September 6, 2025

Forbes.com
Along the Arpa River in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor province, it takes almost 100 stone steps to reach the entrance to the Areni-1 Cave complex, a cool, echoing cavern perched on an old caravan route. In 2007, a UCLA-led team uncovered a shallow clay press draining into a fermentation vat, storage jars half-buried for temperature control, a cup and bowl, and piles of grape skins, stems, and seeds that tie the scene to wine. It is the earliest complete winemaking setup ever found.