There are many archaeological evidences of viticulture and winemaking in Armenia. The oldest refers to Areni Cave 1 of Vayots Dzor (4th millennium BC, 6000 years before us).
Wine has a long history in the Armenian highlands. In ancient Armenia, it was considered the drink of gods and kings. Armenian kings drank wine from silver cups. Traditionally, wine was made in the gardens or in the wine cellars adjacent to the residential complex. Grapes were poured into the sail of the upper part of the threshing floor, where the men crushed them with their feet (when sealing children, they applied maron to the feet of boys to crush wine, and to the hands of girls to knead dough). The brine flowed into a clay well made near the reef, called a gub, settled there, was partially filtered, and then flowed into underground limestone wells (takar) or vats. In these containers, the juice gradually matured, turned into a sweet pulp, and then, within forty days, turned into wine. Ripened wine was stored in cellars, buried in the ground or in above-ground vats, covering them with stone and clay lids, hermetically closing the cracks with clay plaster. The longer the wine stays, the more it matures, sweetens and thickens.
The opening of the festive ceremonies of the harvest is considered a period of blessing of grapes and wine. At present, a large winemaking industry has been formed in Armenia, which is continuously being improved. It is noteworthy that the traditional folk ways of winemaking have been preserved among home winemakers to this day. The implementation of the Areni Wine Festival is a manifestation of the continuity of the tradition.