Wineries on the Don, Part 2

Autumn is perhaps the best time for a trip to the wineries. The harvest is in full swing, you can already taste young wine and walk along the vineyards without the scorching sun on your shoulders. All you need is a few free days and tickets to Rostov. We continue to tell you about the wineries on the Don, so you can plan your ideal wine tour. 

Vedernikov Winery

The Don Valley is considered a region of risky winemaking: after all, the climate here is challenging, hot in summer and cold in winter. Therefore, in late November, most of the vines are covered with a layer of soil to prevent them from freezing. Vedernikov Winery is one of the pioneers of such viticulture. The history of winemaking here goes back centuries – to the Greeks, Scythians, and Khazars. But we are more interested in the present: today, the vineyards cover an area of 40 hectares, almost equally divided between the Tsimlyansky Cherny, Don 'Sauvignon Blanc' Sibirkovy, and the flagship among local autochthonous varieties, Krasnostop Zolotovsky.

The winery offers tours lasting from 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 hours. The longest one is the most interesting: guests explore premium wines from the 'Golden Collection'. Cost – from 1,200 rubles per person.

Location: Rostov Region, Vedernikov khutor, Promyshlennaya St., 1

Where to stay: in the neighboring Konstantinovka. The distance from Rostov-on-Don is 160 km; you can get there by bus, taxi, or car in approximately 2-2.5 hours.

Website: vedernikovwine.ru 

Chateau Vedeneevskoe

This is not such a large farm, but rather a garage winery, with a small private vineyard. It is located near the longest arm of the Don Delta, which flows into the Taganrog Bay. The leader and face of the winery is Alexandra Vedeneeva. She maintains the atmosphere of a Cossack homestead here, and her portrait adorns the labels of the estate's wines. Alexandra conducts author's wine tastings with homemade snacks and cheeses for guests of her chateau. Cost – 6,000 rubles per person.

Location: Myasnikovsky District, Khapry, Svobody St., 27

Website: vinodelnja-shato-vedeneevskoe.clients.site

Molchanov Winery

Everything at once – it's here. The family winery has endless vineyards and a lavender field (yes, just like in Provence!). They grow both international varieties, like Merlot and Cabernet, and local autochthonous ones. There's even a special rarity – Musketny, from which sparkling wine is made only here. Hybrids from the All-Russian Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking named after Potapenko are considered a separate direction. And this is not surprising, as the head of the winery, Nikolay Vyacheslavovich Molchanov, is a Candidate of Agricultural Sciences and a graduate of the Timiryazev Academy. So everything here is organized scientifically.

You should come here not just for a tour (although taking one is also a must), but for a whole weekend. Next to the winery, you can rent a charming house and stay overnight after a full day of walks, photoshoots, and tastings.

Location: Rostov Region, Volgodonsky District, Krasnodonsky settlement, Mira St.

Varieties grown: Krasnostop Zolotovsky, Kumshatsky, Sibirkovy, Tsimlyansky Cherny, Musketny, Cabernet, Saperavi, Merlot, Tsvetochny, Saperavi Severny.

Website: vk.com/vinmol 

Serdyuk's Dacha Private Winery

This is more of a farm with a wine production license than a classic winery. Here, this small family enterprise produces wines unique to Russia, without sulfur dioxide. Sergey Ivanovich Serdyuk started the business, hence the name, and now his sons Sergey and Alexey continue the work. The vineyard area is modest, only a couple of hectares. The area is surrounded by hills, which reduce the impact of strong winds characteristic of the Don Valley.

Here, they adhere to the principles of naturalness and authenticity in wine production. For example, they emphasize that the wine does not come into contact with plastic at any stage. Grapes are harvested manually, the beverages are not filtered or clarified, and racking is done only by gravity, as the use of a pump degrades the wine's quality. Production volumes are modest – around 10,000 bottles per year. But they sell out quickly!

Location: Rostov Region, Novocherkassk, Sarmatskaya St., 102

Varieties grown: Krasnostop Zolotovsky, Saperavi, Sibirkovy.

Website: dachaserdyuka.ru 

Elbuzd Winery

Okay, this is not exactly the Don (or rather, not the Don at all), but another river – Elbuzd, which means 'icy river'. However, formally, the winery located in the Azov District also belongs to the Don Valley. Here, a large Don wine estate spans 70 hectares. Saplings for it were purchased from a European nursery, a full cycle of cultivation and production was established, and since 2010, they have been making dry red and white wines.

A tour of the vineyards and tastings is the minimum program. Duration – 1.5-2 hours, the cost depends on the number of people: for a group of up to five people – 1,800 rubles per person, from five to ten – 1,500 rubles, over 11 people – 1,300 rubles. The extended version includes birthdays and corporate events that can be organized on the estate, quad biking, and photoshoots against the backdrop of the picturesque banks of the 'icy river'. The maximum program includes accommodation at the 'Elbuzd' restaurant and hotel complex, which has a swimming pool and saunas. But – already in Rostov-on-Don.

Location: Elbuzd khutor, Azov District, Rostov Region

Varieties grown: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer.

Website: elbuzd-wine.ru