Excursion to the factory Abrau Durso. Manufacture of domestic champagne (44 photos)

sergeydolya:
I love Russia. I like to live here. I've always been drawn to return home from a trip. Unfortunately, not all of us is perfect, so I was particularly bursting with pride for my country when I see how production is restored, I see people who are burning eyes, that with all my heart cheer for their work, which relate to their land-farming .




Last week I flew under the Novorossiysk on the factory of sparkling wines Abrau Durso, along with its owner Boris Titov and several businessmen and journalists, among them Leonid Parfenov, Alexander Pochinok, Remchukov, Igor Bukharov, Kehman Vladimir, Vladimir Mamontov and Elena Chekalova. I was able to compare our production of champagne that I have seen in France ...

From Moscow we flew on a chartered especially for us the Tu-134. First flown on such business jet:


Airport Anapa to Abrau Durso hour bus ride. All the way Boris Titov played tour guide, talked about the vineyards, the tribe of Amazons, who came here from Turkey, about their neighbors and bad roads, worried because of rainy weather:


In fact, Abrau-Durso is not a French name, and Circassian. Abrau - the name of the lake, which translates as "broken." A Durso - the name of the river, which translates as "four water", as it is powered by four sources.

Boris told a beautiful legend about how this place the lake was formed:

Many, many centuries ago on the lake was a rich village Abrau. Next door to him was Durso village, where they lived poor. The only daughter of a wealthy Circassian from Abrau loved the poor shepherdess from the village Durso. Her parents would not hear of this "unworthy of love».

Once in the open air and the rich staged a feast for fun started throwing each other grain tortillas. Angered by Allah for the desecration of bread punished Highlanders - shook, rattled the earth, village sank into the ground, and at the same moment the failure filled with water, and in its place the lake was formed. From a terrible death saved only Circassian beauties, which on that day fled into the mountains to his shepherdess.

Returning in the evening and saw the native village on the site of the lake, beauty in despair threw herself off a cliff into the water. But the water did not accept it, the girl drowned as she ran to the mirror on the surface of the lake to the opposite bank. But on the other side did not find anyone, came back and hurried to his shepherdess, but he, too, disappeared ... her beloved, seeing the mountain as she threw herself into the water, I thought that she drowned. He rushed into the abyss of death and crashed ....

According to legend, since Circassian lives in the surrounding forests and the full moon on the water goes to the other side of the lake, where the spread is now a beautiful village. Where it was held, on the water visible trace - Moonlight ...

And the factory was built here in 1870, the year by decree of Emperor Alexander II. The first bottle of champagne under the brand "Abrau" released in 1898, the year.

The biggest promoter of Abrau-Durso was Mikhail Bulgakov. Almost in each of his works mentioned Abrau. Remember how in "Master and Margarita" money scattered Wollan during the presentation turned into labels from Abrau Durso?

In one of the halls of the factory on the walls hang photos of those times.


The tour started with a layout and cellars with the story of a French family, who helped produce the first batch of champagne:




Before we went down to the basement, we were treated to champagne and fruit. Boris Titov said the welcome speech:






Frankly, I had never tried this sparkling wine. The first impression of champagne was very enjoyable. By the way, the word "champagne" can only be called sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region.

I have been in several wine cellars of France, which also make sparkling wines. In Abrau cellars were significantly greater than those that I have seen in France:










Alexander Pochinok found its nominal bottle, which he laid in 2007, the year:




Led us in the room with the elite bottles:


All with interest examined labels:




All invited businessmen named after. Svyaano is that Abrau Durso decided to enter the Institute of ambassadors. These are people who know wine, educated, have social position. Embassy of Abrau-Durso is intended to implement the mission of the Champagne Houses: revival and development in the Russian high culture creation and consumption of champagne. All ambassadors made a general picture on the background of tanks with sparkling wine:


Production of champagne consists of several stages, the first of which is the "wort". Using a press with a soft squeeze berries without damaging the seeds and peel. The wort is prepared in several steps by changing the pressure of the press. The entire process takes several hours.

Then there are the stages of "primary fermentation" and "Stabilization and endurance." The wort is a turbid liquid, which besides the grape juice contains dust, small particles of soil, the skin of berries and bunches ridge, and a host of microorganisms living on berries. All this must be removed from the wort, or young wines are obtained rude and unpleasant taste. To this wort, having a temperature not exceeding 8 ° C and pumped into a special stainless steel tanks, which at the same temperature it to stand for 18 - 24 hours.

The next stage of the production of champagne - "Assemblage". So-called operation, during which blended wines made from different grape varieties grown in different areas and at different times. At one time, the operation in practice of wine Champagne Dom Perignon introduced. Meaning assemblage is to get a large batch of wine, which has a good balance, the harmony of all the components, subtlety and purity of flavor and taste and at the same time typical of the wine region or sector.

Filling assemblage in the bottle secondary fermentation of passage called "Circulation»

"The secondary fermentation and resurfacing." In Abrau Durso extract most wines made by secondary fermentation in the bottle lasts 3 years. During aging wine several times shift. Each bottle taking up repeatedly turned upside down and placed in a new pile. Rerun allows reject those bottles, from which emerged some of the wine, and check the quality of fixtures jams.

"Remuage" was and remains one of the key and most mysterious operations when creating champagne. Translated from the French remuage (remuage) means "movement" that completely characterizes the essence of the operation: the gradual movement of sediment on the cork, which cork wine. To do this, hold the bottle upside down:


Bottles, past remuage can be immediately sent to the following operation - "disgorging". It is the removal or dumping of sludge from a bottle of champagne wine. The necks of the bottles are immersed for 10 minutes in a bath of brine. The resulting precipitate was translated into the cork, freezes, making it easier to master degorzhera and reduces the loss of wine. In the same upright bottles are fed to the master workstation. Keep the bottle neck down, the master inspects it, then special forceps to remove the metal bracket that holds the cork and opens a bottle. At a time when the cork flies out of the bottle, degorzher must quickly turn the bottle neck up, to minimize the loss of wine. Together with a small amount of foam and wine bottles effluent stream, and the precipitate was removed.


All degorzhery work in masks, like fencers to debris from damaging the face:


We were shown the shop where they make elite champagne called Abrau Durso Imperial. For its production using such grapes as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Franc, Chardonnay and Riesling:


The history of "Imperial Cuvee L'Art Nouveau brut» began in 2007, when the Abrau-Durso, following the traditions established during the reign of Alexander II, was invited by the French master, wizard world of wine - Herve Zhestin. Herve - Hereditary champagne makers, his entire family, including brothers engaged in wine. He received his basic knowledge at the University of Reims in Champagne, Dijon in Burgundy and the University of Bordeaux. Under his direction and control, and the champagne was created, which combines the unique character of Russian grapes and refined French approach (copied from the press release, throwing a few too laudatory adjectives).

The last stage of the production of champagne - is "Making bottles." Bottles, disgorging the past, to go to the top-up conveyors. Topping should make up for losses of wine at dergorzhazhe, it also allows you to change the flavor characteristics of wine. If you need to change the taste of the wine is not present, a bottle of wine is poured from bottles already degorzhirovannyh the same party. Otherwise, use the so-called dozazhny or expedition liqueur:


A few photos from the shop:














This machine puts on the bottle metal wire - "muzzle»:








We were shown the cellar with nominal bottles. There are also bottles that laid Vladimir Putin:


At the end was tasting. Opened a bottle of champagne hussar way - cut off the neck:






At the table told us an interesting legend about why the wine is called "dry". The fact that in ancient Rome wine is often diluted with water. Undiluted wine is called dry ...


Before you fly to Moscow, they showed us a local hotel. Boris Titov not only produces sparkling wine, but also trying to develop wine tourism. The plant can go anyone and stroll through the cellars, tasting wine and look at the process of its creation. You can live near the plant on the shore of Lake Abrau:




On the way back we stopped at the observation deck and enjoy the Black Sea. It is just 5 kilometers from Abrau Durso. You can also tie a ribbon to the "Tree of Happiness»:


In conclusion I would like once again to express my sincere admiration for Boris Titov, who invests their money and time in this production. After the champagne - it is not the oil and the rapid return on invested capital should not wait. I can only promise that the next New Year on my desk will be no French champagne and Abrau Durso.
© sergeydolya