The world’s oldest winery discovered in one of the Areni caves of Armenia was found back in 2007, a year prior to finding of the 5500-aged leather shoe, Boris Gasparyan, the head of Armenian-U.S.- Irish group that discovered the wine-making facility, told NEWS.am.

“We supposed that it was wine-making facility and repeatedly announced about it, but now we can voice it openly as the fact was proved by results of the studies conducted by 21 laboratories,” Gasparyan said.

Asked whether finding allows asserting that Armenia is a cradle of wine-making, expert noted that it is not so. The discovery just shows that wine-making was invented in this region. “We are lucky to have original source which enables to throw light on the issue. Meanwhile, it is ruled out that such winery can be discovered in other place as our studies show that grapes and other types of wild grapes were cultivated in this region,” he added.

In 2008 the 5,500-year-old shoe was found in the Areni cave (the same area), Vayots Dzor region of Armenia.