Wine guide. Budget guide to wine regions: where to find world-class wine inexpensively

Gamarjoba, genatsvale!

Every time you go to a new place, you first start searching in a search engine: attractions, where to go, what to visit, etc.

In Georgia and Tbilisi, enogastronomic pleasures play an important role, so why not be deceived?

And we decided to write a big guide (for you and for ourselves “for the future”) back in the spring and asked the “experts” about their favorite and not always obvious places. We didn’t expect then that there would be so much information and it would take so long to digest it.

Lisa, but different. On the general map, her advice will be placed in a separate layer.

Shilda

Since we are talking about Georgian wine, it would be a crime not to go to the wine region of Kakheti. The trip is not at all tiring and takes one day: see the Bodbe Monastery, then take a walk around the city of love Sighnaghi, just find out why it is called that. And for lunch and wine tasting, be sure to stop by the new Shilda winery. Incredible wines and real Georgian food: extraordinary khinkali, assorted pkhali, khachapuri on a spit, kebabs... everything is delicious here.

Address: Kakheti, Shilda village

Tsangala's wine shop & bar

A small wine bar next to the legendary Gabriadze Theater. Here they know everything about Georgian wine; more than 60 wineries are represented, including those with a small circulation, up to 1000 bottles per year.

There are only 3 small tables, and around there are shelves with wine; in the summer there is a small veranda.

There is also a piano opposite the bar, right on the street, and in the evenings you can often hear your favorite melodies.

Very atmospheric and soulful.

Address: 12 Ioane Shavteli St, T’bilisi 0105, Georgia

In general, 5 wine places are 5 regions of Georgia: Imereti, Kakheti, Kartli, Racha-Lechkhumi and the Black Sea coast. Each region has its own wine history, its own signature wines and its own philosophy.

But that is another story. 🍷

What about “innocent” establishments?

Stamba

A cult place from the creators of Rooms Hotel. All the cream of society, fashionable guys, guests of the Aviator Hotel and all this in one beautiful stylish square. Great cocktails, a casino nearby and just an atmospheric place.

Address: 14, 0108 Merab Kostava St, T’bilisi, Georgia

Cocktail Factory

And again the territory of winery #1. Russian guys - cocktail magicians and wizards - made an ordinary Margarita - “a million scarlet roses” with a sauce by the Georgian artist Pirosmani.

Address: 1 Vasil Petriashvili Street, T’bilisi, Georgia

Chachatime

Probably the most alcoholic establishment in the city. Under a degree 🔥, it’s obviously not possible to leave the walls of this establishment vertically, because you’ll have to try a lot and only increase the degree (50,60,70,80).

Address: Geronti Kikodze 3, Tbilisi 0132

Marani Restaurant & Bar

The area of ​​the sulfur baths, a viewing platform, a fashionable establishment for the “locals” under the auspices of the winery of the same name.

Address: 11 I.grishashvili St, T’bilisi, Georgia

Lolita

And again, a cult establishment from Rooms Hotel, next door to Stamba. Outdoors you can combine three in one: cocktails, food + gawk at local fashionistas. Yes, and show yourself.

Very trendy and hipster place. In the morning the DJ is already playing, and Adjarian khachapuri (boat) catches your eye from the Georgian cuisine. By the way, it's delicious. Egg dishes are also very tasty and beautiful. White wine, made using a distinctly European method, is also good. Prices are not humane by Tbilisi standards.

" is a joint annual project of Roskachestvo, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia. Based on global experience in compiling wine ratings, an expert group of leading domestic and international experts, sommeliers and tasters evaluated 320 samples of wines from Russian grapes in five main categories, affordable and widely available in retail.

We remind you that alcohol abuse is harmful to your health. We also inform you that this material is not recommended for viewing by persons under 18 years of age.

The study included wines from 24 producers representing the largest wine-growing regions of southern Russia (the Republic of Crimea, Krasnodar region, Rostov region). The wine was selected from the mass price segment - from 200 to 1000 rubles.

The wine was evaluated on a 100-point system in accordance with the international scale world organization grapes and wine (OIV). In accordance with the Russian GOST, a wine that scores at least 71 points is considered “good”. The expert commission of Roskachestvo accepted an increased level for the Wine Guide of Russia - 78 points. This is the average value between GOST “good” and “very good” (86 points).

All wine products that underwent quality assessment were divided into five groups: sparkling and pearl wines, red grape wines, white grape wines, rose grape wines, liqueur wines. Within all categories, we also considered protected wines geographical indication and protected place of origin.

From an initial brand list of 926 items, 486 items were selected that met the principles of price and availability. Of these, 320 wines were purchased, the most widely represented in retail trade.

The study included 51 types of sparkling wines, 104 types of white wines, 19 types of rose wines, 114 types of red wines; 32 types of liqueur wines.

Superior In terms of quality, current GOSTs:

1. Of the 114 red wine samples, 78 scored ≥78 points (68%);
2. Of the 104 white wine samples, 56 scored ≥78 points (54%);
3. Of the 19 rosé wine samples, 9 scored ≥78 points (47%);
4. Of the 51 sparkling wine samples, 38 scored ≥78 points (75%);
5. Of the 32 liqueur wines, 30 scored ≥78 points (94%);

The category stands out among the various categories of white, red, rosé and sparkling wines due to its stability and level of quality. white semi-dry wines - they showed excellent results - 10 out of 11 wines were highly rated (91% of the samples studied). In category dry reds 78.7% of the studied samples exceeded the GOST standard and were included in the “Russian Wine Guide”.

There are much more difficulties in the category of white and rose wines with different sugar content (53.85 and 45% of wines, respectively, with scores of 78 points and above). Taking a closer look at the wine categories by sugar content, fewer high-quality wines are represented in the semi-sweet red wine category, with five of the 18 samples examined (27.8%) exceeding the 78 point mark.

In each of the studied categories, wines in the price group from 200 to 500 rubles were highly rated. Price is not necessarily a marker of quality: a number of samples with more at a high price lost according to democratic positions.

The best white wine in Russia

White wines are increasing their popularity: if, according to the Union of Sommeliers and Experts of Russia, several years ago consumers preferred red wines in 6-7 out of 10 cases, now the ratio is approaching parity. IN summer season Light and fresh white wines often outstrip red wines in popularity. At the same time, it can be quite difficult for winemakers to achieve freshness and purity of the aroma and taste of white wines.

According to the research results only 10% of the studied white wines produced in Russia do not reach the lower limit of GOST.

56 white wines out of 104 studied meet the increased standard of Roskachestvo (78 points out of 100 according to GOST). They were the ones included in the rating. Of these 56 wines, 36 are dry, 10 are semi-dry, 10 are semi-sweet.

The rating includes wines from all the largest wine-growing regions of Russia: Crimea (Eastern foothills and Western Crimea, Sevastopol), Kuban ( Taman Peninsula, Anapa, Novorossiysk, Krymsk), as well as the Don Valley. The purchase price of white wines included in the rating ranged from 188 to 829 rubles per bottle. The most widespread wine in the ranking was produced in half a million bottles, the smallest produced in the amount of 15,615 bottles.

The following wines were named the best Russian white wine: Alma Valley(3 titles), Chateau Le Grand Vostock(1 name), Chateau Tamagne(4 titles), Fanagoria(4 titles), GaiAI-Kodzor(1 name), Inkerman(1 name), Sun Valley(1 name), "Yubileinaya Winery"(17 titles), ZB(1 name), "Valery Zakharyin"(3 titles), "Vedernikov Winery"(2 titles), "Myskhako Winery"(1 name), "Kuban Wine"(3 titles), "Lycuria"(2 titles), "New Russian wine"(2 titles), "Sauk-Dere"(5 titles), "Sunny Valley "(1 name), "Southern Wine Company"(4 titles).

Top three dry wines, included in the rating, was produced by the wineries “Fanagoria”, “Solnechnaya Dolina” and “Yubileinaya Winery”.

Three samples with the highest scores in the category semi-dry wines released at the Yubileiny Winery.

Three best semi-sweet wines produced under the trademarks "Valery Zakharyin", Alma Valley and Chateau Tamagne.

One of the clear advantages of Russian white wines is their affordable prices, with a fairly high level of quality. 7 of the 10 best wines in the study were purchased by Roskachestvo buyers at prices ranging from 234 to 342 rubles.

It is worth paying attention to varieties that cannot be found outside of Russia. Chardonnay is made all over the world, but the Kokur White variety is common only on the Crimean Peninsula.

The best red wine in Russia

Red wines are traditionally popular among Russian consumers. According to the Union of Sommeliers and Experts of Russia, the vector of consumer demand over the past 10-15 years has seriously shifted from semi-sweet to dry red wines. However, the Russian “northern type” of consumption still makes semi-sweet reds one of the most popular goods in the low and mid-price segment. The purchase price of the samples ranged from 188 to 979 rubles per bottle.

According to the results of the study, the category of red wines made from Russian grapes turned out to be one of the most stable in terms of basic quality. All 114 samples studied received a rating above the minimum according to GOST (71 points). At the same time, 78 red wines (68.42% of the total volume) meet the increased standard of Roskachestvo (GOST score of at least 78 points). They were the ones included in the rating. Of these 78 wines, 73 are dry and only 5 are semi-sweet.

The red wine rating includes products from such brands as Alma Valley(2 titles), Aristov(1 name), Chateau Le Grand Vostock(2 titles), Chateau Tamagne(5 titles), Elbuzd(1 name), Esse(1 name), Fanagoria(6 titles), Gai-Kodzor(2 titles), Inkerman(2 titles), Villa Krim(1 name), ZB(1 name), «

Imported wine is not always better than domestic wine, says Ilya Loevsky, deputy head of Roskachestvo. And his conclusions are justified. The organization began a large-scale study of domestic wine.

How does it differ from foreign ones? Is it true that it is often made from powder, what are the prospects for the wine industry in Russia and what is its main problem, he said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Ilya Efimovich, it is a common opinion that imported wine is always better than domestic wine. Is this a myth or is there some truth to it?

Ilya Loevsky: In fact, imported wine of not very good quality is often found on the shelves of Russian stores. Imagine this situation: you have wines from Bordeaux and from Bordeaux on the same shelf next to you for 300 rubles. Krasnodar region. What's next? Bordeaux or Krasnodar region? The answer is obvious. Plus, wine from Bordeaux must be transported across the border, go through customs, and pay a duty. It is worth considering that labor costs in Europe are higher than in Russia. This means that most likely Russian wine will be in the inexpensive category best quality than imported.

If we imagine a package of milk from Finland for 50 rubles next to a Russian package of milk for 50 rubles, we will doubt the quality of the foreign milk, because it is unrealistic to produce it there and import it to Russia, and even make a profit at such a price. But for some reason such skepticism does not work in stories with wines.

What could be wrong with imported wine?

Ilya Loevsky: In Europe, there are ongoing trials regarding illegal chaptalization. This is adding sugar. Moreover, scandals flare up even around respected wineries. So “there” is not heaven either. In the most negative version, the so-called wine can be made from alcohol, even of non-grape origin, with flavoring additives.

All counterfeits of wine since ancient times have been associated with sugar, sweetening, and increasing volume by adding water.

And yet - in Europe, vineyards have been grown for hundreds of years in the same areas. One of the treatment agents is copper sulfate, which accumulates in the soil. We have areas that were free from Agriculture many years. So even the grapes used to produce this drink in Russia may be of better quality.

Why then is there more trust in foreign wines?

Ilya Loevsky: When the crisis began in 2014, there was a surge of interest in Russian wine - it is cheaper. And now, when everyone got used to the prices, everything began to return to normal. One of our experts believes that women usually drink wine here. Men prefer stronger drinks. And women need romance. Not everyone has been to France, but everyone loves it. And from this point of view, French wine looks more attractive to them. And this plays into the hands of foreign wine exporters. Russia is one of the leading markets for them, along with China. And the market is growing.

In Russia there is a government program according to which the area of ​​vineyards should increase by 2020. And that means the production of domestic wine. Roskachestvo will help people understand it.

Roskachestvo launched the “Wine Guide of Russia” project. Why is it needed?

Ilya Loevsky: In essence, we are creating the infrastructure of Russian winemaking and a culture of consumption. The “Russian Wine Guide” and all the mechanisms that we use together with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture will allow us to answer the question - what is Russian wine. What vineyards do we have, is there any mimicry of a product labeled “Made in Russia”, what is the quality of a Russian product made from our raw materials.

A few years ago, the world's largest glass of wine was drunk at the Beirut Wine Festival, containing the contents of hundreds of bottles. Photo: REUTERS

There are many consumer myths - about wine material, powdered wine. What is this anyway?

Ilya Loevsky: Since Soviet times, we have received a hallowed word - wine material. What it is? This is wine that has not yet been poured into the bottle. And after it is poured there, the wine material becomes a consumer product - wine.

Some producers honestly write “dry wine material” on the labels. And for some reason everyone thinks that we are talking about powder. But in fact, this means that there is no sugar in the wine material and after bottling it turned into ordinary dry wine. These are technical winemakers' terms and have nothing to do with adulterations and "powdered wines." When it says “dry wine” on the bottle, you don’t think there’s powder inside.

How will the study be conducted?

Ilya Loevsky: Together with colleagues from ministries, we determined that only wines from Russian grapes, primarily wines with a protected geographical indication, will be included in the project. This meant we had to explore the vineyards. Our first task when working on the “Wine Guide of Russia” is to conduct an audit of producers and understand whether the grapes from which wine is produced in Russia even exist. Our experts visited 42 enterprises in 4 regions of Russia. total area The vineyards that we assessed are more than 40 percent of the 89 thousand that are in Russia. In fact, this is the bulk of high-quality, modern vineyards that exist in the country. We know their varietal composition and yield. Now, for example, we can say with a high degree of confidence that the most common red varieties in Russian vineyards are cabernet sauvignon and merlot, as well as throughout the world. This year, winemakers collected one of the best harvests in the last ten years - 540 thousand tons.

In addition to auditing vineyards, we used data from Rosalkogolregulirovanie using the Unified State Automated Information System (EGAIS) system to understand how much wine was produced and sold in Russia.

Then we selected wines for research and purchased them in regular stores. Producers did not know where or when the wines for the study would be purchased.

By what criteria were the wines selected?

Ilya Loevsky: One of the main ones is the price. The wines had to be affordable. Moreover, other studies by Roskachestvo have shown that there is not always a direct relationship between price and quality. There are products that are inexpensive but high quality. And expensive, but of poorer quality. We focused on the price category from 200 to 1000 rubles per bottle.

The second criterion is circulation, mainly wines with a circulation of 50 thousand - 100 thousand bottles. But there are also deviations: the largest-circulation wine in the study is more than a million bottles, about 15 percent are wines with a circulation of 30-50 thousand bottles. In total, we research more than 300 brands of wine.

This year, winemakers collected one of the best harvests of cabernet sauvignon and merlot in the last ten years - 540 thousand tons

Who evaluates their quality and how?

Ilya Loevsky: Quality is assessed through an impartial and most responsible tasting process. The wine may be of high quality, meet GOST standards in terms of alcohol content, sugar, and other parameters, but it may not meet the organoleptic requirements and be tasteless.

We have gathered experts high level and made up a tasting commission from them. It included 24 specialists, including two from Italy, one of them a Nobel Prize laureate in the field of climatology. The second is a representative of the largest laboratory in Italy, which annually makes about a million samples on wine. Among the Russian tasters included in the commission, there are experts, champion sommeliers of different years, teachers of wine schools, people who are certified as teachers not in Russia, but in the UK, where there is a very authoritative Institute of Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET). Its highest degree is the status of Master of Wine. No more than 200 people in the world have it. Master is level 5, and in our commission four experts have a very high level 4. One of our experts holds the title of Wine Academician (WA) of Austria. The head of the tasting commission is Artur Sargsyan, President of the Union of Sommeliers of Russia.

The tasting takes place in the sensory quality center - the only specialized laboratory in Russia for conducting organoleptic studies of wine products. We have written special regulations on how everything should be tasted. It is based on four Russian GOST standards and advanced techniques, including foreign regulations of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV).

There is complete silence in the laboratory, individual booths, there is no exchange of opinions between experts during the tasting process, a person is left alone with a glass of wine (the name of which is unknown to him, only the code) and his opinion. It evaluates a total of 12 parameters in four groups: appearance, aroma, taste and overall impression. The computer converts the assessment into numbers, counts the points and evaluates the expert’s work. The system constantly monitors the expert and checks the convergence of the results. For example, an expert may be presented with the same wine several times, for example at intervals of several hours or days, and compare his ratings.

Have you carried out a preliminary “sampling” of the experts themselves? After all, their well-being, perhaps taste preferences, can affect the results?

Ilya Loevsky: All procedures are clearly stated in the regulations. You cannot come to the tasting wearing perfume, drinking coffee, or smoking. Before starting work, we calibrated the experts. Let me give you an example: first, the taster must recognize the main tastes (there are six of them) in varying degrees of concentration of standard solutions. By the way, this is not so simple. It is very difficult to distinguish a bitter taste from a metallic one. Then it is proposed to recognize reference aromas in anonymized test tubes. This confirms sensory sensitivity. Of course, we knew in advance that our testers were professionals, but rules are rules. You need to prove your expertise. In addition, there are a number of calibration, reference samples, with pre-known indicators, and the taster only becomes calibrated when he evaluates them with a certain accuracy and consistency.

There are “cheats” when wine is deliberately spoiled. For example, caffeine or another substance is added to it, and the person must determine this.

In addition, the laboratory experts were able to digitalize the descriptive wine assessment process. That is, as you know, tasting is a subjective assessment that is descriptive in nature. We “digitized” each taster and, using statistical and mathematical analysis methods, were able to evaluate the overall tasting panel.

What will be the result of this work? Can you tell us about bad wines?

Ilya Loevsky: Those producers that the experts audited in the summer have already been included in the promotion program “Russian Wine Days”, which we organized jointly with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture. This program will become regular - in retail networks countries will host special events to support Russian wine twice a year. The result of all research will be a national wine catalog - a real “Wine Guide of Russia”. What is wine? This is the history of the place where grapes grow, geography, climate. It is a combination of the culture and history of the region. You should feel the grapes. We will present all this information about the wine, its unique notes and information about the producer, their resources, and production culture to the public with a detailed description. So that each consumer can choose from their own preferences and goals.

If there are wines with defects, for example with vegetable aromas and other “flaws” of the wine, we will give all the statistics. But the most important thing is the independent wine list of Russia presented to the consumer.

Is there any wine that smells like tomatoes?

Ilya Loevsky: Not tomatoes, but sometimes onions, potatoes, cauliflower. Red wines can smell like beets. Such things are most often associated with violations of production hygiene and technological miscalculations. If the wine has a burning aftertaste, then it most likely contains acetic acid. This means that the wine was stored and produced incorrectly. The wine must first of all be clean. There should be no obvious taste problems. It should not be cloudy, but transparent, with shine.

Will only domestic wines be studied?

Ilya Loevsky: Yes. Roskachestvo represents Russia in the Assembly of Consumer Testing Organizations (ICRT), which unites organizations similar to Roskachestvo in 40 countries. And all wine-producing countries, such as Spain, France, the USA, Germany, have their own wine guides, where experts evaluate the wines of local producers and provide comprehensive information.

Could it be that instead of wine there will be a wine drink in the bottle? And explain right away what it is and how wine differs from a drink?

Ilya Loevsky: For wine drinks, as for wine, there is a special GOST. A wine drink does not have to be 100 percent made from grapes, and its strength is not higher than 10-12 degrees, it can contain up to 50 percent water, alcohol, and apple wine material may be present. If we find in some bottles not wine, but a wine drink, this is already a question of falsification. We are confident that our experts are able to distinguish high-quality wine from a wine drink.

Will there be laboratory tests?

Ilya Loevsky: No. We focused on sensory evaluation, like our colleagues around the world. Wine is not about basic indicators, but about history and unique tastes.

But what if there is still something superfluous in it? How will you know?

Ilya Loevsky: A professional can taste such things and evaluate whether sugar, water and other unnecessary ingredients have been added. For this purpose, we tested our tasters on “deceptions”.

How has the industry changed recently? Can we become a wine-producing nation?

Ilya Loevsky: Since the beginning of the 2000s, Russian winemaking has been undergoing serious technical re-equipment. We see large investments in grape processing technology. Modern stainless steel containers, refrigeration systems, pneumatic presses for grape processing. This is all very important for quality. But if you look at the industry more carefully, the most beautiful equipment will not make high-quality wine from low-quality grapes. The last decade has been marked by investments in the vineyards themselves. The Ministry of Agriculture played an important role here. Since 2013, 4.5 billion rubles have been invested within the framework of the state program of the Ministry of Agriculture. In 2019, state support for the wine industry will increase to three billion rubles compared to 1.4 billion in 2018. The industry is showing positive dynamics. This was largely due to state support for viticulture: over the past three years it has grown more than five times, and next year its volumes will more than double. This year alone, a third more vineyards were planted than last year.

Does Russia export its wine? Can it compete in foreign markets?

Ilya Loevsky: Basically, our wine producers focus on the domestic market. Although there are also exporters. For example, our wine has a good reputation in China. There it is also perceived as a romantic drink.

What is the main problem of Russian wine? Is it because no one knows him?

Ilya Loevsky: I think yes. In addition, we have restrictions - the law on advertising, which with great difficulty allows us to talk about Russian wine. One of the tasks of the working group of the Wine Guide of Russia is to conduct a dialogue with the Federal Antimonopoly Service and with regulators of the advertising market so that there are preferences in terms of communication specifically about Russian wines.

Even purchasing wine for research in stores seemed like a difficult task for us. I had to look for wine. Since few people know about them, they are delivered to supermarkets in small quantities, and they are not placed in the most conspicuous places. The popularity of domestic wine needs to be increased.

Will wine research take place every year?

Ilya Loevsky: Of course, because every year there are new grapes, different weather, all this is reflected in the wine.

Will you be researching the same wines from the same brands?

Ilya Loevsky: Partially yes. Wine cannot always be the same. Russia is a climatically difficult region for viticulture. We have an explicit concept of a good year or a bad year, so the same cabernet from grapes from the same vineyard can differ from year to year. So we will be testing many wines again. Plus, new ones will be added.

We expect that in a year the number of samples for research will increase by 40-50 percent. And we hope that there will be more good wine.

Just 10 years ago, when people talked about Russian wine, they meant, at best, sweet wine in bags or vague sweet compote in bottles. Who would have thought then that Russian wine would participate in international competitions, that we would have a wine guide. Own, Russian, author's. This year the 6th wine guide of the Honored Sommelier of Russia has been published Arthur Sargsyan, focusing on which we will drink wine in 2019.

The first guide was published at the end of 2012, it was a guide to wines 2013. Then, in 2012, there were still very few wines worthy of being on the list. The quality of the bulk of Russian wine was still quite low. Therefore, the guide included wines with a score of 75 points or more on a 100-point international rating scale.

“Every year we visit all wine farms, all producers. “Mainly those who have a license to produce and sell alcohol,” says Sargsyan, “we try everything that is produced in these farms. All the most interesting, all the newest. I mark the wines I like, and after that there is a second tasting. For her, wines are purchased at retail. Buy - this is important. I have no financial relations with any manufacturer; all of the guide’s partners are companies that produce related products, wine bottles, for example. I try to buy wines in specialized stores, wine boutiques or supermarkets. In extreme cases, you have to contact wine trading companies. This year, the guide included wines with a score of at least 84 points.”

As you can see, by the 6th guide, the quality of Russian wines has greatly improved. With a 75-point threshold, only 13 wineries were included in the 2013 guide, and the guide itself was 128 pages long. In the 2016 guide (tastings took place in 2015), the passing score was already 82; the guide included about 250 wines from 32 producers. The new 2019 guide includes wines from 40 winemakers, and there are 298 of them. According to the author, if the passing score had remained the same, the guide would have had to be printed twice as thick.

The guide includes only Russian wines produced in Russia and from grapes grown in Russia. This is an indispensable condition for a wine to be included in the guide. I am glad that our winemaking is developing so rapidly that in just six years, more and more wines and winemakers pass the strict selection of the head of the Union of Sommeliers and experts of Russia.

Highest rated wines from the guide:

93 points

101 shades of red. Saperavi

• Harvest year: 2016
• Manufacturer: Fanagoria
• Region: Kuban, Taman Peninsula
• Production: Saperavi 100%. Aged in French oak for at least 12 months

Pairing: Lean meat and poultry, game, cold cuts, grilling and barbecue

Serve at 14-16 degrees

93 points

KD 60/40

• Harvest year: 2012
• Region: Kuban
• Production: Cabernet Sauvignon and Saperavi. Aging in oak barrels for at least 12 months.

Tasting: The wine is dark garnet color with a cherry hue. The complex, developed aroma contains a range of shades of ripe fruit, cherries, ripe cherries, pomegranate, dogwood, and prunes. Pleasant morocco tone of aging. The taste is powerful, extractive, full-bodied, oily, enveloping. The highest concentration of fruit tones of cherry and blackberry. The aftertaste is long, soft with a hint of chocolate.

Pairing: game, cold cuts, grill and barbecue, cheeses.

Serve at 15-16 degrees

KD 777

• Harvest year: 2014
• Producer: winemaker Konstantin Dzitoev
• Region: Kuban, Gelendzhik
• Production: Krasnostop, Cabernet Sauvignon, Saperavi. Aging in barrels for at least 12 months.

Tasting: Wine of opaque dark ruby ​​color. Bright aroma of ripe berries: juicy red cherries, sweet cherries, black wild berries, red mulberries. Rich notes of spice. The taste continues with berry tones: blackberries, black currants, blueberries, a light tone of fresh prunes, sloe, freshly roasted coffee. Soft, velvety tannins. Very long spicy-berry aftertaste.

Pairing: Game, cold cuts, grill and barbecue.

Serve at 16-17 degrees

95 points

Krasnostop Zolotovsky

• Harvest year: 2014
• Producer: Vedernikov winery
• Region: Don Valley
• Production: Krasnostop Zolotovsky 100%, aging in oak barrels for 12 months.

The wine has an opaque dark ruby ​​color. The aroma is complex, berry. Black wild berries, dried cherries, ripe red plums, blueberries, blueberries. The taste is full-bodied, enveloping. Black wild berries, ripe cherries. The aftertaste is long, berry-chocolate.

Pairing: cheese, poultry, complex meat dishes with sauce, hot appetizers, cold cuts

Serve at 16-18 degrees

Author's Summary: Still a very young wine that has not yet reached its peak. It is common for such powerful samples to go through different stages of aroma openness in their development. I would recommend storing this wine for 2-3 years before drinking, until it reaches its full potential.

The ability to choose and drink wine is a real art. Not all lovers of this drink can boast of perfect knowledge in the history of winemaking, serving and wine tasting. However, you can enjoy good wine without the title of professional sommelier.

We have prepared a non-trivial wine guide for you: from it you will learn not only how to choose, combine and serve wine, but also the most necessary household life hacks related to this drink.

Red and White

For all dry red wines, the main rule applies as standard: no sweet dishes. Forget about the “fish + white wine” stereotype: sweet and sour red wines with low tannin content are included in the universal category, and grilled fish is ideal as an appetizer. Meat and vegetables are the perfect companion for almost all red wines, but be careful: some rich varieties get lost when paired with hot and spicy dishes.

White wines are more unpretentious, although herbaceous or rich nutty varieties do not go well with hot meat dishes, while aromatic wines enjoy complex company, which fits both exotic fruit snacks and cold, lean white meats.

Dry, fruity rosé wines go well with almost all dishes, but hearty meat dishes are best left aside.

Wine and cheese

Cheese is a wonderful wine partner. If you are racking your brains about what to serve with an expensive bottle of good wine, choose this time-tested combination - you can’t go wrong.

Hard cheeses are usually served with expressive red wines: this can be Australian shiraz and similar spicy, warm or even mature, vintage wines.

For lovers of brie, camembert and delicate goat, we recommend paying attention to light white wines (for example, sauvignon blanc). But with blue cheeses, everything is not so simple: their rich aroma is not so easy to emphasize successfully, and sommeliers advise eating them with sweet fortified wines (port).

White grape varieties

Knowing popular basic varieties and a few professional tasting terms, you can quickly and happily make a choice in wine boutiques, almost completely eliminating the possibility of stumbling upon an unsuitable taste.

The amazing bouquet of Chenin Blanc will appeal to lovers of deep, sunny wines. Originating from Burgundy and now grown in all wine-producing countries, Chardonnay pairs perfectly with almost any dish and always delights with buttery, fruity aromas.

Not everyone will like the complex taste of nutmeg. The same applies to the closest “relatives” of this variety - Italian Moscato and Spanish Muscadelle. Assertive, honeyed Pinot Gris is prized for its spiciness and intensity of flavor, while charming Riesling is prized for its sourness that blends well with floral notes. If you prefer fresh, clean, sharp notes, buy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Red grape varieties

The two basic varieties of red wine are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The first is ideal for your first introduction to red wine, juicy, clean, fruity and refreshing. The second has a rich blackcurrant hue. It is often blended with Merlot to achieve the perfect taste and deep bouquet.

Italian, Argentine and Californian wines made from the Sangiovese variety are famous throughout the world for their unique sweet and sour taste with hints of cherry and plum.

The most rich, spicy and warm red wine is, of course, Shiraz. These are powerful, dense and tannic wines with a velvety texture. The traditional Spanish variety Tempranillo has a strawberry accent, body and a festive, cheerful taste.

How to cool

Serving temperature is a very important factor that directly determines whether you like the wine or not. The thing is that if you overcool the drink, it will lose its bright taste and special aroma, and if you serve the wine too warm, you will spoil its refreshing qualities.

However, it is believed that it is better to overcool than overheat: serve the wine chilled and simply warm the glass in your palms so that the aroma of the drink is fully revealed.

Not a single wine, even the most expensive and high-quality one, will be tasty at a temperature higher than room temperature: 15-17 degrees is the optimal temperature for serving all red wines, while whites prefer it colder - 8-10 degrees. Neutral, very dry and sparkling wines should be cooled strongly - up to 4-6 degrees.

Which glasses to serve in?

Choosing wine glasses is not as complicated a science as choosing the wine itself. The most suitable form for all varieties without exception is a “blooming” (slightly widened upward) tulip on a long thin stem.

Sparkling wines “love” tall, very narrow glasses: bubbles will remain in these glasses longer. Do not choose colored glasses: they will interfere with the color of the wine and its characteristics (for example, maturity or youth).

Glasses require special care: do not use detergents when washing them. Residues of dishwashing detergent will have an unfavorable effect on the bouquet of wines that are destined to end up in these glasses. It is better to wash them in very hot water and let them dry thoroughly. Store glasses in an upright position to prevent air from stagnating in them.

Selection of sparkling wine

A good sparkling wine cannot be too cheap, too sour or too sweet. It is best to choose a quality brut: it is a very fresh, dry, light, but at the same time rich sparkling wine, suitable for most dishes.

The popular Italian "Asti", "Prosecco" and "Lambrusco", the German "Sekt" and the Catalan wine "Cava" are included in the average price category and most often do not disappoint.

Even if you prefer dessert, sweet wines, opt for semi-dry sparkling wine: a sweet sparkling wine that turns out to be tasteless and (or) of poor quality will look more like children's lemonade than a refined drink. Remember also about the calorie content, which will directly depend on the sweetness of the drink.

Finding your taste

When you first find yourself in a wine boutique, you can make a long and painful choice. Don't neglect the help of a good consultant and trust your intuition. If you want to feel like an expert, read a few articles or an interesting reference book that will help you navigate the basic concepts.

Follow wine reviews on the Internet and in magazines, don’t be lazy to read back labels and look for “your” wine store that conducts tastings, offers a wide range of properly stored wines and is always ready to recommend cheaper offers of decent quality.

Don’t avoid wine restaurants, try homemade wine and be sure to pay attention to wines grown in developed wine-growing regions: Italy, Australia, Portugal. So sooner or later you will find your ideal combination of price, quality and taste.

How to become a sommelier

Developing tasting skills is very simple: just teach yourself to remember the smells and basic fruit aromas that are most often found in wine. If you treat yourself to good wine once a week, remember the labels and names.

You can even try keeping a wine diary: a few keywords will help you remember your feelings later and make a great choice next time.

Always look for words to describe the taste and aroma of the wine. It can be sharp, aggressive, astringent, expressive and complex, or it can be soft, gentle, light, neutral, fresh and clean. Wines without a distinct aroma are typically described as dull, poor, simple and flat, while their opposites can be described as rich, ripe, full, powerful and oily.

Collect traffic jams

Don't throw away wine corks! From them you can build a lot of beautiful and useful things for the household, as well as decorations for the home. Three-dimensional letters, paintings and boards on which you can attach photographs without damaging the wallpaper are our favorite example.

From wine corks you can make a wonderful photo frame, make toys for the cat (he always loses them anyway, so why waste the good stuff?), coasters for hot dishes and real crafts. It all depends on your imagination!

Wine corks make a stunning massage bath mat. Wood is a durable, natural material, pleasant to the touch. By sawing the corks lengthwise and gluing them onto a rubberized base, you will get a very nice, stylish and reliable rug that will become interesting detail interior

Wine ice

We think of wine ice cubes most often in hot weather: In the summer they are great as an extra drink cooler. For example, you can add frozen wine cubes to a pitcher of sangria.

If after the holidays you have leftover wine that you obviously won’t finish, don’t pour it out, just freeze it in molds. The next time you make a recipe that calls for wine, you won't have to spend money on a whole bottle of wine - you'll just use your own ingredients.

You can use wine ice cubes to make cocktails, sauces, salads and even... to make wine soap!