BELUGA GROUP acquires Villa Romanov winery in Taman

BELUGA GROUP, Russia’s largest producer of vodka and distilled beverages, continues to expand its portfolio of own non-vodka brands. It acquires Villa Romanov winery to develop its range of premium Russian still and sparkling wines.

Villa Romanov is not just an innovative and high-tech winery, with a production capacity of up to 2.5 million bottles a year, it also owns vineyards and operates as a tourist complex. The winery itself is designed in a contemporary style and is considered to be one of the most beautiful and well-designed wine estates in Russia. According to the agreement BELUGA GROUP buys 1000 hectares of the land including 231 hectares of the existing vineyards; the other lands are intended for planting.

It produces all its wine from its own grapes, which are represented by 7 popular European varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Riesling, — which were planted on the estate between 2009 and 2013. The vines are now, on average, six years old and are providing a stable yield. The vineyards are located in Golubitskaya strelka terroir, the second wine region with protected designation of origin status registered in Russia.

Region’s unique microclimate creates a special character of Villa Romanov’s wines. The range of still wines includes 11 single-variety brands. These include the E’Skifiya range of white and rosé wines, Meotida red wines, and Peraspera — wines aged in oak casks. The sparkling wines are produced according to classic Champagne method, and are aged in the bottle for at least 9 months.

The purchase of Villa Romanov will enable the company to develop in a new direction — the production of wine from its own vineyards. As Alexander Mechetin, Chief Executive Officer of BELUGA GROUP, comments: “We are interested in the wine market, which is growing steadily. Our priority is premium high-quality wine, and we are able to produce this in fairly large quantities. It is also important to mention that Russian wine is becoming a worthy competitor to European wine. We have acquired a great deal of expertise through working with the best global wine producers, and we can make use of this in our own project. And our unique distribution platform makes it possible for us to offer these wonderful wines at an affordable price, and we will be very happy to introduce our consumers to the winemaking art of the Taman peninsula.”

The potential represented by these authentic and high-quality wines and BELUGA GROUP’s scale and experience are together opening up new opportunities for the development, not just of the company, but of the Russian wine industry as a whole.