Degree of quality: Russian winemaking relies on science and uniqueness
The Bely Cape wine town in Gelendzhik is becoming the capital of Russian winemaking. The V Russian Wine Forum is taking place here from October 21 to 23. For the first time, the main industry meeting is hosted not by Moscow, but by the Black Sea coast. It is here, among wine expositions, tasting spaces and scientific laboratories, that representatives of the government, business and the research community discuss the most pressing issues. This year, the area of vineyards in the Russian Federation will increase to 116 thousand hectares, which is the highest figure in 20 years, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev said at the forum. And now the industry is entering a new stage of development — its future is determined not only by production volumes, but also by the quality of products, the preservation of unique grape varieties, the development of regional brands and the formation of a national wine culture. What else Russian winemakers are discussing is in the Izvestia article.
Winemaking is moving to a new level
For its first anniversary, the forum chose a truly iconic location for the domestic wine industry — the Bely Mys wine city. The unique project, which combined cultural, educational, gastronomic and professional spaces on an area of 4.2 hectares, opened in Gelendzhik on June 13, 2026 and, as Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev noted at the opening of the forum, has already managed to impress everyone who has visited here.
The main topic of the plenary discussion is "Russian wine: global context and national code". Over the past five years, domestic viticulture has changed significantly: the number of wineries is growing, and the geography of the industry is expanding. At the opening of the plenary session, the Deputy Prime Minister read out Vladimir Putin's greeting, in which the president called for more active implementation of new technologies, increasing the competitiveness of our wines and creating tourism infrastructure in the regions.
— A serious incentive for the development of the industry was the adoption in 2019 of the federal law "On Viticulture and Winemaking in the Russian Federation", which laid the legal foundations for the state's systematic support of Russian producers. And, of course, it is encouraging that industry leaders are guided by the best traditions of many generations of domestic winemakers," the greeting says.
This year, the area of vineyards in the Russian Federation will increase to 116 thousand hectares, which is the highest figure in 20 years, Dmitry Patrushev said. According to him, the industry is achieving such results in difficult climatic conditions, against the background of logistical and infrastructural constraints. One of the areas of further development remains the expansion of vineyard areas and the improvement of production efficiency, the Deputy Prime Minister noted. By the end of this year, the volume of wine produced in our country is expected to reach 64 million decaliters, he said.
— Today we are forming our own culture together, which is based on traditions, but is open to new faces and names. Therefore, I hope that our terroir, our wine, will be synonymous with the best quality," Dmitry Patrushev is convinced.
The Krasnodar Territory remains the leading wine-growing region in the country. It accounts for about 46% of Russian production, there are 110 wineries with vineyards with an area of about 35 thousand hectares, said the governor of the region, Veniamin Kondratiev. But at the same time, the farms of Crimea, Dagestan, Rostov region and other territories are actively developing. Moreover, along with large enterprises, small author's wineries are becoming more and more noticeable, creating drinks with pronounced features of a particular area. The government provides a significant set of funds to support the industry, Dmitry Patrushev recalled.
— These are preferential loans and leasing, cost recovery and agricultural insurance, which allows you to cover losses in case of crop failure. A separate federal project involves subsidies for the planting and care of vineyards. The budget for these purposes includes 3 billion rubles. Now the Zaporizhia region will be able to participate in receiving funds," he said.
The dry figures include dozens of new projects, the work of breeders, agronomists and winemakers, equipment upgrades, the creation of nurseries and the development of their own production technologies. The peculiarity of the industry lies in the length of the investment cycle: years pass between planting grapes and obtaining the first full-fledged harvest. Therefore, the current results were largely the result of decisions made long before the finished wine appeared on store shelves.
However, now the main task for the industry is to move from quantitative growth to improving business efficiency and sustainability, the participants of the plenary session noted. Dmitry Patrushev urged the forum participants to strengthen the presence of Russian wine in large agglomerations together with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and retail chains. He stressed that today there is a high potential for non-alcoholic wine, the development of tourism and exports.
Science and winemaking
Another important task for the industry is close cooperation with science. And the Kurchatov Institute, a strategic scientific partner of the Russian Wine Forum, is taking a significant part in this work. The Institute has created a whole research area combining genetics, biotechnology, microbiology, chemistry and the study of soil and climatic conditions.
— We can't catch up with anyone in any area. A train that has left is always difficult to catch up with, almost impossible. You can cling to the last carriage. We can only overtake, and since we are always the first and the leaders by nature, genesis, and genetics, we can only overtake," said Mikhail Kovalchuk, President of the Kurchatov Institute.
The industry's development was greatly facilitated by the restoration of its own yeast and bacterial base, he noted. And the first step was taken by the president of the country, who issued and protected collections of microorganisms, including autochthonous grape varieties, by his decrees.
Today, one of the key areas of scientific work is the study of the genetic diversity of Russian grapes. The database created by the institute's scientists contains data on more than a thousand varieties, including over 130 autochthons, local varieties formed in certain natural conditions. Among them are Zolotovsky krasnostop, Tsimlyansky black, Kokur white and others, which form an important part of the national wine—making heritage. Studying their genome helps to establish the origin of plants, preserve rare varieties and identify traits of interest for breeding.
Bely Mys — the center of Russian winemaking
Over the past five years, the wine forum has become a permanent platform for interaction between producers, government officials, trade, science and investors. During this period, wine production in the country has grown by a third, while there is a recession all over the world, said Boris Listov, Chairman of the Board of the Rosselkhoznadzor. According to him, over the entire period of operation, the bank has given almost 52 billion rubles to winemakers and winegrowers, of which 5.7 billion this year alone.
Now the focus is on further product quality improvement, staff training and expansion of sales channels. Of particular importance are the promotion of domestic wine in restaurants and retail, the formation of strong regional brands, the development of small wineries and cooperation with foreign partners, including the BRICS countries.
It is symbolic that the forum is entering its new stage on the Black Sea coast, says Dmitry Levitsky, a restaurateur, head and co-author of the Bely Cape Wine City project.
— The Wine Forum is the main event of the country's wine industry, and it moved to Gelendzhik this year. I think it's incredibly cool. There is such a concentration of all the best, most interesting and significant things that are happening in the Russian wine industry," he said.
The Bely Cape Wine City project, created by the ROSSIYA Group of Joint—Stock Bank, brought together 28 locations, including a three-story enoteca of Russian wines with 2,000 items from 150 wineries in the country, tasting rooms, restaurants, a cinema and exhibition grounds. The pearl of the complex is the Lev Golitsyn Interactive Wine Museum. At the entrance, visitors are greeted by an 18-meter sculpture of the founder of Russian winemaking. There are excerpts from his statements on the walls, which are called "tablets" here. The three-level exposition with an area of more than 3 thousand square meters tells about the history of Russian industrial winemaking, its traditions and scientific achievements.
The wine Academy, a testing and laboratory center and a representative office of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia operate on the site for the professional community. One of the key spaces is the laboratory, where scientific research is carried out and the physico—chemical and organoleptic properties of beverages are analyzed. More than 300 types of tests are performed here.
Specific examples of the achievements of our winemaking are presented at the stands of the forum — both legendary brands with a long history and new producers who have already won recognition. Massandra is one of the most famous and titled wineries in Russia, which has a history of more than 130 years. For sommeliers, this is a real treasure trove: from generation to generation, the traditions of winemaking, laid down in the time of Lev Golitsyn, are preserved here. The company's special pride is its unique collection of over a million bottles.
The Novy Svet champagne Factory is the only one of its kind. Since the end of the 19th century, sparkling wines have been produced here using the classic method of secondary fermentation in a bottle. At the same time, modern technologies are also used at the plant. Another company with a rich history is the Inkerman Vintage Wine Factory. It is known for its underground production facilities and legendary aged wines.
There are also manufacturers on the forum who have gained recognition relatively recently. Krinitsy wines are known far beyond the borders of our country. In their production, they are guided by the standards of organic winemaking. This is an example of a wine-making project from Gelendzhik, which relies on the quality and naturalness of the product.
Bely Mys today is, without exaggeration, the capital of the Russian wine industry. An impressive infrastructure project on the Black Sea coast has already become a center of attraction not only for tourists, but also for the best professionals in winemaking. In a few months, the site was visited by almost 4 million tourists and thousands of specialists in the wine industry. Bely Cape allows you to look at the wine business more broadly than just the production and tasting of wine. Here, wine culture combines science and tourism, opening up new opportunities and keeping in touch with historical experience.
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