he winemaking in the Crimea has been existed for all the times. All the conditions has been created by nature for viticulture high quality grape and making all types of wine. 

Population who lived in the Crimea started to cultivate winemaking about 3000 years ago. In VI-th century BC Greek colonists appeared in the Crimea. Viticulture was the main branch for them. Colonists have founded Chersonesus. Chersonesuse’s winemakers produced about 90-95 thousand liters of wine. They used about one third of this wine and exported the rest. Archeologists have found the monument of VI-th century BC which said “Agasicle was honored by the nation with the monument for planting the grape on a flat”. It was the first monument to the Crimean winemakers.

Winepresses are still preserved somewhere in cave towns and monasteries of the Crimea. We can demand that the other cave inhabitans used the winepress similar: in upper pit they pressed the grapes with the help of their legs and in the down reservoir the juice was gathered.

Settlements from the Apennine peninsula came to the Crimea in medieval. Genoas colonists were occupied with viticulture, winemaking, trading and exporting wine.

Southern part of the Crimea at the time of Khanate was the main viticulture district of the peninsula and gave 2-2,2 millions litres of wine per year. In Balaklava, Sudak and Inkerman were the markets where taxes for selling wine even were tolled.

Hundred thousands vines from Hungary, France, and Spain were brought to the peninsula after joining the Crimea to the Russia Impire at the end of XVIII century.

In the 1840es only the South coast of the Crimea could count more than 350 wineries. The Crimean wine have been consolidated on the Russian market. Building of highways and railways promoted active trading.

In 1889 the main government’s winery – “Massandra” was organized . Prince Lev Golitzin was the initiator of foundation the famous wine collection in Massandra and his name has taken it’s place in history as a founder of a national winemaking.

The wars of XX-th century suspended development of winemaking in the Crimea. Coming the Soviet Union for winemaking became profitable and was resumed.

In 1959 every 10-th hectare of the Crimeans Peninsula was covered by the vines.

Inkerman Fine Vintage Wine was founded in 1961 and in a very short time it became one of the leaders in a national winemaking.

Nowadays winemaking in Ukraine can successfully compete with the European markets.