Abrau-Durso: where is, the history of the place and the excursion to the plant of champagne wine

Many go to the Krasnodar region for the sake of the sea and beaches and do not suspect about other corners far from the hustle and bustle. There fresh air, endless expanses, beautiful landscapes and a very tasty sparkling wine.

It's about Abrau-Durso. "Where is it?" You ask. All the same, in the Krasnodar Territory, near Novorossiysk.

Abrau and Durso

In fact, the village near the lake is called Abrau. Dyurso, where the coast of the sea is located, is 7 kilometers further. You can get there by mountain winding road.

Durso, like any other settlement on the sea coast, got beaches, recreation centers, boarding houses, hotels.

In Abrau all the attributes of the "central manor" are located: the hospital, the police, the post office, the local administration and, of course, the famous lake of the same name.

Abrau Lake

It is large, about 200 hectares, and it warms up well, so it is suitable for summer swimming.

Scientists are still fighting over the riddle of its origin. "Failure" - this is how the name of the reservoir is translated - could be formed due to a shift in the mountain layers, or maybe it is the remains of the fresh sea. There are still a lot of fish in the lake.

The second riddle lies in the drainage. Abrau feeds from the river and from underwater springs, but there is no obvious drain. There are suggestions that the surplus evaporates, but is it so?

In the lake there is no vegetation inherent in enclosed water bodies, and there is no doubt about the freshness of the water. This fact can fully confirm the bold assumptions about the still existing connection with the sea.

Not far from the lake lies the forestry of Abrau-Durso, where there is another small pond - Bam. There enthusiasts engaged in breeding lotuses. When the head wind blows, the fragrance can be felt long before approaching the water.

Legends about the lake

On any mysterious place, legends are composed and passed on from generation to generation. Abrau Lake has several of them.

The first tells of the love of a young Circassian girl to a poor young man. She did not dare disobey her parents and missed her by herself alone.

Beauty was not lucky, she lived surrounded by idle people who did not appreciate anything but their pleasures. For this their God punished. One day the aul fell into the ground.

The orphaned girl cried so much and for a long time that she turned out to be a stream that filled the gap with water. So the lake was formed.

Circassian went to drown, but she was disappointed. She walked along the water to the opposite shore. There the girl was waiting for the girl in love. As usual in fairy tales, they lived the rest of life in love and harmony.

Another legend tells of a dissolute girl, who was imprisoned in the rocks and forced to swear by the well-being of her native village. Passing past the shepherd, radically changed her plans. Aul failed, the girl repented and cried until the tears filled the gap. The end of the legend is as happy as in the first case.

But the most beautiful fairy tale is about the dragon living on the bottom of the lake. The sun's rays reflect off its scales and paint the water in an emerald-blue color.

On moonlit nights on the surface of the lake there is a path. Some say that it is surprisingly reminiscent of a chain of tracks from the feet of a girl who could not drown. Others argue that this shines the crest of a sleeping dragon.

In addition to the legends, the story of the treasure is connected with Abrau. At a time when the Nazis were rushing to the Caucasus, an order was received to drown in the lake all the champagne stocks from the cellars of the plant. They numbered several tens of thousands of bottles. Nobody wanted the enemies to celebrate their victories with the best sparkling wine of the country.

After the war, attempts were made to find an invaluable treasure, but without success. It is known that the flooding was, but no one remembers where. Abrau-Dyurso reliably keeps his secrets.

Champagne wine factory: the past

After the sad events described in the legends, the Circassians never again settled on the shores of the lake. Centuries after the end of the wars in the Caucasus, the Russians came here.

Prince Lev Golitsyn drew attention to these places and obtained from the emperor a decree on the establishment of a settlement on the shore of the lake. Where the factory "Abrau-Durso" is located today, once only the virgin forest was rustling and the river flowing into the lake gurgled.

They assembled a special commission, which decided what kind of agriculture this land is suitable for. Everything was offered, except for the cultivation of grapes.

Fortunately, there was one more enthusiast F.I. Heiduk, in love with viticulture, just like Prince Golitsyn in winemaking. Due to their perseverance in 1870 a plant appeared.

We brought the first vines. They have perfectly got accustomed and have given a basis to the future vineyards of the plant. Originally produced vintage wines. The arrival of the XX century was marked by a party of champagne. From the first 13 thousand bottles of sparkling wine the triumphal procession of the Abrau-Durso factory began.

Several times the production was on the brink of death. The revolution, the war, the collapse of the USSR - all this caused enormous damage to priceless premises and equipment.

Some time passed and people like Heyduk and Golitsyn appeared, they revived the traditions of winemaking, restored the destroyed and again delighted connoisseurs with fine champagne.

Abrau-Durso factory: present

Today's day of the plant is directly connected with the production of the best champagne wines made according to the classical technology. It is believed that the best elite grape varieties grow exactly in the places where Abrau-Durso is located. The plant of champagne wines uses not only local varieties, but also imports from other regions and other countries.

At the workplace still adhere to the manual method of making sparkling wine. Prince Golitsyn argued that only women's hands are capable of methodically performing day by day the same operations. Only they are able to feel and listen to the ripening wine.

On Abrau-Dyurso, women are still involved in the main operations. For their skill and patience they need to express enormous gratitude. The quality of champagne is not inferior to similar wines from France and Italy.

Despite the popularity of the products, the plant's management put forward the idea of creating a set of services for tourists on the territory of the Abrau-Durso plant.

Excursion around the plant

The initiative was supported. Restored the old building, which organized a museum. They built three restaurants, a corporate store and a hotel for 40 rooms.

The territory and cellars of the Abrau-Durso factory, where the main production is located , are visited by hundreds of tourists every day. In the role of guides are working women. They are interesting and very enthusiastic about the process of making sparkling wines.

If you find yourself in those places, then definitely set aside 2-3 hours for the excursion. You will be told about the method of champenoise, the traditional technology of champagne production.

You will see and learn about such processes as making a cuvée, drawing up assemblage, carrying out remuage and disgorging. Each process is unique and complex, takes a lot of time, requires concentration and skill. Even associated with a risk to life. Bottles sometimes explode and can cause injury.

At the end of the tour, it is undoubtedly emphasized that "Abrau-Durso" is a full-cycle enterprise - from a bunch of grapes to a packaged bottle. This is a great rarity for wine production.

Then you will be invited to a tasting, where you can appreciate the offered varieties of wine, make a choice and buy a few bottles in the company store.

The region of Abrau-Dyurso, where the famous plant is located, is one of the most picturesque places of the Krasnodar Territory. Running away the endless vineyards, relic forests, murmuring rivers, a lake fanned by riddles and legends, few people remain indifferent. A sip of cool champagne of excellent quality will undoubtedly emphasize the charm of the journey.