So. I just found out about this.....

[Ken Gargett]

3 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

I had a really good bottle of Massandra fortified wine from Nicholas II's own vineyard.  It was a 1940's vintage, possibly older.  Was almost 20 years ago and was quite attractively priced compared to port of a similar vintage.  One of the better non Portugal fortified wines I have had.

absolutely fabulous wines and fascinating story.

at the risk of having a shocking field day of shameless self promotion, https://quillandpad.com/2020/07/21/the-massandra-collection-crimean-wine-that-screams-place-and-history-and-what-a-story-it-tells/

 

 

[nKostyan]

29 минут назад BrightonCorgi сказал:

I had a really good bottle of Massandra fortified wine from Nicholas II's own vineyard.  It was a 1940's vintage, possibly older.  Was almost 20 years ago and was quite attractively priced compared to port of a similar vintage.  One of the better non Portugal fortified wines I have had.

Unfortunately, during the" prohibition " of Gorbachev in the 1980s, many of elite vineyards were barbarously destroyed. In the 1990s, a large number of low-quality and counterfeit wineries emerged. Currently, high-quality production is being revived, but not as quickly as we would like.

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, nKostyan said:

Unfortunately, during the" prohibition " of Gorbachev in the 1980s, many of elite vineyards were barbarously destroyed. In the 1990s, a large number of low-quality and counterfeit wineries emerged. Currently, high-quality production is being revived, but not as quickly as we would like.

even during that period, the govt under gorby put in special protections for massandra. they knew what they had and even used it for gifts for world leaders.