Location: Republic of Dagestan, Russian Federation
Dagestan is home to a unique culture that combines many of the region’s former countries: ancient Persian, Ottoman and Russian cultures. As such, it is a melting pot of traditions, ethnicity, religion and language. It also has some magnificent scenery to offer as well.
For example, the Dagestani people have developed their own version of an Ashokan temple. Called dozhaba (meaning “big stone”), they are monolithic stone structures that consist of a small entryway and a great courtyard; some hide underground chambers used for religious purposes. Other than being spectacularly impressive (or just plain stunning), there are more practical uses for these structures too. Those who live in rural areas usually build them close to their homes because they need to be raised off the ground for flood protection during times of heavy rain or snowfall; dozhabas can also function as places where villagers can meet outside in order to gossip about affairs or exchange news from other villages or towns around them
History:
Dagestan is one of the most well-known wine regions in the Caucasus, and for good reason. It’s a beautiful region that’s full of history, tradition and culture. It also boasts some of the best wine producers in Russia with Russian heritage who take their winemaking seriously.
The first vineyards were planted in the 14th century, when Uzbek tribesmen settled here following their conquest of Dagestan from Georgia. In 1552, there was even a decree issued by Ivan Tsar Fedor which allowed wine to be produced and sold as long as it was used for medical purposes only. The first recorded commercial winery was founded in the 1980s by Oleg Shamiyevich Yayaevich (which means he won’t speak to you if you pronounce his name “Yayeval”), but it didn’t come into being until 1993 with his son Magomed Magomedovitch Ibragimovitch (also spelled Ibragimov or Ibraginiev). This family continues to operate today as one of Dagestan’s largest wineries.
Grape varieties and styles: the country’s first winery has recently been built and they are just starting to make wine commercially. Local wines include Red Muscat, Riesling, and Pinot Gris.
My friend, we are about to tell you about grapes. I know it sounds like a strange thing to talk about in an article about wine, but bear with us. The Dagestani people have been working on building their own winery for the past year and a half—just recently they’ve taken their first shipments of fruit and wine to sell commercially. This winery is unique in its approach: rather than just trying to grow grapes that taste good together or have very positive impressions on the senses, they’re working hard to create regional wines with specific qualities or local characteristics that are different from one another.
Their specialized production methods are pretty spectacular, too. It’s not uncommon for these wines to be made with different grape varieties and styles of wine that each give off different aromas when blended together—and this is only going to get more interesting as time goes on because many of these individually distinctive varieties will be made commercially for the first time here in this region.
To sum up, there’s a lot of variety in Russia’s culture and lifestyle being expressed through its cuisine and what it does with those ingredients; this winery is emblematic of that because the people involved want to make a great product for both traditionalists and newcomers alike.
Appellations and geographical indications: no appellations yet as commercial winemaking has only recently begun
Appellations are important because they protect a wine region’s brand. In order to have an appellation, winemakers in the region must follow rules about what grapes they can use, how they can grow those grapes, and how they can make their wine. But even though there are no appellations yet in Dagestan, wines from this republic are still worth trying.
Famous producers: no famous producers yet as commercial winemaking has only recently begun
As commercial winemaking is just now beginning in the Republic, there are no famous producers yet. A famous producer is one that has a good reputation and sells a lot of wine. For example, Robert Mondavi and Dom Perignon are both very famous producers; so are Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Lafite Rothschild.
There are a lot of wine regions in Russia, but Dagestan is a relatively new one.
When most people think about wine regions in Russia, they’re more likely to picture the country’s southern regions. But Dagestan is a relatively new one, which means it has a lot of untapped potential as a place for tourists and travelers to visit.
The region is also known for its rich history of viticulture: In the early 16th century, the leaders of Dagestan’s local tribes planted vineyards along both banks of the Kuban River, where the area that is today called Krasnodar Krai now stands. But due to Dagestani tribal warfare and ongoing religious wars between Muslim and Orthodox Christians alike, those vineyards were lost.
As time went on, many different ethnic groups settled on lands surrounding the Kuban River throughout history. Some of them even made their living farming grapes and producing wine or distilling spirits or vodka. Eventually, when European powers came with their colonialist agendas during the late 18th century and early 19th century, they set up many wineries in Crimea and other parts of Russia before encroaching on other areas such as Dagestan where there was already quite a thriving wine culture that had been established by local tribes long before their arrival in Russian territory.