Vayots Dzor, Armenia
“The soul of a wine is when it speaks to a place. If you don't have that, then you've missed everything. And that quest is why we're so fired up to be here.” - Paul Hobbs
Internationally renowned winemaker Paul Hobbs and the Yacoubian family journey to the Birthplace of Wine to craft modern, world class wines from the indigenous varieties found in the high altitude, mineral-rich soils of Vayots Dzor, Armenia. Their newly planted vineyards grow a stone’s throw away from the Areni-1 cave, the oldest known winery dating from over 6,000 years ago. With their local team, Paul and the Yacoubians are growing and crafting wines that confirm Armenia’s part not only in the ancient history of winemaking, but in its very relevant present and future amongst the great wine regions of the world.
Winery Details
REGION
Vayots Dzor, Armenia
VINEYARD
Sitting at 4,600 ft elevation near the village of Aghavnadzor, Vayots Dzor, our 44-acre estate vineyard is planted to ancient indigenous Armenian varieties, including the emblematic red and white grapes of the region: areni and voskehat.
The site’s pronounced diurnal shifts, driven by its extreme altitude, together with well-drained, rocky volcanic soils, yield wines of remarkable balance and depth—a tribute to the region’s millennia-old relationship with the cultivation of the wine grape.
VARIETIES
areni, voskehat
Press Highlights
• Forbes, “Why Armenia’s Wine Story Takes The Crown In The ‘Birthplace’ Debate” (Aug 2025)
• Decanter, “Armenia: A Wine Lover’s Guide” (May 2024)
• Full Pour Magazine, “Rock the Cradle” (March 2024)
• Forbes, “‘Somm’ Series Debuts Fourth Documentary, ‘Cup of Salvation’” (Oct 2023)
• Origins Magazine, “Paul Hobbs: An Iconic Partnership” (April 2022)
• Wall Street Journal, “In Search of the World’s Oldest Wine” (March 2019)
PORTFOLIO
Dry White Wine
Our high altitude vineyard near the village of Aghavnadzor, Vayots Dzor allows this emblematic Armenian white variety to ripen perfectly while maintaining a remarkable freshness, resulting in thrillingly unique layers of aromas and flavors.
Areni
An ancient variety indigenous to Armenia, Areni has adapted perfectly to the high altitude, mountainous region of Vayots Dzor, where the vines thrive on the rocky, mineral-rich, volcanic soils. This late-ripening grape makes fresh, elegantly structured wines with bright red fruit flavors and a characteristic black pepper spice.
‘Sarpina’ Areni
Selected as the finest Areni from the high elevation vineyards of Rind, Vayots Dzor, this wine exemplifies the future of Yacoubian-Hobbs wines.
Aged in French oak, and produced in small quantity, the ‘Sarpina’ is named for the posts used to train vines as is recorded in Armenian agricultural history books. With the name ‘Sarpina’ we honor Armenia’s rich, ancient wine history.