Today, we live in that place of the Land, where in 9th century BC and 29 century of us has been put the basis of Armenian civilization. In the mid-9th century BC, one of the most powerful states of the Ancient Near East, known as Urartu from Assyrian inscriptions, came down to the historic scene in the Armenian Highland. The Urartians called their country Byainili. It is mentioned as Araratian Kingdom in the Bible and its capital was at Tushpa (modern Van). The documented history of Urartu begins in 1275 BC, and ends early in the sixth century BC. There is no need to prove, this story is known by 600 texts written on stone, clay and bronze.

The Kingdom of Urartu/Ararat is regarded by history as an earlier incarnation of Armenia. In Urartu was manifest not only the indomitable fighting spirit of the later Armenians, but also the same tendency towards development of a higher culture. Urartu was "no obscure dynasty which slept secure behind the mountains, but a splendid monarchy which for more than two centuries rivaled the claims of Assyria to the dominion of the ancient world." Ancient Armenian state has had powerful kings, army, prosperous cities, handicraft and art, ritual and religious independent system. Near Van the proceedings called ’’Mher’s door’’ gives a full understanding of Ururartian mythology in memory of Khldi, Teyshebaini, Shivini Gods.

In ancient times, especially in the period and era of Urartian kingdom (BC 9-6 centuries) the nation living in Armenian landscape was busy with agriculture, cattle-breeding and also they were adopting agricultural products into ready-made organic products. During the1958 Karmir Blur excavations a lot of ancient things were found such as huge barns, pots filled with wheat, special containers to brew and keep beer, more than 40 oblong vessels for storing beer.

Analyzing all this we come to a conclusion that the nation in Urartu was cultivating also a huge quantity of barley: However it was a fact that in those days brewing beer was widely spread all over, besides as a raw material they used to have not only barley, but also millet.

The Greek historian Xenophon during his trip in Armenia (BC 5-4 centuries) had given to us the following description about the local nation living in this country. “… The goats, the sheep, the cows and the birds were living in the houses together with their pups. In the same house the wheat, barley, vegetables and wine were kept in the chimney. In the bowls there was beer and nearly as much as the beer there was barley floating on the surface and some big or small sized cane were inside the bowls of wine without any loop. The one who wanted to drink beer could do it very simply by taking the cane into the mouth and thus drink beer.”
Since the ancient times in the land of the Urartians the culture of grapes was widely spread. The Urartian cuneiform protocol tells us about the highest level of grape cultivation and wine production.

Since ancient days Armenia was famous for the wine makers where original traditions were kept until these days. This can even be notified from such philosophers, such as Herodotus and Strabone. In 401-400 BC, when the Greek troops led by Ksenofon were passing through the country Nairi (the ancient name for Armenia), in their homes they were treated by beer and wine, those wines were stored in deep underground storages in special clay jars "karases". It's interesting, that in karases with beer have been inserted reeds which served for our ancestors as saltcellars.

In 19-20th centuries the excavations done by academician Petrovski confirmed the fact that this country which has got a birth in 9th BC located in the interaction of The East and The West was a developed wine-making country.

Archeologists have found out in fortress Teyshebaini wine storehouse with 480 karases, in which could makespace for 37 thousand decilitres of wine. During excavation in Karmir Blur (one of the ancient settlements in Armenia where first signs of life are found) and Erebouni (city-fortress in the territory of present Yerevan, built 2800 years ago which became the capital of Armenia in 2700) had been found 10 wine storehouses in which were 200 karases.

Gardens, orchards and especially vineyards were well-developed in Urartu. This is shown by the discovery of seeds, stones, pits and charred remains of plums, grapes, pomegranates, apples, apricots, cherries, walnuts and watermelons.

Viticulture was especially developed around Van, Aratsani Valley, Lake Urmia and Tigris river basins and the Ararat Valley. Some of the dozen-plus grape varieties still cultivated in the Ararat Valley – Voskehat (Kharji), Mskhali (Ararat), Hachabash and other varieties of black grapes – were also grown in Urartu. The survival and application of viticulture and wine-making traditions practiced in the Armenian Highlands contributes to the argument of an Armenian link with the ancient inhabitants of Urartu (Van Kingdom).

Yet the ancestors of Armenians, who are the inhabitants of Urartu one of the ancient States of the world, have been occupied with viticulture. In the chronologies have been preserved statements about that, that in such an ancient country of the world like this a special attention was given to the viticulture and fruit-growing. In the reached historical information there are mentioned various technological tricks of wine and beer preparation.
Wine production traditions are carefully preserved for many years. It is impossible to deny the fact that even today many villagers as 3 millennia ago are reprocessing grape and get wine in special buildings as wine-press.

Animal breeding was practiced on the Eastern Anatolia Highland since the Neolithic. It was a major occupation of the pre-Urartian tribe Nairi– the main purpose of Assyrian raids on Nairi settlements in the 2nd millennium BC was stealing cattle.
Although animal breeding became secondary to agriculture during the Urartu period, it remained an important branch of economy, and was also used for regular sacrificial services in Urartian religion.

The animals bred included cattle (close to Bos primigenius), bull (Bos taurus), buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), sheep (Ovis aries), goats (the East Caucasian tur, Capra cylindricornis) and Capra domestica), pigs (Sus scrofa domestica), Persian gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) and zebu (Bos indicus). Archeological finds indicate the presence of milk processing and cheese making in Urartu. Unlike cattle, horses had a strategic military importance and were used for chariots.Horse breeding was a major occupation in Urartu, and, owing to abundant alpine meadows, was better developed than in nearby countries.