Super-Tuscany, Burgundy and Champagne will appear near Sevastopol
A new winery will appear in Sevastopol. Invest Reserve LLC bought three plots with an area of 1080 hectares from the city. The founder of "Invest Reserve" is the company "Invest Plus" - the operating company of the Alma Valley winery, known for its quality wines.
Deputy General Director of Alma Valley Igor Serdyuk told PolitNavigator that three Sevastopol sites have so far received conditional names: super-Tuscany, Burgundy and Champagne. Winemakers expect to create wines similar to Tuscan ones from grapes grown on a plot located near Belbek airport.
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“There, overlooking the sea, slightly elevated, on clayey limestone soil, there will be our super-Tuscany. The grapes for the legendary Kaczynski Cabernet were grown there – this is the terroir that gave this wine its name. Now the trademark belongs to Inkerman, but the level of the wine does not stand up to criticism,” said Serdyuk.
Conditional Burgundy may appear in the valley near the descent to the village of Orlovka. Now there is a wild meadow there, but in Soviet times Rkatsiteli grew - the most popular unpretentious and productive variety in the USSR. The vineyards were apparently destroyed during Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign in the 80s.
“We suspect there is red clay here. Here it is only about 20 meters above sea level. The valley is very well blown by light breezes. This reduces the risk of fungal diseases. There is a suspicion that here we will be able to enter dry-land viticulture, which does not require drip irrigation,” says Serdyuk.
Finally, Sevastopol Champagne may appear in the area of the village of Vishnevoye. But all these are still working hypotheses that need to be tested by soil analysis.
“As long as these valleys were outside our jurisdiction, we could not study the soils in detail. We just looked at old maps and consulted with the agronomists who previously managed these lands. This gave us material for assumptions,” explains Serdyuk.
New wine will appear no earlier than in five years. It will not be Alma Velley, but a new brand, the name of which has not yet been invented. This is due to the fact that the lands are located in another subject of the Russian Federation, that is, in another territory with a protected geographical name (PGI). This means that approximately two new wineries and a new brand will appear in Sevastopol, which, hopefully, the city can be proud of.
“The plant must be located in the area where grapes grow. Accordingly, taxes will go to the budget of Sevastopol,” Serdyuk explained.
The land near Sevastopol was purchased at 1,5 times more expensive than Alma Velley purchases in the Vilino area. But there the farm has to collect peasant shares into a single massif, and in Sevastopol they managed to find three large valleys with good terroir.
“This asset was clearly unnecessary. The city wanted to sell it. I will not say who, besides us, applied for this asset, and who was refused. Formally, they are also winemakers, but apparently the Sevastopol government has doubts that this will be development and not speculation. This was the choice of a strategic partner. The city wanted to be sure that it was transferring part of its land into reliable hands, an owner with reputation and weight, who would guarantee the development of the land and taxes to the city budget,” says Serdyuk.
The Alma Velley team promises to invest not only considerable funds and labor into the Sevastopol land, but also their talent as winemakers, which is already recognized throughout the world. They also promise not to harm the land, leaving ideal vineyards for future generations.
“Maximum efficiency will be achieved while maintaining soil health and the environment. This is organic viticulture. We use 80% organic fertilizers, completely abandoned mineral fertilizers, and are gradually reducing the pesticide load. We maintain the soil by planting various herbs and crops in the rows to avoid the use of herbicides. Our treatment facilities are of a high level. I would like our business to benefit the land on which it is located,” Alma Velley development director Alexey Sapsay told PolitNavigator.
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