“Grapes of Armenia” Published: Most Comprehensive Scientific Assessment of the Nation’s Grapevine Biodiversity

More than a decade of research, field observations, and countless hours behind the data have come together in our book "Grapes of Armenia", now published in both digital and printed formats, made possible by the invaluable support of my co-author hashtag#ErikaMaul and the insightful review of Prof. hashtag#ThierryLacombe.

This book is the most comprehensive scientific study ever conducted on the grapevine biodiversity of Armenia. For the first time, it presents precise ampelographic and genetic characterization for #181 grapevine varieties, comprising #117 neglected autochthonous cultivars, #56 bred cultivars, and #8 wild grapevines, relics of the country’s ancient viticultural landscape. For each accession included in our book, the ampelographic characterization was performed using 28 OIV, matched with 28 UDC, and 19 UPOV descriptors, while molecular fingerprinting was conducted with 25 nuclear simple sequence repeat (nSSR) markers.
One of the most groundbreaking outcomes of this research is the discovery of #50 previously undocumented grapevine varieties, described and published here for the first time. These newly identified cultivars, found through extensive field surveys in abandoned gardens and old vineyards, significantly expand our knowledge of Armenia’s viticultural biodiversity and reaffirm the country’s role as a vital center for grapevine evolution and conservation.
The publication of the book, “Grapes of Armenia”, marks a pivotal milestone in the study of Armenian grapevine genetic resources. It establishes a scientifically rigorous foundation for advancing genetic and genomic research, breeding programs, and conservation strategies while serving as an indispensable reference for ampelographers, geneticists, winemakers, and researchers worldwide. By documenting and analyzing the rich genetic diversity of Armenian grapevines, the book serves as a vital resource for those seeking to explore, understand, and appreciate the extraordinary viticultural heritage embedded in Armenia’s indigenous and wild grapevine populations.

Research Support. The scientific data presented in this book were generated through national, international, and post-doctoral projects conducted at the hashtag#Institute of Molecular Biology, NAS RA, Research Institute of Biology, hashtag#YSU, and the hashtag#Institute for Grapevine Breeding, JKI, Germany.
These projects were supported by the Higher Education and Science Committee of Armenia Education and Science Committee, RA MoESCS (24LCG 1E006, HESC; 24FP-4B027, HESC; 22SCBMBF-1B005, SC-BMBF), as well as the DAAD and ANSO programs.
Publication Support. The authors express their sincere appreciation to Avo Tavitian and Artak Gabrielyan of Lele Vayots Dzor for financial support, which made the publication of this book possible.

hashtag#InstituteofMolecularBiologyNASRA