Introduction
Many people ask me if there is a major difference between Russian and other European wines. The answer is no, but I will give you the difference in order to orient you into this guide.
There are only two main regions that produce wine in Russia: Russia’s Far East (which also includes Siberia) and St Petersburg region. From experience, I can tell you that the country’s most famous wine comes from the former while its storied producer of fine wines comes from the latter. In my travels across Russia, however, it became clear to me that no region is better than another; each has its own unique blend of characteristics and charm.
Here is how we will break down the differences between each:
Far East: The most famous wine region of all for many customers because it has a vast majority of wineries and prices are very cheap (around $1 per bottle). To start with, there is Kazan which borders China and Mongolia where you can find a variety of different grapes including Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. As for wineries themselves in this region, many offer rooms for rent where visitors can enjoy wine tastings before buying their bottles at great prices (for example “Kazan” Hotel offers rooms starting at around $20 USD). Other wineries in this part of Russia include those close to Lake Baikal such as “Lida” Winery where some bottles cost as little as $2 USD per bottle while others go as high as 1-2 dollars per bottle while still being what I would call very affordable to dessert wines with smaller budgets. However, even more expensive bottles like an interesting Pinot Noir called “Budushechka” will set you back at least 100-200 rubles ($3-$6 USD) per bottle but again still not outlandishly expensive considering what you get for your money so for those who want something extravagant (and delicious) but not crazy expensive then this part of
Geography
Situated in the far northwest of Russia, this region is bordered by Estonia, Finland and the Gulf of Finland. It is second largest city in Russia (after Moscow) and capital of the Leningrad Oblast. This region was formerly known as Leningrad and before that St Petersburg.
Climate
The climate of St. Petersburg is humid continental, with hot and short summers, and long cold winters. Precipitation is moderate throughout the year, remaining more or less constant from one month to another.
The growing season in St. Petersburg averages only 100 frost-free days, making it one of the shortest growing seasons in Russia; summer rainstorms are common. Temperatures can drop as much as 30 degrees in a single day, which helps create complex flavors in local fruit.
The region’s history
As far as the history of wine in Russia goes, it is not very long. And our region of St Petersburg belongs to this agrarian tradition, though it did not start with us. The first settlements were founded in the 16th century when Peter the Great had ships and fortresses built along rivers to protect his territory against invasions from Sweden and Poland. In fact, Fyodor Grekov, who later became one of Russia’s greatest poets, once wisely remarked that even a blind man could see that a city’s location “is only predictable from the point where its rivers meet.”
Major grape varieties
The Russians are known for their love of wine, and they put it to good use in their country’s vineyards. St. Petersburg has a lot of beautiful places that can be explored on a wine tour, and you’ll have time to see many different kinds of grape varieties in one place. While the climate isn’t exactly ideal for growing grapes, it does allow for some diversity in the type of grape used to make your favorite wines. If you’re interested in learning about different kinds of wine grapes, then a trip to Russia won’t be a waste of your time.
Major appellations
If you’re a wine drinker, a trip to Russia is an absolute must.
St Petersburg may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of wine regions, but it perfectly fits the classic Russian image of steep mountains and beautiful landscapes.
To get us started, we’ll tell you about some of the best wines from St Petersburg.
Famous wines of the region
I don’t think we need to break down the types of wine, as there are many options available. But I will mention some of the most famous ones.
Vodka (literally translated as “water”) is an alcohol beverage made from fermented grain mash. It’s typically distilled with water and flavored with a wide range of herbs and spices. Vodka makes up some 70% of all Russian alcohol production, with an estimated 2 billion bottles sold every year. Being made out of grain means it’s not technically wine, but is nevertheless quite delicious and very easy to drink. The Russians tend to enjoy vodka neat or in a shot glass after dinner with garnishes such as cucumbers or olives!
There are some very interesting wines in the St. Petersburg area of Russia.
“St. Petersburg has a long history of winemaking,” our guide told us as we walked down the cobblestone streets of the city center. “The first St. Petersburg wine was made in 1703 by Peter the Great himself, who was known at that time as ‘the drinking prince.’” He paused to look over his glasses at us and grin before he added, “This is why Russians are always so happy! Them crazy Russians drink too much!” We giggled along with him because it was true: The locals had a reputation for being notoriously heavy drinkers, especially when it came to brandy. For proof, look no further than this guy:
Peter the Great (also known as “The Drinking Prince”)
We figured out from our guide that St. Petersburg is home to some very interesting wines—those that don’t hail from France, Germany or Italy tend to be niche and unique—but what really caught our interest were the tour guides’ stories about Russia’s past and present…