Top 100 red wines of Russia - Page 10
Discover the top 100 best red wines of Russia as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the red wines that are popular of Russia and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of Russia
Russia is the largest country in the world, covering over 17 million square kilometers (6. 5 million square miles). It also spans 143 degrees of longitude (27-170°E) and 41 degrees of latitude (41-82°N). Only the southernmost lands of the country are capable of supporting quality viticulture.
Many Russian vineyards are located near the borders with Georgia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Dagestan, Russia's southernmost republic, and its close neighbour, Krasnodar Krai, are the main wine regions. They border the Caspian and Black Seas respectively - an important factor in their climatic suitability for viticulture. Without the moderating influence of these inland seas, the very continental Climate would be too extreme for successful viticulture.
Russian winters are generally very cold, so much so that many vineyards pile soil around their vines to protect them from terminal frosts. Summers are sunny and Warm, which sometimes makes irrigation necessary. The Caspian and Black Seas also mitigate the threat of drought, although a significant proportion of Dagestan is semi-desert.
The most common Grape varieties in Russian vineyards are Rkatsiteli, which accounts for more than one in three vines, and a range of European varieties.
News from the vineyard of Russia
Russia & Ukraine: A statement from the DWWA
Following the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the Decanter World Wine Awards will be cancelling the entries for any Russian wineries which have entered the competition, and their wines will not be judged. As a gesture of support for our Ukrainian entrants, we will be waiving their fees. We realise that the world’s winemakers have more that unites than divides them, but we feel we have to make a stand. All of us at Decanter and the DWWA are hoping and praying for a peaceful resolution to th ...
Andrew Jefford: ‘Can wine help us make sense of tragedy?’
The dark days began when I learned from a visiting Canadian friend about the death of one of the kindest, most gentle and most skilful Pinot winemakers I’ve known, Paul Pender of Tawse Winery. He died in a senseless and tragic act of violence on the evening of 3 February, outside his Lake Erie cottage. A stranger, subsequently charged with his murder, had (it seems) knocked on his door, asking for help. Paul’s sudden, untimely loss has left his family, and the broader Canadian wine community, di ...
Governments, companies and consumers boycott Russian-made products
Leading UK wine and spirits supplier Enotria&Coe said it was no longer ‘actively sourcing’ Russian products, and was planning to donate all profits from sales of current Russian stock to support victims of the war. In an email to customers, managing directors Ants Rixon and Sam Thackeray provided information about a number of Russian vodka brands stocked by the company. These include Stolichnaya – made in Latvia and owned by Russian billionaire and Putin critic Yuri Shefler – and Russian Sta ...