Think Russia and you think Vodka, right?
But this huge country does produce some great dry, sweet, and sparkling wine, albeit in a very small part of its territory! Our Russian wine tours focus on the Black Sea coast as this area is full of interesting wine experiences, some surprising and very memorable.
- Descend an old mine and walk the Soviet wine tunnels of Sauk Dere
- Compare and contrast huge wineries with family-run, boutique places
- Fly under the tourism radar, not much English is spoken round here!
- Tastings of unusual varieties at wineries you will never have heard of
- Visit the historic Abrau-Durso winery and its lovely village
- Learn about Russian history and culture and try the local food
- Take some time off at Sochi area beaches and catch some rays?
During our Russian wine tours the places you visit, the people you meet, and the experiences you have are more important than the wine you taste in our humble opinion. Historically wine quality has not been high but the new investment is improving that.
Y
Thankfully for wine tourism, there are some wineries that are somewhat stuck in the past, and one of these is the highlight of the trip for us. There will also be some new investment wineries shown to you, meet the owners and winemakers, travel way out into the countryside to boutique wineries, way off the beaten track.
When Georgia was part of the Soviet Empire it was ordered that Georgia was to make wine and that Armenia would produce Brandy. The repercussions of this are obvious today with Georgian wine and Armenia Brandy being very nice indeed, and Russian wine not so much!
Jancis Robinson visited the Sauk Dere winery and walked the underground tunnels in 2009, we did so last month (June 2018). Comparing her videos with ours and the place looks exactly the same, and we are SO GLAD it does as this is a very memorable visit as not much has changed since Soviet days.
There are a number of new-builds and renovated wineries in the Anapa area and some are very impressive indeed after being extensively upgraded. The facilities at Lefkadia are very polished and modern, but you notice they still don’t get many non-Russians and English is not widely spoken. As a Westerner, you feel as though you really are in uncharted unusual territory and it is a great experience.
Our Russian wine guide Max enjoying himself in the cellars of Sauk Dere
The Lefkadia staff will take you for a drive around their extensive estate vineyards stopping a couple of times at points of interest, such as the lovely lake they have on the grounds. People hire a private island with its pagoda for special events and weddings, it’s easy to see why. The winery also has a small museum that is filled with historical and random artifacts. You will enjoy a tasting here after touring the winery.
Another winery with plenty of new investment is Semigore. Here we have the chance to meet the owner Gennadiy, have a look around his property, and enjoy a tasting with him. This winery is also a great option for overnight stays, the rooms are surrounded by vineyards and the location is good for exploring the region. We have plenty of overnight options, including in the resort town of Anapa but we will always suggest staying in a vineyard.
No Russian tour would be complete without a Lada 
Lefkadia is not really known much outside Russia
There are a number of boutique winery projects in the region, we recently attended a wine fair near Anapa where there were over a dozen small producers offering their creations. Hence there are numerous opportunities to visit boutique wineries, tour, and taste with owners and winemakers. We can see which places are most suitable when we have clients dates and work them into the program with the larger places (Fanagoria and Myskhako for example)
Whatever we have planned for you on our wine tours in Russia a “must-do” is the Abrau-Durso Russian sparkling wine factory, the most famous winery of its kind in Russia. The fact that this historic and imposing place is located in a nice village on the shores of a lovely lake is even more reason to visit.
We will arrange a program to suit your wine tastes and according to the time, you have open to you this journey, in combination with certain neighboring countries such as maybe Ukraine or Georgia will provide you with a fascinating look at winemaking in this region.
