Such a concept as the "wine tour" entered the consciousness of domestic producers recently. Nevertheless, the popularity of such tours in our country is growing rapidly. In the Crimea, a sufficient number of wineries to provide lovers of a noble drink a rich program for at least a week. And those who do not want to limit their research in this area to Inkerman or Massandra will definitely find every opportunity for this.
If you plan your tour yourself, it makes sense to focus on activities that take place in different parts of the peninsula. This, for example, "Grape Seasons" in Alushta, Winefeofest in Feodosia or "Golitsyn Days" in the New World. The most large-scale event of all is the Art Wine Fest festival in Sevastopol, which was launched only in 2012. However, in fact, wine tasting can be accessed in the summer in virtually every small city, and often in hotels and sanatoriums even
In recent years, many private companies have been developing a variety of wine programs which may include visits to several wineries or major wineries, or both. Some of the proposed tours are designed in the form of a package package, including the road to the Crimea, accommodation in hotels and food. Others are rather long excursions for those who already have a rest in Crimea
But, given the lack of a language barrier and other benefits of recreation in "our "Crimea, travelers do not have to use the services of travel companies. If you are interested primarily in tasting and producing beverages, rather than agricultural issues - you are perfectly able to organize your own wine tour yourself. Mandatory points to visit during this tour are Massandra, Novy Svet, Yalta, Alupka and Sevastopol.
Excursions on production
The research devoted to wine in Crimea should be conducted with visiting relevant plants. First of all, of course, the most famous and large.
So, the Inkerman plant, founded in 1961, today is one of the largest on the peninsula and works with 20 farms supplying grapes. During the tour with a professional winemaker, guests inspect the largest wine cellar in the Crimea and taste up to 10 varieties of wine. The plant is located in Sevastopol
"Massandra" - one of the largest wineries of the entire former Union . The cellars of this plant are not the largest, but the oldest in the country: the largest of them was excavated back in 1897 . Main plant is located in the same village . The tasting can be held either there or in a special tasting complex . Formats of excursions are different, duration is from half an hour to two and a half, the number of wines offered for tasting is from 6 . Production-tasting complex of concern in Alupka lays four rooms for tastings that are held here several times a day .
Those who are closer to stronger drinks should visit the famous Koktebel plant. In the same village, the factory has a tasting room, although it is possible to try the products of Koktebel and in the production itself: it is more interesting here, since there is an opportunity to see the halls for primary processing, cellars and the largest in Europe Madera area for growing Madera. The wine tasting includes different types of wines and cognac
Tasting halls
Having finished with the monster factories, you can turn your attention to less traditional enterprises. For example, visit the National Institute of Grape and Wine "Magarach" in Yalta, which was founded in 1828. In this institute, special valuable varieties of grapes were obtained at the time, and here today is stored a huge collection of grapes, which includes more than 3 thousand samples. At the institute you can taste different types of wines, including rare white muscat produced according to the technology of the 1870s
The "Vinogradar House" tasting room with the "Zolotaya Balka" agricultural firm allows tourists to get acquainted with the products of the company, whose wines have won over the last 20 years hundred-odd awards. The tasting room is located in Balaklava (Sevastopol), and the duration of the tasting is less than in larger factories - about 40 minutes.
Well, to maintain the objectivity of the evaluation it is worth to visit the Wine Museum, the only one on the peninsula. He is in the grotto of Seventh Heaven, popularly known as the "Glass". Here, after the excursion and immersion in the history and technology of winemaking, the visitors will have the biggest tasting - 12 samples. Among them are the "golden classics" of Crimean wines, and the author's grades made at the museum. The museum is located in Solnechnogorskoye settlement.