A primer to Armenia's diverse wine regions and grapes. For more general background from Tam's recent trip, see Armenia – the next chapter; find tasting notes for 120 Armenian wines in articles today and tomorrow.
The climate of landlocked Armenia is influenced primarily by its high to incredibly high elevation – the Köppen-Geiger climate classifications for the country range from arid desert to polar tundra. Temperatures can reach as high as the mid 40s (Celsius/~ 113 °F) in the Ararat Valley in summer and drop as low as –15 °C (5 °F) in winter. It can get...