Azerbaijan is a small country located in the Eurasian Caucasus, on the western shores of the Caspian Sea. To the north is Russia, to the south Iran, to the west Georgia and Armenia; Azerbaijan lies at a geopolitical and cultural crossroads. The country was established as a democratic, secular republic (the first of its kind in the Muslim world) in 1918, but became part of the then-embryonic, fast-growing Soviet Union in the early 1920s. The nation regained political independence in 1995.
As is true of neighboring Georgia (which is often held to be the seat of viticulture), the hills and valleys of Azerbaijan hold secrets of winemaking practices that are thousands of years old. Archaeological work in the region has uncovered stone fermentation vessels dating back to 2000 BC. Although the current output of wine is nothing compared to what it was under the communist regime, viticulture remains an important part of the Azerbaijani economy, alongside livestock, dairy and a gradually declining fishing industry (mostly caviar-producing sturgeon and beluga).
Vineyards account for about 7% of the country's cultivated land, concentrated mainly in the Kirovabad-Kazakh and Shirvan regions. There are approximately 20 wine grape varieties officially recognized and sanctioned for winemaking purposes, as well as a number of table-grape varieties. Red Pinot Noir and white Rkatsiteli are the key varieties here, joined by an increasingly broad portfolio of grapes made up of international varieties and tailored crossings.
Other than table wines, Azerbaijan produces sparkling wines and such distilled beverages as brandy and vodka (which is natural, given its proximity to Russia and its recent Soviet history). The nation's annual grape harvest is now just one-tenth of what it was in 1990, so the quantity of wine and brandy has diminished correspondingly.
