red grape · regional staple
Areni Noir
Areni, Armenia
Say it
ah·reh·nee
Sev in Sev Areni means black in Armenian, so Areni Noir repeats it in French.
On the palate
cherryvioletblack pepperblack tea
How you spot it blind: pale, high‑acid red with fine tannins and a peppery lift, Pinot-like
The story
Native to Vayots Dzor in southeastern Armenia, with modern research treating it as the country’s emblematic red. DNA profiling and OIV work clarified identity issues and showed that Seyrak Areni is a distinct variety, not a synonym of Areni. High-altitude vineyards escaped phylloxera, and quality-focused producers drove a post‑2000s revival.
Where it lives
Vayots Dzor, Armenia · Aragatsotn, Armenia · Armavir, Armenia · Ararat, Armenia
Shows up as
still redrosésparkling