Illustrative image, source: Mauro77photo | Dreamstime.com
Supermarket shelves in Russia, once dominated by French Burgundy and Italian Barolo wines, are now stocked with a wide range of domestic wines as Western sanctions push consumers to local vineyards, Reuters reports.
Sanctions introduced in response to the war in Ukraine have reshaped consumption habits in Russia, where prices of foreign wines have risen and access to imported brands has narrowed.
Sales of Russian wine have grown sharply, accounting for about 60 percent of the market, up from about 25 percent 10 years ago.
“Russian wine has gained a very large share of the Russian market,” said Yury Yudich, head of the Russian winemaking committee of the Federation of Restaurant and Hotel Industry Patronages.
“Gradually, the market started to change and wine prices started to rise. Imported wines probably went up (in price) by 30-40 percent,” he said, noting, however, that people were still “getting used” to the flavors of local wines.
Russian, Georgian and Armenian wines on store shelves in Moscow
Moscow supermarkets are dominated by Russian, Georgian and Armenian wines, although in the past the pride of place was occupied by French, Italian and South American brands.
Western countries have imposed more than 25,000 different sanctions on Russia since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014. The most significant measures were introduced after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The change in the Russian market is also reflected by the Côte Rocheuse winery, near the Black Sea.
“We started selling wines in 2022, and in the same year we opened the gates to tourists. Since then, we have increased production volumes every year, and sales continue to grow,” said Irina Yakovenko, head winegrower and production director. “However, we have a limit to both the vineyards and winemaking capacity – 500,000 bottles per year,” she added.
The Côte Rocheuse winery grows classic European grape varieties, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, but also Krasnostop Zolotovsky, a Russian grape variety from the Rostov region.
Although heavily based on French and Italian equipment, the wines are local, shaped by the Russian soil and climate.
President Vladimir Putin Putin has repeatedly praised Russia's economic resilience in the face of a wave of sanctions and urged companies and officials to find a way around the sanctions – which he sees as illegal and unjustified.
“I want other people, especially our children, to see this so they don't buy Italian or German wines, but ours,” Galina Romanova, a tourist at the winery, told Reuters. “Our wines are the best,” she concluded.
Photo source: Mauro77photo | Dreamstime.com
