📍 Shirvan
Also known as: Shirvan, Şirvan, Mountainous Shirvan, Shirvan wine region, Shirvan valley
Shirvan is a historic area in eastern Azerbaijan, on the slopes of the Greater Caucasus, home of the red Madrasa grape and one of the country's oldest wine zones.
Shirvan (Şirvan) is a historic area in eastern Azerbaijan, on the slopes of the Greater Caucasus. Babadag, 3,629 metres high, rises above it, and the Caspian Sea softens the climate. The wine districts of Shamakhi, Ismayilli and Aghsu belong to it, along with the village of Madrasa.
The best-known local grape is the red Madrasa. It grows in villages of Shamakhi and Ismayilli at 700 to 800 metres. In mountainous Shirvan researchers also looked at Bayanshira, Shirvanshahi and Khindogni. A 2024 study called Madrasa, Shirvanshahi, Bayanshira and the introduced Carignane promising, and noted that few vineyards with ancient cultivars remain.
The newest chapter is the Meysari complex near Shamakhi. From 2015 it planted 100,000 French vines on 40 hectares, and the whole estate covers 310 hectares. The French Treasury notes Shirvan Wines as organic, and it also lists Azgranata in Aghsu.
Next to the west of the country, Shirvan means mountains and local grapes, where Ganja-Gazakh means German colonies and wineries. For the national picture, see Azerbaijani wine.
Facts
| Country | Azerbaijan 1 |
|---|---|
| Region | East of the country, slopes of the Greater Caucasus 1 |
| Cultivars | Madrasa, Shirvanshahi, Bayanshira, Khindogni 2 |
How it connects to Wine
📍 Shirvan ← grows in ← 🍇 Madrasa → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🗺️ Azerbaijani wine
- Grapes
- 🍇 Madrasa
Frequently asked questions
What did the 2024 study say about Shirvan grapes?
It called Madrasa, Shirvanshahi, Bayanshira and the introduced Carignane promising for the mountains [2].
How big is the Meysari estate?
310 hectares in all; planting began in 2015 [3].
How many vineyards with ancient cultivars remain?
Few are known to the authors of the 2024 study [2].
Is Shirvan wine organic?
The French Treasury lists Shirvan Wines of Shamakhi as organic, and Azgranata of Aghsu among producers [4].
What shapes the climate of Shirvan?
Mountain relief and the influence of the Caspian Sea [1].
Similar
📍 Karabakh (Aran) · 📍 Ganja-Gazakh · 📍 Nakhchivan · 📍 Mil-Mughan · 📍 Absheron · 📍 Guba-Khachmaz
What it includes
Sources
- Slow Food Foundation. Madrasa grape (Presidio)
- Huseynov M.A., Aghayev U.J. Qualitative parameters of grapevine cultivars grown in the mountainous Shirvan region of Azerbaijan. SABRAO J Breed Genet 56(5), 2024
- AZERTAC. Meysari wine complex, Shamakhi district (25.08.2018)
- Direction générale du Trésor (France). Le secteur viti-vinicole en Azerbaïdjan