City guide

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s small wine scene is built around the cultivation of mainly table grapes in the regions of Ganja-Qazakh and Shirvan. In the 1980s over 80% of Azerbaijan’s vines were ripped up in Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol drive, and a number of native grape varieties were all but lost. Artisan winemaking is alive and well however and a new generation focus on local grapes such as Madrasa.