Jancis Robinson

Azerbaijan: History

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Wine
Oxford Companion to Wine

By Jancis Robinson

Published 2006

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Grape-growing is likely to be one of the oldest branches of Azerbaijan’s economy. Archaeology has revealed seeds of cultured grapes, stones for crushing grape berries, and stone fermentation and storage vessels dating back to the seventh millennium bc at Shomu-Tepe and second millennium bc in the settlements of Kültan, Galabaglar, and Galajig.

herodotus, describing a campaign of the Scythian chief Madyas in anatolia in the 7th century bc, mentioned that viticulture and winemaking were already developed in that region. The Greek geographer Strabo, in the 1st century bc, reported on grape culture in ‘Albania’, the old name of part of Azerbaijan.