Some places seem simply destined for wine-making and so it is with the Savalan Valley as SAVALAN-ASPI Winery found out when choosing the location. It was more: it was finding a route to where viticultural wisdom had been cradled for centuries in the heart of Azerbaijan.

It appears from the historical evidence fusing into a map of grape migration, the very first seeds of this plant were discovered precisely in the South Caucasus. It was from here that they began to spread southwards, westwards and northwards. Therefore, our story begins millennia ago when Gabala was the capital of Caucasian Albania. It is told by the archaeological excavations which unearthed evidence of humanity’s earliest love affair with the vine. Grape seeds alongside ancient decanters and wine-making vessels… Those artefacts whisper tales of the sophisticated winemaking traditions which flourished when the world was only young.

Strabo left us glimpses of this viticultural paradise as he wrote about Albania. But it was not commerce alone that caught his attention: the historian wrote of Albanian lands with their fertile soil, flourishing vineyards and splendid wines. Those observations were echoed and underpinned by various authors and travellers centuries later – including Russian and Soviet plant breeder, geneticist and botanist Nikolai Vavilov, as well as Italian archaeologist and palaeontologist Lorenzo Costantini, for example. The evidence is clear: Gabala is the cradle of world viticulture in the South Caucasus.

But History alone does not suffice to make great wine because Mother Nature ought to conspire as well. The Savalan Valley’s unique location creates a terroir that is a winemaker’s dream. Gabala sports four out of the nine climatic zones found in Azerbaijan and, as for the Savalan Valley itself, it sits at 400 metres above sea level. The climatic diversity and altitude combined with the distinctive soil compositions were what afforded the conditions under which vines thrive.

What’s truly magical is how this terroir speaks through the wine. Even European grape varieties, when planted in the Savalan Valley, grow to express something entirely unique – and uniquely Savalan. They absorb the valley’s very spirit and they are, in a sense, the Spirit of the Valley. Their character is shaped by millennia of tradition fused with modern excellence.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that SAVALAN-ASPI Winery co-founder Arif Rahimov hails from Gabala: his regional background has informed the company’s vision of reviving the viticultural traditions that had slumbered in the Savalan Valley. In keeping with its motto that goes ‘Quality as Tradition; Wine as Art’, SAVALAN-ASPI Winery did not just found a venture but awakened a legacy. And, in so doing, it made certain that every decision honoured history and terroir alike.

The company and its wines share the name ‘Savalan’ deliberately, as a way of emphasising the fact that they do not just come from anywhere but are from here.

Ancient manuscripts reveal how carefully our ancestors observed climate and weather, selected grape varieties and timed their harvests. Today’s vintners at SAVALAN-ASPI Winery – Daniele D’Andrea, Elisa Vagnoni and the colleagues – walk in those footsteps as they marry ancient wisdom and modern technique.

In Gabala, archaeological finds such as ritual vessels bearing grape motifs, wine cellars that have stood for 2,500 years and 400-litre clay jars are all testament to a winemaking heritage that runs deeper than the valley’s rivers.

It is not all about climate, then. It is not all about the perfect soil, either. Rather, it is about the Spirit of the Valley, again. SAVALAN-ASPI Winery chose the spot wherein it all began, where history, geography and climate merged to bring forth something extraordinary.

Here, where ancient winemakers once trod, the vines remember. Each crop is a tribute as much as it is a continuation and each vintage is a conversation across centuries. In the Savalan Valley, every bottle of wine tells a story thousands of years in the making and this story is far from having been told…

Best regards,

Fuad Seyidaliyev and Arif Rahimov

Founders and Co-owners of SAVALAN-ASPI Winery