 3585.3 |
| 2017 | 375 | 6008.6 |
| Extracted fromstat.gov.az | ||
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