The largest peninsula in Europe
Crimea is only a small peninsula, so if you’ve ever had the feeling that it’s way bigger than it actually is, rest assured. “Crimea” consists of four regional areas: Black Sea, Crimean Mountains, Crimean steppe and Crimean South Coast. So basically there’s a lot of mountains; very little flat territory; and lots of water.
The most prominent features are the narrow mountain formations known as the Crimean Mountains (also known as “the Caucasus”). These range in altitude from about 500 meters to 1,500 meters above sea level – you’re probably not going to see them from your apartment’s windows. The largest city in Crimea is Simferopol (often known as Sevastopol), which has a population of just over 400,000 people and controls access to many of the most important sea ports in Crimea.
The Crimean peninsula sticks out from the southern coast of Ukraine like a thumb, and its location on the Black Sea gives it a subtropical climate that’s perfect for hosting Russian tourists. In fact, the region has been popular as a vacation destination for Russian elites since Catherine The Great visited in 1787.
The high cliffs and mild weather create an ideal setting for growing grapes. What’s more, Crimea has long had a history of wine making, which can be traced back to the 4th century BC when residents of ancient Greece founded colonies on the peninsula.
A wine history from 1257
The first grapes were planted in the Crimea by the Greeks back in the 5th century BC. However, it wasn’t until 1257 that wine production started in full force on the peninsula when Genoese traders imported vine cuttings from what is now Tuscany and Sicily.
This was a significant moment for Russian wine history as it marked Russia’s introduction to winemaking techniques like long-term barrel aging, which are still used today. .
Socialists import French grapes
The Crimean wine industry would experience its next significant boost in 1905 when the Socialist Revolutionaries imported French grapes to their vineyards. The Socialist Revolutionaries were a political party at odds with the Czar, who was at that time the head of Russian state. They were looking for ways to gain support from the people and decided to provide them with the opportunity to make their own wines instead of being forced to purchase them from French winemakers. The leaders of this group would search for new land in Crimea where they could grow both grapes and wheat crops before finally settling on an area near Yalta called Massandra (which means “honey place”).
Amongst other types, they planted frontenac, sauvignon blanc, pinot, and chardonnay…
The first Crimean wineries
The history of wine in Crimea goes back a long way, to 1859, when Russian general Ivan Paskevich founded the first winery in the region. After that, many more people jumped on the bandwagon and eventually over 100 wineries appeared across Crimea. Many were established by people who had emigrated from Poland and Ukraine. By 1900, 10% of all wine was produced by Crimean wineries and by 1918 they accounted for 68% of all the wines produced. The most famous local wines are:
- Luganski Vino Selo; a light red with a plum fruit flavor
- Karpatskoe Vino (Carpathian Wine); made from blackcurrants grown as far north as Kiev
- Belokamennoe Vinohrada (White Palate Wine); made from white grapes grown in warm regions
- Mordovskoje Vino (Mordovian Wine) – this is the first regional wine to earn three gold medals at the international wine competition; its color is dark red with fruity bouquet
- Khmelnitskoe Vino; made from Carignan grapes grown near Rostov/on Don which have a strong taste of liquorice
Merlots, zinfandels and rieslings
Wines from Crimea are made from a variety of grapes, including red and white varieties. Merlots, zinfandels and rieslings are some other examples of wines produced in the region. However, the most famous wines from Crimea are made from the Ukrainian Carpathian and Moldovan grape varieties.
Carpathian and Moldovan grape varieties
If you’re a wine enthusiast, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be familiar with the wines of Crimea. From the Unesco-listed and UNESCO-recognized Crimean Tatar wine region in the northeast all the way to Southern Russia in southern Crimea, this is perhaps one of the most diverse regions in all of Europe.
From north to south, there are reds produced from Ukrainian Carpathian grapes such as Chorny and Bekum. These wines can be harsh on the palate but they make for decent table wines. Next up is Moldovan wine from vineyards such as Sfântu Gheorghe and Nifta (also known as Nepala). This wine is a bit better around 8 – 10 years old, depending on how well it was stored before bottling.