I spent today in the Fanagoria winery in Russia. It’s a big operation, making a range of wines from 2500 hectares of vines. That’s big by any standards, but this Jacob’s Creek of Russian wine does a pretty good job, aided by consultant winemaker John Worontschack.
Some food notes. Above, herring, onion and potato; below, sala, which is pork fat. Both are great with vodka.
Above, we have a fish called sultanka, which is deep fried; below is cephal, which is grey mullet.
Not quite ‘slow-cooked middlewhite pork belly with mushrooms and duck egg’!
Is the wine as rough around the edges?
No the wine isn’t rough at all – but I have only been to two wineries so far.
As someone who struggles with lots of food – rather you than me – but it does look inevitable that the russians are coming. Certainly they are drinking more, interested more and there are more and more talented tasters from Russia. Production of real of some quality is not a million miles away but I’m not sure we’ll ever see wines of the highest level?