Grape harvest at Abrau-Durso vineyards begins on August 9.
According to estimates, the vines will produce about 3.5K tons of grapes this year. More than half of the vineyards are taken up by Chardonnay; other varieties include Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet, Pinot Fran and Merlot. The grape harvest date is appointed each year and depends on a number of crop measurements. So, for example, the main indicator is its sugar weight fraction because the strength of the future wine depends on it. The grapes’ maturation degree and, accordingly, the harvest date are determined on the basis of lab tests.
The vineyards are being intensively replaced over the last decade or even a little longer, Leonid Popovich, President of the Union of Viticulturists and Winemakers of Russia, told Invest Foresight business magazine.
“We plan to plant about 6.5K ha of new vines this year. That is, the process is ongoing, and is progressing. However, its pace is still not high enough. Why? Because Russia still drinks a lot of imported wine. The best proportion is about 10-15% of foreign-made wine on sale, just to support consumer interest and diversity,” the expert said.
As for Abrau-Durso, it is an old and respected brand, and all the vineyards of Krasnodar supplied grapes for it in Soviet times, he added.
“It was then that this special, widely recognized culture of winemaking shaped within this brand. Although of course, there are many new brands emerging today, some of them quite promising and high-quality, according to experts,” Leonid Popovich said.