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Dagestan cognac is one of the most popular in Russia. The traditions of cognac production in the region have been preserved since the 1960th century, and the recipes of famous brands have not changed since their development in the XNUMXs. The products of the enterprises of the region have repeatedly received the Grand Prix and gold medals of international exhibitions, and collection cognacs from Dagestan are served at diplomatic receptions in the Kremlin.
Historical information
Wine-making culture on the territory of the Caspian began to form at the end of the first millennium BC. Grapes were grown in the foothill and plain regions of Derbent, Kizlyar, Khasavyurt, Miatli and Kayakent. In the XNUMXth century, the Caucasus came under the rule of the Arabs, which greatly slowed down the development of winemaking. In historical documents, information has been preserved that in the XNUMXth century sweet grapes with large berries were cultivated in Dagestan, but they were distilled into strong unaged wines that were not of good quality.
During the Persian campaign, Peter I visited the Dagestan vineyards and ordered to send winemakers from Hungary, but the rapid development of the industry began only after the annexation of the Caucasian principalities to Russia. In the first half of the XNUMXth century, due to land reclamation, clearing of territories and the construction of railways, it was possible to significantly expand the planting area and increase the volume of export of local wine products to other regions fivefold.
The founder of cognac production in Dagestan was the Georgian winemaker David Saradzhev, who bought out local distilleries and began to age spirits in Caucasian oak barrels. In 1885, the entrepreneur founded the Kizlyar Cognac Factory, which continues to operate today. Since 1929, the enterprises of the industry were part of the Dagvino association, where the research and agricultural institutes were engaged in the development of recipes. In the 1960s, famous vintage cognacs appeared, which already then gained world fame – Kizlyar, Lezginka, Kaspiy, Yubileiny.
By 1983, the area of vineyards in the region was 71,2 thousand hectares, and the products of cognac plants were exported to Western Europe. The anti-alcohol campaign dealt a serious blow to the industry. Enterprises suspended the production of alcohol and switched to the production of lemonades and juices. During this period, the planting area of local technical grape varieties Narma, Aly Tersky, Rkatsiteli, which gave Dagestan cognacs a memorable and complex bouquet, significantly decreased. The lack of planting care and inattention to the renewal of vines led to the fact that after corporatization in the 1990s, the mills had to purchase raw materials in other countries in the first decades of operation.
Today, Dagestan cognac factories are modernized enterprises that meet European requirements for production. The factories produce premium and collection cognacs from their own grapes of local and European varieties, adapted to the climatic conditions of the region. Some of the company’s raw materials are purchased in other regions of southern Russia: in the Stavropol Territory and in Chechnya. A number of brands have remained in the assortment of factories until now without changes – the recipes and production technologies for cognacs “Kizlyar”, “Lezginka”, “Dagestan” have not changed since their development.
Famous manufacturers of Dagestan
The industry leader is the Kizlyar Cognac Factory, which annually produces 6 million liters of products. Only domestic grapes are used in production. 20 distillation apparatuses of the Charente type are installed in the workshops, the smoking season begins in August and ends in March. Alcohols are aged in barrels of both Caucasian and Limousin oak, inexpensive varieties mature in enameled tanks with oak chips. In the cellars of the plant there is a collection of spirits, the oldest one is over 60 years old.
Popular brands of cognacs of the Kizlyar plant:
- Russian “Three Asterisks” – a single cognac according to the original recipe of 1952. It is a blend of alcohols aged from 3 to 6 years and is distinguished by a floral-vanilla aroma and tones of fruit jam in the aftertaste;
- Kizlyar is a ten-year-old vintage cognac of dark amber color, first released in 1959. It is produced from European grape varieties and is valued for its rich bouquet with pronounced vanilla-resinous tones;
- “Bagration” is a collection drink created on the basis of a recipe that was developed for the Olympics-80. The blend includes spirits aged for at least 20 years. Cognac with the aroma of candied citrus fruits and spices and fruity-chocolate taste.
No less famous are cognacs from Dagestan, made at the Derbent Brandy Factory. The company was one of the first in Russia to receive the right to a protected geographical name and produce premium products from its own raw materials. Planting area is 912 hectares, in the coming years the company plans to expand the area of vineyards to three thousand hectares.
Famous brands of the Derbent plant:
- “Old Fortress” – a four-year-old cognac made from Rkatsiteli grapes with chocolate and vanilla aroma and harmonious taste;
- “Derbent” is a cognac made from spirits with an exposure of 6-7 years and a 1962 recipe. It has a complex bouquet with fruity-chocolate nuances in the aftertaste;
- “President” is a collection drink made from distillates with 30 years of aging and a multifaceted taste with hints of sweet spices and dried fruits. The aftertaste is pronounced nutty and earthy notes of rancio, characteristic of very old cognacs.
How to drink Dagestan cognacs
Dagestan producers do not regulate the rules for the use of their cognacs and advise tasting products in different ways: in pure form, with ice or in cocktails.
Due to Muslim traditions, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is not welcome in the region, so the main buyers of local products are tourists.
There is a tasting room with a restaurant at the Kizlyar plant, where guests are served cognac dishes from farm products: shish kebab, spicy fish, khachapuri, miracle, cheese and pickles.