Wineries

The residents of Helenendorf, now Goygol, laid the foundations for Azerbaijan’s modern wine industry. It all began in 1860, when a local man called Christopher Vohrer expanded his vineyards into a family business which within a generation grew into Azerbaijan’s largest wine producer, and the first to export to Europe. Together with another winemaking family called the Hummels, the Vohrers helped forge a full-fledged wine industry whose legacy can be experienced by visiting the Goygol Winery. Tastings take place in the original German cellar dating back to 1860, although go easy if you plan to taste all 15 types of wine and brandy in just one sitting!

A short drive from Baku, Marandi is one of Azerbaijan’s foremost new-breed wineries, welcoming to visitors and producing a growing range of well-balanced wines, many grown in the Fireland vineyards that lie on the Absheron Peninsula between two salt lakes, close to some intriguing mud volcanoes. In all, some 15 grape varieties are now cultivated on 160 hectares of land producing several wine ranges: refined Yalli, premium Terra Caspea and Terra Caucasea plus the softer, easy-drinking Ilkin table wines. Tours include browsing the factory, tastings, and lunch or dinner with dishes including fish from the nearby Caspian Sea.

Shirvan Wines (also known as Meysari) is one of Azerbaijan’s newest winemakers and the country’s first to be considered an organic producer by EU certification. Their first 40 hectares of vineyard were only planted in 2014, with the first harvest in 2017. Already the area under vine has grown to some 310 hectares and a museum, restaurant and guesthouse have been built to facilitate wine tours. Located a short drive west of Shamakhi, Meysari is an easy stop if you’re heading from Baku towards Ismayilli, Gabala, Sheki or Agsu. For now, tours include tasting their three organic wine variants made from a curious mélange of French grape varieties, but the range will expand and change once newly planted vineyards of Caucasian grapes come to maturity.

In the small town of Agsu, Az-Granata’s giant modern plant processes a wide range of fruits into wines, liqueurs and juices. The word ‘granat’ from which the winery takes its name means ‘pomegranate’ in Russian (the word is ‘nar’ in Azerbaijani), and indeed a major product here is pomegranate wine, as well as an impressive range of spirits and inexpensive, easy-drinking table wines made from a range of European and Caucasian grape varieties. Tasting a glass of pomegranate wine is a unique experience you can enjoy during a tour of Az-Granata which culminates with tastings in a room adorned with barrels and an exhibition of sepia photos illustrating the history of winemaking in Azerbaijan. Tastings might encompass flavoured vodkas and ‘Azerbaijan’s first Raki’.

Half hidden among hilltop vineyards in a deeply rural corner of Ismayilli district, Chabiant’s winery (aka Chateau Monolit) is one of Azerbaijan’s most appealing destinations for wine tourists thanks to a quality guesthouse with open-air swimming pool, a splendid tasting room and impressive wine storage caves designed to look centuries old. Over recent years the winemaking here has undergone a major rethink and now aims to “bring new life to local viticulture in Azerbaijan”. The winery is in the tiny settlement of Hajihatamli, on a small country lane that links Goychay and Ismayilli. Besides great food and wine, tours may also feature live music and other activities. Chabiant also organises a harvest festival (late August) and a Vino Nuovo celebration (late November) mimicking Beaujolais Nouveau festivities worldwide.

In the short decade since its founding in 2007, Savalan has become one of Azerbaijan’s most popular and widely distributed ranges of premium quality wine. The winery conjures up attractive imagery of crystal-clear Caucasian mountain streams watering its sunbathed vines which cover very considerable areas of rolling terroir south of the foothill city of Gabala. The company’s international winemaking team combine expertise from Italy and Azerbaijan to create a range that includes nearly 20 different wines. The winery offers tours with various options for tastings. On a clear day there are glorious mountain views from the site that sits on the edge of a plateau 25 kilometres south of Gabala, which is Azerbaijan’s foremost rural resort city.

Close to Shamkir, backed by starkly arid hills, is the Sharg-Ulduzu winery. Meaning ‘Star of the East’, Sharg-Ulduzu produces a range of dry red single grape wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Saperavi) along with blends in which a traditional cooling technique stops fermentation to produce low-alcohol semi-sweet wines maintaining much of the natural sugar. Examples include Shemkirskaya Krepost (Merlot-Cabernet-Sauvignon), Shishtapa (Saperavi-Merlot) and Skazka Vostoka (Saperavi- Tavkveri). The whites follow a similar pattern and include a good dry Bayan Shira. The winery organises tours of the site and degustations of the various wines on offer, accompanied by tasty snacks. Also included is a visit to the winery’s museum, offering a glimpse into the winemaking traditions of the Shamkir region.

The residents of Helenendorf, now Goygol, laid the foundations for Azerbaijan’s modern wine industry. It all began in 1860, when a local man called Christopher Vohrer expanded his vineyards into a family business which within a generation grew into Azerbaijan’s largest wine producer, and the first to export to Europe. Together with another winemaking family called the Hummels, the Vohrers helped forge a full-fledged wine industry whose legacy can be experienced by visiting the Goygol Winery. Tastings take place in the original German cellar dating back to 1860, although go easy if you plan to taste all 15 types of wine and brandy in just one sitting!

Baku is alive with a smorgasbord of enticing drinking holes across all price ranges, most serving a range of local wines, while specialist wine bars such as KEFLI, Enoteca Meydan, Saqi, CafeCity, PORT Wine & Grill and others provide truly authentic wine experiences for both connoisseurs and beginners. And some tour companies offer wine crawls, allowing you to savour wines made from native grapes while enjoying traditional snacks and discussing the country’s wine heritage at multiple local bars in the historic city centre. Don’t miss trying a glass of pomegranate wine, a local delicacy.

A short drive from Baku, Marandi is one of Azerbaijan’s foremost new-breed wineries, welcoming to visitors and producing a growing range of well-balanced wines, many grown in the Fireland vineyards that lie on the Absheron Peninsula between two salt lakes, close to some intriguing mud volcanoes. In all, some 15 grape varieties are now cultivated on 160 hectares of land producing several wine ranges: refined Yalli, premium Terra Caspea and Terra Caucasea plus the softer, easy-drinking Ilkin table wines. Tours include browsing the factory, tastings, and lunch or dinner with dishes including fish from the nearby Caspian Sea.

Shirvan Wines (also known as Meysari) is one of Azerbaijan’s newest winemakers and the country’s first to be considered an organic producer by EU certification. Their first 40 hectares of vineyard were only planted in 2014, with the first harvest in 2017. Already the area under vine has grown to some 310 hectares and a museum, restaurant and guesthouse have been built to facilitate wine tours. Located a short drive west of Shamakhi, Meysari is an easy stop if you’re heading from Baku towards Ismayilli, Gabala, Sheki or Agsu. For now, tours include tasting their three organic wine variants made from a curious mélange of French grape varieties, but the range will expand and change once newly planted vineyards of Caucasian grapes come to maturity.

In the small town of Agsu, Az-Granata’s giant modern plant processes a wide range of fruits into wines, liqueurs and juices. The word ‘granat’ from which the winery takes its name means ‘pomegranate’ in Russian (the word is ‘nar’ in Azerbaijani), and indeed a major product here is pomegranate wine, as well as an impressive range of spirits and inexpensive, easy-drinking table wines made from a range of European and Caucasian grape varieties. Tasting a glass of pomegranate wine is a unique experience you can enjoy during a tour of Az-Granata which culminates with tastings in a room adorned with barrels and an exhibition of sepia photos illustrating the history of winemaking in Azerbaijan. Tastings might encompass flavoured vodkas and ‘Azerbaijan’s first Raki’.

Half hidden among hilltop vineyards in a deeply rural corner of Ismayilli district, Chabiant’s winery (aka Chateau Monolit) is one of Azerbaijan’s most appealing destinations for wine tourists thanks to a quality guesthouse with open-air swimming pool, a splendid tasting room and impressive wine storage caves designed to look centuries old. Over recent years the winemaking here has undergone a major rethink and now aims to “bring new life to local viticulture in Azerbaijan”. The winery is in the tiny settlement of Hajihatamli, on a small country lane that links Goychay and Ismayilli. Besides great food and wine, tours may also feature live music and other activities. Chabiant also organises a harvest festival (late August) and a Vino Nuovo celebration (late November) mimicking Beaujolais Nouveau festivities worldwide.

In the short decade since its founding in 2007, Savalan has become one of Azerbaijan’s most popular and widely distributed ranges of premium quality wine. The winery conjures up attractive imagery of crystal-clear Caucasian mountain streams watering its sunbathed vines which cover very considerable areas of rolling terroir south of the foothill city of Gabala. The company’s international winemaking team combine expertise from Italy and Azerbaijan to create a range that includes nearly 20 different wines. The winery offers tours with various options for tastings. On a clear day there are glorious mountain views from the site that sits on the edge of a plateau 25 kilometres south of Gabala, which is Azerbaijan’s foremost rural resort city.