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Russian wine production
- 70 000 hectares (compared with over 200 000 hectares 15 years ago).
- Vineyards are mainly located in the south of the country.
Main producing regions - Krasnodar: 31 700 hectares
- Daguestan: 19 700 hectares
- Stavropol: 9 300 hectares
- Rostov: 5 000 hectares
- Chechnya: 4 000 hectares
These vineyards local produces with 50 % of wine material used to produce "champanskoye" (sparkling wines).
The market in sparkling wines
- Production: 140 million litres of sparkling wine in 2005, marketed as "champanskoye".
- 80 % of local production is obtained using the method known as “accelerated”.
- Producers: there are about 20 producers of sparkling wines.
- 50 % of sparkling wines are produced by 5 large producers in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Nijny Novgorod and in Dagestan.
Exports of sparkling wines - Insignificant: less than 20 000 litres were exported in 2002 and 2003.
- Russia has undertaken not to export "champanskoye".
Imports of sparkling wines - Russia is a major importer, as home production can only meet part of consumers’ demand for "champanskoye". Therefore large quantities of sparkling wines are imported.
- 12.5 million litres in 2004.
- France is Russia’s first supplier terms of value and the fifth largest in terms of volume (in particular behind Moldavia, Italy and Ukraine).
- There has been a great increase in imports of champagne (from 5.8 million euros in 2002 to 8.3 million euros in 2004).
- CIS states and Italy have a strong presence in the sparkling wines market.
- It should be noted that excise duty on sparkling wines is high (10.5 roubles per litre, i.e. 0.3 euro).
Sparkling wine consumption - Russian market potential: 140 to 150 million bottles a year, including 85 million bottles of "champanskoye" et 16.5 million bottles of imported wine.
- Consumption is 1 litre per year per person.
- Consumption is increasing by 10 to 15 % a year.
- Consumption of sparkling wines tends to be seasonal and occasional.
- Local taste is rather for low and middle-range sweetened wines (semi-sweet local wines, Italian Asti and Spumante, CIS wines). The French taste (for brut champagne) is limited to more sophisticated consumers.
Development potential - The largest market segment is that of cheap sweet wines, and this is dominated by the Russians and Moldavians.
- France leads the limited volume of the luxury market. France supplies large quantities of "vinomateriali" used by local wine producers.
- An intermediate market segment for sparkling wines is developing with the rise in standard of living. This is to the advantage of Italian, Spanish and French producers who can supply medium-range sparkling wines.
Mandatory warning on alcoholic drinks labels
Since 1 February 2007 vodka and all other alcoholic drinks must carry the following warning on labels: “Alcohol is forbidden to children and adolescents under the age of 18, to pregnant women and to breast-feeding mothers, as well as to persons suffering from nervous disorders or from kidney, liver and other digestive organ diseases”. Bottles that are not so labelled will be withdrawn from the shelves.
Source: economic mission to Moscow, March 2006
