The history of wine making on the South of Russia
Numerous expeditions discovered on the Nothern
Caucasus territory primitive wine
plants of Abkhazian
type, tanks made from burned clay for fermentation of wine materials
and storaging wine, which witness about profound development
of wine making here in the past. The vine was cultivated
here as free growing lian. They didn't cut it off but if they
did, they did it no more than one time in 5 - 10 years. Vine
lians lived from 100 to 200 years and more. They leaned
on the high trunk trees, usually on fruit trees (mostly on
pear trees). The planting was not systematic.
The wine plants were made similar to Abkhazian and Georgian
ones with the primitive pressing equipment. The grape was smashed
by foot in fermentation tanks and later it was pressed
with the help of special heavy stones.
The
tanks for keeping wine covered with wooden caps and sealed with
clay were buried in the ground. The wine was transported
in winebags made from sheep and ox skins rubbed with
grease. Ordinary wine was used more often.
In
the second part of a thousand years B.C. the Black sea coast became
the object for Greek expansion. Practically a colony
was being built in every comfortable bay. The word "Caucasus"
itself is of Greek origin. Caucasus was mentioned for the
first time in ancient literature by Eskhil in 479 B.C.
Krasnodarskii krai
is the southern region of modern Russia.
Kuban
is the North - Eastern part of Krasnodarskii krai.
