Many go to Krasnodar Krai for the sake of the sea and beaches and are unaware of other corners away from the hustle and bustle. There is fresh air, endless open spaces, beautiful landscapes and very tasty sparkling wine.
It will be about Abrau-Durso. "Where is it?" - you ask. Everything is there, in the Krasnodar Territory, not far from Novorossiysk.
Abrau and Durso
In fact, the village near the lake is called Abrau. Durso, where the sea coast is located, is further 7 kilometers away. You can get there by a mountain winding road.
Durso, like any settlement on the sea coast, got beaches, recreation centers, pensions, hotels.
In Abrau there are all the attributes of a "central estate": a hospital, police, post office, local administration and, of course, the famous lake of the same name.
Lake Abrau
It is large, about 200 hectares, and warms up well, so it is suitable for summer swimming.
Scientists are still struggling with the mystery of its origin. "Failure" - as the name of the reservoir is translated - could have formed as a result of a shift in the mountain layers, or maybe these are the remains of a fresh sea. There are still a lot of fish in the lake.
The second mystery lies in the drainage system. Abrau feeds from the river and from submarine keys, but there is no obvious drain. It has been suggested that the surplus evaporates, but is that so?
In the lake there is no vegetation inherent in closed reservoirs, and there is no doubt freshness of water. This fact may well confirm bold assumptions about the nevertheless existing connection with the sea.
Not far from the lake lies Abrau-Durso forestry, where there is another small body of water - Bam. There, enthusiasts engaged in the cultivation of lotuses. When the headwind blows, the aroma can be felt long before the approach to the water.
Legends of the lake
Legends are composed of any mysterious place and passed on from generation to generation. There are several of them at Lake Abrau.
The first tells about the love of a young Circassian woman for a poor young man. She did not dare to disobey her parents and yearned for the chosen one in solitude.
The beauty was not lucky, she lived surrounded by idle people who appreciated nothing but her pleasures. For this, God punished them. One fine day, the aul fell into the ground.
The orphaned girl cried so much and for a long time that it turned out to be a stream, which filled the gap with water. So the lake was formed.
Cherkesshenko went to drown, but she was disappointed. She walked through the water to the opposite shore. There a young man in love was waiting for the girl. As usual in fairy tales, they lived the rest of their lives in love and harmony.
Another legend tells of a slutty girl who was imprisoned in the rocks as a punishment and forced to swear on the well-being of her native village. A passing shepherd radically changed her plans. The aul failed, the girl repented and cried until her tears filled the gap. The end of the legend is as happy as in the first case.
But the most beautiful fairy tale is about the dragon living on the bottom of the lake. The sun's rays are reflected from its scales and color the water in emerald blue.
On moonlit nights, a path appears on the surface of the lake. Some say that it surprisingly resembles a chain of footprints from the feet of a girl who could not drown herself. Others claim that this is the crest of a sleeping dragon.
In addition to legends, a story about a treasure is associated with Abrau. At that time, when the Nazis were eager for the Caucasus, an order was received to drown all the champagne from the cellars of the plant in the lake. There were several tens of thousands of bottles. No one wanted the enemy to celebrate their victories with the country's best sparkling wine.
After the war, attempts were made to find a priceless treasure, but to no avail. It is known that there was flooding, only no one remembers where. Abrau-Durso safely keeps its secrets.
Champagne factory: past
After the sad events described in the legends, the Circassians never again settled on the shores of the lake. Centuries after the end of the wars in the Caucasus, Russians came here.
Prince Lev Golitsyn drew attention to these places and obtained from the emperor a personal decree on the establishment of a settlement on the lake. Where the Abrau-Durso factory is located today, only a virgin forest once rustled and a river gurgled into the lake.
They assembled a special commission that decided what kind of agriculture this region was suitable for. Everything was offered except for growing grapes.
Fortunately, another enthusiast, F.I. Heyduk, in love with viticulture in the same way as Prince Golitsyn in winemaking. Thanks to their perseverance, a factory appeared in 1870.
They brought the first vines. They perfectly took root and gave the foundation to the future vineyards of the plant. Initially made vintage wines. The arrival of the 20th century was marked by a party of champagne. The triumphal procession of the Abrau-Durso factory began with the first 13 thousand bottles of sparkling wine.
Several times, production was on the verge of destruction. The revolution, the war, the collapse of the USSR — all this inflicted enormous damage on priceless premises and equipment.
Some time passed and people like Heyduk and Golitsyn appeared, they revived the traditions of winemaking, restored what was destroyed and again delighted connoisseurs with fine champagne.
Abrau-Durso factory: present
Today’s day of the plant is directly related to the production of the best champagne wines made using classical technology. It is believed that the best elite grape varieties grow exactly in the places where Abrau-Durso is located. Champagne wine factory uses not only local varieties, but also brings from other regions and other countries.
The production still adheres to the manual method of making sparkling wine. Prince Golitsyn argued that only female hands are capable of methodically performing the same operations day after day. Only they are able to feel and listen to the ripening wine.
At Abrau-Durso, women are still involved in major operations. For their skill and patience, they need to express great gratitude. The quality of champagne is not inferior to similar wines from France and Italy.
Despite the popularity of manufactured products, the plant’s board put forward the idea of creating a package of services for tourists on the territory of the Abrau-Durso plant.
Factory Tour
The initiative received support. The old building was restored in which the museum was organized. They built three restaurants, a company store and a hotel with 40 rooms.
The territory and basements of the Abrau-Durso factory, where the main production is located , are visited daily by hundreds of tourists. The role of guides are workers. They are interesting and enthusiastic about the process of making sparkling wines.
If you find yourself in those places, be sure to set aside 2-3 hours for an excursion. They will tell you about the champenoise method, the traditional technology for the production of champagne.
You will see and learn about processes such as making a cuvée, assembling an assemblage, conducting a remuage, and degorging. Each process is unique and quite complex, takes a lot of time, requires focus and skill. Even associated with a risk to life. Bottles sometimes explode and can cause injury.
At the end of the tour, it is imperative to emphasize that Abrau-Durso is a full-cycle enterprise, from a bunch of grapes to a packed bottle. This is a rarity for the wine industry.
Then you will be invited to a tasting, where you can appreciate the offered varieties of wines, make a choice and purchase a few bottles in a company store.
The land of Abrau-Durso, where the famous factory is located, is one of the most picturesque places in the Krasnodar Territory. Endless vineyards running away into the distance, relict forests, murmuring rivers, a lake covered with riddles and legends, few people are indifferent. A sip of cool champagne of excellent quality underlines the charm of travel.