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Port Agdam was very popular in the Soviet Union. The production volume was about 25 million decaliters, which is approximately equal to 60% of all wine products produced in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
I had many interesting stories connected with him, so I remember him with special nostalgia. First of all, thanks to this port, my personal life has developed.
Story from subscriber Vasily V. from Azerbaijan.
The history of port wine and the reasons for its popularity
It should be understood that in all eastern countries the use of alcoholic beverages was not accepted. The widespread vineyards produced fruits that dried and made raisins.
Changes in this issue occurred after the October Revolution – the new government brought changes in terms of religion. Now it has been “proven” that there is no God (as well as Allah) and that one can drink.
In the pre-war period, a cognac factory was built in the city of Adgam, AzSSR. Initially, the newly-minted winemakers tried to adhere to the production technology. But all the grapes were used to make wine, regardless of the variety.
And alcohol was brought from different sources. As a result, when drinking port wine, residual fusel shades were felt, and the aftertaste caused soreness and a slight viscosity was felt.
The reason for the popularity of Agdam was the price – about 2 rubles per bottle of 0,7 liters. And its fortress surpassed many other similar wines and amounted to 19 degrees. Therefore, we often took him to student parties – cheap and cheerful.
Well, when you invite a girl on a date, Agdam was irreplaceable. Where does the poor student get the money from? The scholarship is meager.
What did it look like and how much did it cost?
The label, like the bottle of port, has changed over the years. At the same time, it could indicate that the port wine is white or red. It all depended on the grapes used. He, as I said, could be anyone.
As a result, even white wine acquired a pink tint. And although Agdam was called port wine, this was not true, since according to the terminology, such a name can only be assigned to a certain brand of fortified wines produced in Portugal.
The price according to reviews varied from 1,44 to 2,02 rubles. It is relatively inexpensive for a fortified wine. And despite the fact that the scholarship was about 20-30 rubles, the salary of a handyman was 70-90 rubles, such a drink became a real “salvation”.
Those who like to drink hard liked Adgam especially. They also had a hangover. As a result, many have memories that unite his image and drinkers together. But everything is not as bad as it seems.
I have an instructive story connected with him. Once he invited a girl on a date to his room in a student hostel. One neighbor just left home, the second tactfully went to friends.
The provisions were modest, like my scholarship: boiled potatoes, coleslaw, doctor’s sausage and sweets (caramels). And I prudently stole a bottle of Agdam port wine from my grandmother from the bins – for a pleasant conversation.
Bottom line: the girl only sipped a glass (more precisely, a glass), but I got so nervous that I drank everything else. And it seems not to say that I was of a fragile physique (quite normal), and I drank it before.
But the result was sad for me: at first I felt unwell, then for the rest of the night I hugged not the lady of my heart (which was originally calculated), but a carefully substituted basin.
We must pay tribute to the girl in this situation, who took care of me all night, helped me recover in the morning and after a while became my wife. So Agdam played an important role in my personal life.
What happened to Aghdam after the collapse of the USSR
In the early 1990s, the USSR collapsed. At the same time, a conflict arose between Azerbaijan and Armenia for control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the territories adjacent to it.
The result of this resistance was the complete destruction of the city of Adgam and the cognac factory located on its territory.
Thus ended the story of the legendary port wine, which went through decades of joint history with the Soviet Union, leaving behind cheerful and sad memories with a touch of nostalgia.
We played a wedding just in the early 90s and just wanted to symbolically put several bottles of Aghdam on the table. What was my surprise when I could not find it anywhere.
Friends and relatives helped, who thriftily hid port wine for a rainy day. But it was somehow internally dreary to understand that such a significant drink for us no longer exists.
What is a good port wine you can buy now: top 3 best
If you want to drink a good quality port wine, then you should take a closer look at the following three:
- Sandeman Imperial Reserve Tony Porto. Portuguese port wine, sweet, red, 20%. It has a bright red color with a brown tint. The taste is multifaceted, enriched with fruity-vanilla nuances with nuances of cinnamon, herbs, cloves. Price – 450 rubles.
- Massandra, port white Surozh (Massandra Port White Surozh). Russian port wine of Crimean production, sweet, white, 17,5%. Amber color. The taste is soft, slightly oily, pleasantly sweet. Price – 480 rubles.
- Sherg Uldusu Agdam. Azerbaijani port wine, sweet, white, 19%. Color is dark golden. The taste is pleasantly sweet, slightly oily, soft. Price – 672 rubles.
By the way, while walking through the Magnit store recently, I noticed that Agdam port wine has reappeared. And I bought it to nostalgic with my wife. I won’t say that we loved that Soviet wine, but I wouldn’t recommend this option either. It is more of a wine drink than a natural port wine.
Agdam port wine has gone into the distant past and has simply been forgotten by many. In Soviet times, it was considered a cheap strong drink.
Now Russian producers show high quality, and the choice of strong wines in stores is quite wide and, depending on the price category, you can choose any other good port wine.
Have you tried Soviet Agdam? What memories are associated with it?