Wine Law

2 sea. The immense hinterland behind proposed little more than cold weather and desolate steppes. During centuries to settle these shores among others tried by turns Goths and Bulgarians, Khazars and Tartars, Genoese and Turks. Finally, in the XVIII-th century the Russians anchored here their Southern dreams for sun, warm sea and unusual vegetation. They would never have any idea to look for lands in the Caribbean or Polynesia – the Black sea became their Southern hemisphere and their equator was established in-between the latitudes of Ravenna and Florence. Indeed, the geography explains almost everything. The mighty mountainous chain of Caucasus stretches from the Caspian to the Black sea in a regular line from south-east to the north-west. Emerging from the promontory of Baku in the Caspian, it goes for more than 1100 km to the north-west, distinctly separates in this part of the world Europe from Asia, marks the highest point in Europe at mount Elbrus (5 642 m) and then begins an extended lowering going in parallel with the Black sea coast for about 300 km. Is sinks shortly in the Strait of Kerch to reemerge again for its last section in the Crimean Peninsula. In such a way this long mountainous ridge locks the coastal strand of the Eastern Black sea and the Crimean South preventing thus the direct intrusion of cold air from the North. Such a convenient disposition creates the exceptional for this geographical region local seaside climate with mild winters and warm summers. Here, among cypress and palm tree silhouettes, lie the most improbable European subtropics – the Russian Riviera, with one of the northernmost olive orchards in Crimea and its tea plantations in Sochi. Depending on the same auspicious influence are the areas of viticultural production which extend far beyond the mountains. The grapevine, being a plant robust enough to endure the amplitudes of the temperate climate, has its habitat spilling over in the North Caucasian plain to reach the downstream of the river Don to the North and the Caspian Sea to the East. The territory of potential grape cultivation is vast and variegated. At present the total area dedicated to the wine production in Russia amounts to 95 000 ha 2 predominantly concentrated in the Russian South even though small 2 The agriculture in Russia in 2019 , an official edition of the Russian state statistics service (Rosstat), p. 54 (https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/sh_2019.pdf).