Crimean wine is a hit in Italy

With many in the US still whining about Crimea, Crimeans are happily producing fine wines. Crimea has historically been a winemaking region, but whilst struggling for independence from Kiev, a process which in reality has been going on since the 1990s, a depressed economy hindered Crimea’s ability to produce high-quality wines.

Now, though, Sputnik reports that Crimean winemakers have won praise during the ‘I’ Migliori Vini Italiani, a prominent Italian wine festival organized by wine critic Luca Maroni.

Valery Zakharyin of the Alma Valley winery felt that the experience in Italy had been overwhelmingly positive for his products.

Zalkharyin told reporters:

“The Crimean wines presented at the fair were praised by enthusiasts and critics alike as Luca Maroni himself declared that “these are properly made wines, they are the future”

Decades ago, many French wine critics challenged the rising popularity of wines from the United States and later Austria and South Africa. Now, these so-called ‘new world wines’ rank on bar with the best vineyards of France. A somewhat comedic film Bottle Shock details California wine makers in their struggle to attain accolades in Europe.

The unique climate and soil of parts of Crimea, make the region an ideal place to cultivate wines. The usually snobbery will be applied from some European critics, but Luca Maroni for one has already given Crimean wines his lofty stamp of approval.

At a time when some in California are contemplating secession from the US, Crimea, which in 2014 reunited with Russia, may in terms of wines be the next California.

The next time Crimeans drink to their freedom, it may well be with a glass of locally produced fine wine.