Wine Industry

a sector of the food industry producing grape wines, champagne, cognac, and fruit-berry wines. Grapes, fruits, and berries are the raw materials of the wine industry. Grape cultivation (viticulture) and the production of grape wine have been known since antiquity.

Soviet wine industry. The wine industry was little developed in prerevolutionary Russia. In 1913, Russian output was 2 percent (around 30 million decaliters) of the world’s grape wine production. Wine production was based on cottage industry. During World War I (1914-18) and the Civil War and foreign intervention (1918-20), the wine industry was in decline. In 1921 the area of the vineyards and the production of grape wine began to increase. In 1936-37, the Central Committee of the ACP (Bolshevik) and the Soviet government approved a number of decrees dealing with the development of viticulture and an increase in the production of high-quality grape wines and champagne. By 1940 the area of vineyards had reached 425,000 hectares, and 150 specialized sovkhozes had been set up. During the Great Patriotic War (1941-45), enormous damage was done in the regions temporarily occupied by the fascist invaders. The area of vine-yards declined, and major wineries were destroyed in the Crimea, Krasnodar Krai, Rostov Oblast, and other areas.

After the war, the sources of raw material were reestablished, destroyed enterprises were rebuilt, new wineries were established, and enterprises were equipped with modern facilities. Highly productive grape processing lines (10, 20, and 30 tons of grapes per hour) were introduced, as well as bottling lines with a productivity of 3,000 and 6,000 bottles per hour. An important role in the development of viticulture and wine-making was played by a decree of the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR Council of Ministers, approved in 1956, dealing with an increase in the production and procurement of fruits, berries, and grapes. In the USSR the area of vineyards increased from 495,000 hectares in 1956 to 1,079,000 hectares in 1969, and the gross grape crop rose from 1.2 to 4.2 million tons; the quantity of produced wines rose, and their quality was significantly improved (see Table 1).

The USSR holds fourth place (as of 1969) in the world in the area of vineyards and in the production of grape wine. At international wine competitions, the wine products produced by the enterprises of the Ministry of Food Industry of the USSR from 1959 through 1970 were awarded 1,326 medals, including 673 gold, 610 silver, and 43 bronze.

The RSFSR holds first place among the Union republics in terms of wine production. It produces 41 percent of the grape wine, 36 percent of the champagne, 20 percent of the cognac, and 47 percent of the fruit-berry wines (the percentages for the RSFSR and the other Union republics are given in terms of total USSR production in 1968). The major wine-producing regions of the RSFSR include Krasnodar and Stavropol’ krais, Rostov Oblast, the Dagestan ASSR, and the ChechenIngush ASSR, among others. Krasnodar Krai produces high-quality table wines, champagne (Abrau-Diurso), and dessert wines. Rostov Oblast produces high-quality dry white and red wines as well as the sparkling tsimlianskoe. The Chechen-Ingush ASSR produces dessert and table wines as well as cognacs; Stavropol’ Krai makes dessert and table grape wines. The Dagestan ASSR (Derbent, Makhachkala, Khasav”iurt, and other regions) makes dessert and table grape wines in addition to cognac.

The Ukrainian SSR produces 27 percent of the grape wine, 32 percent of the champagne, 15 percent of the cognac, and 20 percent of the fruit-berry wines. The major wine-producing region in the Ukrainian SSR, the Crimea, produces high quality label dessert and fortified wines such as muscats, Tokays, ports, and Madeiras, the finest wines in the USSR, and it also produces champagne and grape table wines. The Massandra Combine has the largest wine storage facilities in the USSR for the long aging of wine. In addition, the Odessa, Transcarpathian (Zakarpatskaia), Kherson, Zaporozh’e, and other oblasts are wine-making regions.

The Moldavian SSR produces 10 percent of the grape wines, 2.6 percent of the champagne, 23 percent of the cognac, and 0.5 percent of the fruit-berry wines. Virtually all the regions of this republic are engaged in viticulture and wine-making. The basic production consists of champagne and white and red table wines, as well as dessert and strong wines and cognacs.

The Georgian SSR produces 2.7 percent of the grape wine, 12 percent of the champagne, 14 percent of the cognac, and 11 percent of the fruit-berry wines. Viticulture and wine-making are found in a majority of the regions of the republic and particularly in Kakhetia, Imeretia, and Mingrelia. The republic’s enterprises produce high-quality label cognacs (such as Eniseli, Tbilisi, and Vardziia). Large wineries producing grape wines, champagne, and cognacs have been built in Tbilisi.

Many other areas also produce wine. The Azerbaijani SSR produces 1.5 percent of the grape wine, 1.6 percent of the champagne, and 12 percent of the cognac.

The Armenian SSR produces 1.5 percent of the grape wine, 0.7 percent of the champagne, and 12 percent of the cognac. Large wineries and cognac distilleries are located in Yerevan, and here the wines and cognacs can be aged for many years.

The Uzbek SSR produces 3.3 percent of the grape wine, 4.1 percent of the champagne, and 1.7 percent of the cognac. Production is predominantly of dessert wines. Table wines and champagne are made from the grapes that grow on the slopes of the mountains.

The Tadzhik SSR produces 1.6 percent of the grape wine and 0.8 percent of the cognac. The Turkmen SSR turns out 0.7 percent of the grape wine. The production of high quality dessert wines is being developed. Viticulture and wine-making have developed in the raions of Ashkhabad Oblast.

The Kazakh SSR produces 5.2 percent of the grape wine, 4.9 percent of the champagne, 0.4 percent of the cognac, and 1.5 percent of the fruit-berry wine. There are excellent prospects for the development of the wine industry here, particularly in the south of the Kazakh SSR, in Chimkent Oblast. The Kirgiz SSR produces 1.2 percent of the grape wine, 3.1 percent of the champagne, 0.7 percent of the cognac, and 1.2 percent of the fruit-berry wine.

Other socialist countries. The wine industry is most developed in Rumania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Hungary. In 1968, Rumania produced 59 million decaliters of wine and exported 5.8 million decaliters. The figures for Yugoslavia were 60.8 and 3.3 million decaliters, respectively; for Bulgaria, 45.7 and 17.8 million decaliters; and for Hungary, 48.4 and 7.9 million decaliters. These nations produce predominantly white and red dry table wines and semis weet wines. Hungary is renowned for its Tokay wines.

Capitalist nations. In terms of the production of grape wine, Italy holds first place in the world: 652.4 million decaliters, with exports of 26.6 million decaliters (here and below, the data are also for 1968). Ordinary red table wines, dessert wines, sparkling wines, and vermouth are produced. Wine production in France is 644.6 million decaliters, with exports of 43.9 million decaliters. Large quantities of champagne, cognac, and distilled grape wine (Armagnac) are produced. Of the grape wines, the Bordeaux and Burgundy wines are famous. Wine output in Spain is 246.8 million decaliters, with exports of 24 million decaliters. Dessert and fortified wines predominate; Malaga and sherry are exported. Wine production in Argentina is 195.1 million decaliters. Portugal produces 100.8 million decaliters of wine, with exports of 24.2 million decaliters. Quality wines are produced in Portugal (port and Madeira). In Greece, wine production is over 40 million decaliters, with exports of 8.2 million decaliters. In the United States, wine output is 115.3 million decaliters, with exports of 0.1 million decaliters.