Department of technology of winemaking and fermentation production named after Professor A. A.

In order to work as a winemaker in Russia, you need to have a higher professional education, i.е. study for 6 years (we take masters right away, so that in a new way) at an institute or university. Let's talk more about this education.

In our country, there are three main specialized universities that graduate process engineers with a degree in winemaking technology - these are MGUPP in Moscow, SRSTU in Novocherkassk, Rostov Region, and KubSTU in Krasnodar. The majority of domestic specialists graduated from these universities. There are several more specialized faculties in Russia, but there are mainly "fermenters": beer, alcohol, soft drinks.

Of the 6 years of study, the first 3 years students study non-core disciplines - mainly exact and social sciences. The general flow of the entire food faculty or even two. That is, after 3 years, a student of the food faculty may change his mind to become, for example, a milkman and go to butchers, and so on. Or everyone may suddenly want to become winemakers!

During these 3 years, students go wild in general subjects, among which the main one is chemistry. In the first year - inorganic and analytical, the second - organic and physical with colloid, the third - biological and food plus technical microbiology. Each chemistry goes on a year in parallel with others. In addition, mechanics, turning into the study of all processes and apparatus used in the food industry as a whole. Then it is replaced by the study of the main technological equipment in the specialty. But this is later - first you need to go through everything from the structure of the atom and strength of materials through many hours of syntheses on organic chemistry and projects of components and mechanisms to enzymes on the chemistry of wine and the project of a whole wine-making enterprise with the economy and all the details.

During the entire training, the student is sent to 3 production practices for 7 weeks each in September-October to the leading wineries in the region. The first is introductory, when the student can do the simplest operations, then the main production one - the student can already work as a senior worker or assistant to a junior winemaker, as he knows how to work on any equipment from a pneumatic press to a vacuum filter. The third practice is again in a new way to consolidate and write a graduation project.

After that, a graduate can go to graduate school at his university or a specialized research institute - fortunately, now there is any possible tool for conducting the most in-depth analyzes from capillary electrophoresis to an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. You can scientifically simulate and study any technological process in winemaking. The degree of candidate of technical sciences received after training and writing a dissertation is actually equivalent to the Western PhD - Doctor of Philosophy. What topic the graduate student and his supervisor chooses depends only on them - it is not necessary to choose an unclaimed, outdated or irrelevant direction of research.

I want to emphasize one important detail: the technology of winemaking or the science of wine, oenology, is an applied science. We open the dictionary: applied sciences are those focused on the practical application of knowledge gained in the fundamental sciences.

In my opinion, if a graduate has sufficient knowledge in fundamental sciences, and our education gives them to the full, then he will be able to practically apply his knowledge. Yes, I agree, the question here is in what direction he applies them, or rather, how and to what extent this knowledge will be involved in practical work and how they will develop. Nevertheless, I am sure that if a graduate has received a good knowledge base, then, if desired and striving, he will gain directly applied knowledge in the process of practical work (at the same time, no one has canceled two or three years of special disciplines at the university!). He will get better by gaining experience in working in tandem with foreign consultants, honing his taster skills at dozens of tastings, studying a lot of specialized literature in all languages ​​and visiting numerous wine-growing regions of the world.

Our education is characterized by another key feature, which should be discussed separately. Of course, the Russian scientific and educational school in winemaking itself was formed in the Soviet years, and in that era there were only large vineyards and wineries like collective and state farms, which were a whole agricultural complex, often forming a small village with the appropriate infrastructure. In such farms, the total area of ​​​​vineyards (and in addition to vineyards, cereals and fruit crops were also often grown) totaled several thousand hectares. A whole staff of winegrowers worked at the enterprises from the foreman and entomologist to the chief agronomist, at the winery - a team of winemakers led by the chief winemaker plus a full-fledged laboratory with professional chemists and microbiologists.

It goes without saying that winemakers and viticulturists are two separate professions, and they need to be taught separately in universities of different profiles and according to different programs. While the winemaker was studying organic chemistry, the chemistry of wine and machines with mechanisms at a technological university, the future agronomist-vine grower studied plant biology, soil science and entomology at an agricultural university. Everything has remained in this form to this day: winegrowers and winemakers are working in close cooperation, but still different specialists.

In the West, as you know, the development of winemaking has been going on and is going on to this day from small private semi-family forms of management. Of course, if the owner has several hectares of vineyards, then one specialist works for him - a grower and winemaker in one person.

When farms of this size appeared in Russia in the early 2000s, the question arose of specialists capable of simultaneously performing both inseparable functions. Inspired by visiting the best Western wineries such as chateau, our functionaries began to proclaim slogans about the incorrectness and inefficiency of the Russian education system: they say, how can one study winemaking in isolation from viticulture, when the quality of grapes directly affects the future wine; our separate departments of winemaking and viticulture should be closed; it is necessary to create a specialty "wine grower-winemaker"; it is necessary to reduce the "extra" scientific workload for each specialization and thus combine the two professions and so on.

I want to voice my point of view on the designated issue. Of course, wine is a product of the locality, it begins with a vine in a vineyard, and winemaking is essentially “bringing into the form of a drink”, what nature has created. Various kinds of technical means and techniques at the winery. These two processes are inseparable from each other and are considered only in combination. Yes, it is a thousand times so!

But! Imagine a small farm where one specialist works both in the field and in the winery. He does an excellent job with his duties in both directions - the "hot time" at the winery replaces intensive work in the field and, in principle, everything can be covered. Then, let's say, over time, the farm evolutionarily increases due to the acquisition of new lands for viticulture, now the total planting area reaches several tens, and then hundreds of hectares. Sooner or later, and inevitably, this same winegrower-winemaker will decide to delegate part of his duties in the field or at the winery to an assistant, choosing one of the specializations for himself as the main one or transferring both jobs to assistants, and he himself will take the position of the main one. If such a system develops in more than one decade, sooner or later those who work only at the winery and those who work only in the field will appear at the enterprise.

In our country, due to the historically established organizational and technological conditions, there will always be large (several hundreds of hectares or more) and small forms (several tens of hectares or less), which will require both "generalists" and "narrowly specialized" professionals.

I will answer a possible question: to what extent do generalists have more knowledge in both areas than, for example, winemakers in viticulture, and vice versa? In Russia, student winemakers are taught the basics of viticulture, ampelography*, and winegrowers are taught the basics of winemaking and grape processing in general (for juice, for example).That is, for example, a winemaker educated in Russia has quite normal knowledge and ideas about how a grape plant is cultivated, what operations are carried out during the year in a vineyard, and much more, but this does not mean at all that this same winemaker himself can conduct all work in the field, replacing the grower and fully managing the process in the field. The winemaker will evaluate the quality of the past flowering, analyze how ripening is going, choose the best time to harvest and much more, but he will certainly not be able to identify chlorosis or lack of magnesium in the soil, he will not be able to build the right pest protection, he will not accurately determine soil erosion from the first manifesting signs and much more. Also, the grower, in principle, knows quite well what is happening at the winery, he will be able to process the grapes and discard the must, but he will most likely miss the time for introducing enzymes, be puzzled by the selection of a yeast race, think hard about the technological processing of wine and much more.

How well (judging by the final results) do Western specialists - "generalists" cope with all this, you ask? Especially those with a couple of hundred rows of grapes and a simple hangar as a winery? Who do not have all this staff of agronomists, entomologists, chemists and microbiologists?

In fact, they all take samples of soil, vines, berries to small special laboratories everywhere, invite disease experts to inspect vineyards, doing simple analyzes on their own. They have enough special knowledge and experience to understand when something goes wrong, or intervene in the process if necessary. This system is time-tested, justified and effective.

So how is it right to train specialists for large wineries (there are no options for small farms - only “generalists”)? Separate winegrowers and winemakers separately, or is it ..? The question is open.

Studying wine at a university located in Bordeaux or Dijon, what could be more correct? Yes, these legendary universities have produced more than one famous winemaker. But there are wine regions not only in France, and almost each of them is already forming its own school. You can study at the university not only in wine production, but also in wine trade, marketing, and wine business management. And at the Oxford School of Hospitality there was a master's degree in the specialty "Food, wine and culture." It illustrates a growing approach to the perception of wine as part of the global cultural context. In general, there are many places to study. We will tell you about the best. Illustrations: Ruslan Valikhanov I. University of Bordeaux-2. Victor Segalin (France) Faculty of Oenology of the Institute for the Study of Vine and Wine Founded in 1880. Approximately 800 students on the course. Cost: from 700 to 5 thousand euros per year. Duration of study: from 1 to 3 years. Notable alumni: Emile Peynaud, Denis Dubourdieu, Pascal Ribero-Gayon, Telmo Rodriguez, Philippe Guigal. Facts: the university has a special tasting room-laboratory with the latest equipment for 73 seats.

II. Institute of Wine Management in Dijon (France). At the Burgundy Business School. Founded in 2009. 400 graduates per year. Cost: 11 thousand euros (Master in Wine Business program). Duration of training: on average 2 years. Famous alumni: Miguel Torres, Dominique Lafon (Domaine des Comtes Lafon). Facts: among graduates, 20% are managers and managers, 40% are engaged in wine export, 20% - marketing and sales, 20% are buyers.

III. Wine University. Suz-la-Rousse (France) Founded in 1978. Approximately 150 graduates per year. Cost: from 100 euros (for short courses) to 5 thousand euros. Qualifications: Sommelier-Conseil, Caviste. Duration of training: from six months to 3 years. Facts: The university has five master's degree programs and five undergraduate degree programs in wine and winemaking.

IV. SupAgro Academy. Montpellier (France) Founded in 2007. 1400 students. Cost: from 500 to 20 thousand euros. Duration of study: from six months to 4 years. Famous alumni: Bruno Prats, Jean-Baptiste Lecayon (Louis Roederer oenologist). Facts: the academy united 4 large educational institutions that provided education in the field of oenology and agronomy. Only here, apart from the school of Bordeaux, you can get a Vinifera degree.

V. Winemaking University and Research Center in Geisenheim (Germany) Founded in 1872. Approximately 1100 students per year. Tuition fees: from 1 to 10 thousand euros per year. Duration of study: from one year to 3 years. Famous alumni: Wilhelm Weil, Helmut Becker. Facts: the university has its own winery and two vineyards, 23 brands of wine (including rosé and sparkling) and 6 fruit brandies are produced here.

VI. Austrian Wine Academy (Rust, Austria) Founded in 1991. 1000 students. Tuition fees: from 1265 euros for a basic course to 4900 euros for a complex one. Duration of training: from a week to 5 years. Facts: about 20,000 lectures are read per year. Based on the results of the exams, students receive the WeinAkademiker qualification. Now there are 304 of them from 13 different countries. The director of the academy is the only MW in Austria - Dr. Josef Schuller.

VII. Royal Agricultural College (UK) Founded in 1845. Approximately 900 students per year. Tuition for the Wine MBA program: about 7 thousand pounds per year. Duration of study: 1 year. Facts: One of the three institutions where you can get a Wine MBA. The first agricultural college in England, which has its own farms, where the work is based on the principle of organics and biodynamics.

VIII. Institute of Masters of Wine (IMoW) (UK) Founded in 1953. 297 Masters of Wine in the world. Tuition fee: about 10 thousand pounds per year. Duration of study: minimum 3 years. Notable Alumni: Tim Atkin, Gerard Bassett, Michael Broadbent, Jancis Robinson, Serena Sutcliffe, Jeannie Cho Lee. Facts: Admission requires a WSET diploma or degree in oenology and 5 years of work experience. The first woman received the title of MW only in 1970, 23 years after the opening of training, the first non-British MW appeared in 1988.

IX. Wine and Spirit Education Trust (UK) Founded in 1969. 35,500 students per year. Tuition: from £25 (Advanced exam) to £3,500 (WSET degree). Duration of training: from a month to 3-4 years. Notable Alumni: Jancis Robinson, Susan McCrath. Facts: Training in 15 languages ​​- Chinese, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Turkish, English in 500 centers worldwide.

X. Faculty of Viticulture and Oenology, Davis University (California, USA) Founded in 1935. 500-700 students per year. Cost of education: from 20 to 40 thousand dollars a year. Duration of study: 2 years. Notable Alumni: Tim Mondavi, Gina Gallo, David Lake, Alberto Antonini, Jean-Louis Chave Jr. Facts: the university has its own 120-acre vineyard, a cellar for 70,000 bottles. There are 5 wineries on the territory of the university. 500 scholarships for international students are established annually.

XI. Faculty of Agronomy at the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa). Department of viticulture and oenology. founded in 1887. Over 1500 students. Tuition fee: from 3 to 5 thousand dollars a year. Duration of study: minimum 1 year. Notable Alumni: Charles Beck (Fairview), Kevin Arnold (Waterford Estate), Craig Hawkins (Lammershoek). Facts: The only university in South Africa that graduates masters and bachelors in the field of viticulture and winemaking. There are own educational and commercial wineries and an experimental cellar.

XII. Cape Wine Academy (South Africa) Located in Johannesburg. Founded in 1979. From 200 to 500 graduates per year. Tuition: from 140 to 2 thousand dollars. Duration of study: 1 year. Facts: A range of 7 courses are offered, oriented at various levels, from amateur to highly rated diplomas in South Africa. In 2012, the highest degree - Diploma Wine Qualification - received 6 people. A fairly large part of the training is devoted to brandy, especially those types that are produced in South Africa.

XIII. University of Adelaide (Australia) School of Agriculture, Food and Wine Established in 2003 1,375 students Tuition fees: $28,000 to $30,000 per year. Duration of study: minimum 1 year. Notable Alumni: Stephen Chambers (Chambers Rosewood), David Powell (Torbreck), Peter Kago (winemaker Penfold's), David Guimarães (head of Taylor Fladgate and Fonseca), Darren de Bortoli. Facts: The school has the largest academic winery in the world. It processes 200 tons of grapes per day and produces 600 liters of wine.

XIV. Charles Sturt University (Australia) Located in Sydney. Founded in 1989. About 1000 students per year in the specialty "Agricultural & Wine Sciences". Cost of education: about 20 thousand dollars a year. Duration of study: minimum 1 year. Notable alumni: John Voronczak, Clive Jones (Nautilus Estate), John Cawclin (De Bortoli). Facts: University-produced CSU Merlot 2009 is recognized as the best boutique wine in Australia.

The profession of a winemaker has always been surrounded by an aura of mystery: grapes that mysteriously turn into a fragrant divine drink, the twilight of cognac storages, oak barrels covered with cobwebs ... Who are these people, modern alchemists who create exquisite blends? Meet Marina Gennadievna Tyagileva, the chief winemaker of the KiN Group of Companies.

— Marina Gennadievna, tell us how winemakers become.
- In those years when I studied at the Institute of Technology, winemakers mainly became, supporting the hereditary dynasty, which was founded by grandfathers and fathers. Among my classmates there were many such examples.
I do not belong to a dynasty of winemakers: my father worked in the printing house of the publishing house of the Pravda newspaper, and my mother, although she had a higher technical education, found her vocation in the creative field - creating and sewing clothes. She was a talented fashion designer who created unique and exclusive items: women's outfits and elegant men's suits. So I do not belong to the dynasty of winemakers, but perhaps I will be its founder.

— Where is the art of winemaking taught?
— There are many strong universities in our country that graduate professional winemakers, for example, the Moscow State Institute (now the University) of Food Production (MTIPP), which I graduated from. There is a department of winemaking at the Timiryazev Academy, Moscow State University of Technology and Management. Also strong departments in Krasnodar, North Ossetia, St. Petersburg. Previously, most specialists in our field graduated from technical schools, but now, of course, everyone I work with has a higher specialized education. Many of those who are employed in working positions have diplomas of process engineers with a degree in winemaking.

- What influenced you when choosing a profession?
— At school, I was very interested in organic chemistry — an attractive, creative subject that reveals the essence of the universe. I really wanted to connect my fate with this science, despite the fact that organic synthesis is quite harmful to health. In the food industry, organic chemistry is represented very voluminously and in a wide variety, and, naturally, I had no doubts about choosing a future profession - only the food industry and, accordingly, studying at the Technological Institute of the Food Industry.

When I applied to the institute, in order to pass the entrance exams, it was necessary to indicate the faculty and department of your future specialty. There were very interesting departments, for example, sugar, fermentation, grain, microbiology. Among them is the department of winemaking. It seemed to me especially mysterious and alluring. There was the biggest competition for the department of winemaking, and this trend continues to this day.

After graduating from high school, I received a diploma with honors, which made it possible to take only two exams, not four, but always with excellent marks. I did it and I got in. I remember now the first introductory lesson at the institute. It did not take place in the main auditorium, but in a small hall with a very beautiful surroundings: in this room, reminiscent of a wine cellar, there were wine barrels and dark brown walls were decorated with grapes, although they were artificial. It was so beautiful and mysterious - samples of wine in cones sparkle in the twilight ... It made a huge impression on me, a young student. There was no doubt that I had chosen the right profession.

When did you create your first drink on your own?
- Industrial practice began from the very first courses, near Sevastopol. There were wonderful grape plantations, and working with grapes, I just fell in love with this berry. Later, already delving into the specialty, I had an internship at wineries, in particular, at Inkerman, where I was engaged in ampelography - a science dedicated to the study of grapes. It helped me a lot to learn to understand its varieties and classification. There, near Sevastopol, I made my first drink - dry white wine. It turned out to be quite characteristic, elegant and liked by the specialists of the enterprise.

— How many years have you been working in the KiN Group of Companies? What do you like about your job?
— I have been working at the KiN Moscow plant for more than twenty years. The choice of the enterprise, as well as the choice of the institute, was influenced by my personal preferences.

I grew up in the same area of ​​Moscow where the KiN production is located. This is a picturesque place located on the banks of the Moscow Canal. As a child and as a student, I often passed by the enterprise. This nice, cozy factory on the Leningrad Highway already attracted my attention. I am glad that the education I received and a red diploma gave me the opportunity to work at the Moscow plant "KiN" and start working as a chemical engineer in a production laboratory. At the institute, of course, they give a good education in the specialty, but without an independent study of the intricacies of the profession, without practical skills, a specialist cannot take place.

I was happy to comprehend the practical basics, the basics of the profession both in the laboratory and further in the bottling shops, where I later moved to work. Of course, when I was offered to head the technological workshop, and then the entire technological production, I agreed with pleasure. This made it possible to reveal oneself as a potential specialist, a winemaker, to learn a lot, namely in a creative, constructive direction. I am very glad that the compositions of cognac blends that I created during my work at KiN received recognition from consumers and high marks from specialists in many countries. This suggests that I did not choose a profession in vain. I have always worked and work with pleasure, and the main thing for me in my work, of course, is creativity and the urge of the soul!

— The plant has been developing and gaining credibility in the market to a large extent thanks to you. Tell us about how it happened.
- Thanks a lot! Of course, I am very pleased to hear this, but still I'm used to saying "we". I sincerely believe that the secret of the company's success is the team, where everyone contributes to the overall process.

I always tried to do everything conscientiously and, while enjoying my work, I always felt a huge responsibility entrusted to me, because I had no right to let the team down!

Until the nineties, our company was engaged in secondary winemaking: in the south of Russia, we bought ready-made drinks - wines and cognacs, here they were filtered and bottled. However, over time, all these supplier plants decided to independently organize the bottling of their products, and we simply had nothing to work with. It was then that the idea to prepare drinks on their own came up. It didn’t scare me, but, on the contrary, only inspired me. For this, first of all, a reliable source of high-quality raw materials and appropriate equipment was needed, because it is one thing to simply filter the raw materials and quite another to create your own original blend!

Winemaking is traditionally a male profession. Do you feel special treatment from the French suppliers of raw materials?
- The French are quite correct people and, most importantly, people of action. If the work is done with high quality, they absolutely do not care what gender the specialist is. The main thing is that the work is carried out professionally. That is - arrived, chose, ordered. Without unnecessary emotions and delays. Personally, I never felt any condescending attitude on their part.

When I first came to France to conduct a tasting and create compositions of our cognacs, of course, I was very worried, feeling a great responsibility entrusted to me. But the extremely benevolent, respectful, calm environment that winemakers from France created for me to work helped me a lot to cope with the excitement.

There are many different approaches, technological methods for tasting, one of them is the dilution of cognac spirit with water, for a more complete and thorough study. Now this method has already been introduced into GOST, however, few winemakers used it a few years ago. I used this method and the French were very impressed. It was noticeable how the respectful attitude towards KiN and personally to me as a specialist immediately increased.

— Many French sommeliers speak of you as a specialist who brings a special “Kinian” style to the assemblage of cognacs. What do they mean?
— In my opinion, the taste of cognac should first of all be soft, deep and full, and also have a long, multifaceted aftertaste. I always thought that our Russian customer likes fruit tones in the taste of cognac. And, judging by how sales of our cognacs are growing, I hit the mark. In Russia, cognac with muted floral aromas is preferred, while vanilla shades should be smoothed out. French consumers are the exact opposite, so the bouquet of French cognacs is distinguished by a bright floral-vanilla aroma with “soapy” tones.

I would define the "Kinovsky" style as follows: all our cognacs are characterized by masculinity, which is achieved by richness and intensity. On the other hand, softness, lyricism, subtlety in taste and aroma are a kind of feminine. Our cognacs are loved by both men and women. Everyone appreciates the fullness, richness and softness of taste. Probably, it is in this subtle combination of masculine and feminine principles that the very “golden mean” lies, that unique cognac style that is born at the Moscow KiN factory. French spirits from the Cognac region allow you to create a similar blend, so we chose this legendary region.

— What is your favorite cognac?
— I have always really liked our cognac “Alexandre Bergerac”, somehow it immediately sunk into my soul. Well, among vintage cognacs - "Stary Gorod" 8 years old and "Old Town" 10 years old.

In general, it is very difficult for me to single out my favorite KiNa cognacs. They are all my favorite children. After all, if you say that one of your children is the most beloved, it means to offend another. In addition, cognac each time can open up new facets, new shades. Depending on the mood and situation, you can always re-learn and discover this unique taste for yourself. Cognac is a joint creation of nature and man with its incomparable character.

- Is there an element of creativity in your work, or is it just the result of chemical manipulations? Can this process be compared to writing music or poetry?
— Creation of cognac is, first of all, creativity, and knowledge and experience only help the winemaker to formulate and realize his plans.

It always takes a certain amount of time to create a composition and blend for a new cognac, because a long creative process requires an appropriate attitude. If, for example, I feel that he is not there now, then I can postpone this wonderful process for a while and return to it later.

I remember all the flavors of spirits that I select for blending, but in order to refresh the sensations and create some new facet of cognac, a certain creative state is needed. First, you mentally begin to make a mariage of cognacs, evaluate the bouquet and taste, remove something, add something. Even at this stage, this work delights me. And in practice, this process can probably be compared with the writing of a symphony by a composer, the creation of a signature dish by a chef, or when a fashion designer designs an exclusive dress.

When I was compiling the composition of the five-year-old Stary Gorod cognac, I wanted to see candied fruits in the aroma, hints of chocolate and vanilla on the palate, tones of dried fruits and a pleasant roasted nut in the aftertaste.

I really liked this composition - graceful, elegant, deep and I saw the image of the 8-year-old cognac "Staryi Gorod" similar, because this is one line, one name. At the same time, I wanted to emphasize endurance, fullness of taste. This was done using old cognac spirits, in which there is a balanced combination of light resinous woody tones, pleasant shades of coffee, linden, acacia and honey. This helped me to create a beautiful and complete portrait of the eight-year-old cognac "Stary Gorod".

— How do you see the consumer of your cognacs?
- Ordinary cognacs: "KiNovsky", five-year-old "Stary Gorod", "A. Bergerac" are quite democratic, affordable. At the same time, they are distinguished by elegance, tenderness and softness in taste. Elegance in the bouquet makes ordinary KiNa cognacs very popular with a wide variety of consumers. They are preferred both by working youth who have gathered for a friendly party, and by managers holding a business meeting, which is accompanied by a pleasant meal. If a person wants to enjoy the taste and bouquet of cognac, he must remember that this drink requires a respectful attitude. This unique, living joint creation of man and nature must feel respect for itself.

Cognacs "Stary Gorod" of eight and ten years of aging are wonderful in their elegance, roundness and oily taste, multifaceted and long aftertaste. The pleasure of communicating with these cognacs can be obtained at business dinners, romantic dates, receptions, social events. But in order to fully experience and reveal the properties of such complex cognacs, a person needs not only material wealth, but also a certain life experience.

— Tell us about the French collection of cognacs of the KiN Group.
— I have been working on the composition of Vieille Ville and L’Oeuvre cognacs for quite a long time. It was an intense creative process, but very enjoyable. He completely captured me!

I saw the taste of these cognacs, first of all, soft and rich. The scent had to be captivating, but not intrusive. I wanted to bring French skates closer to the taste of the Russian consumer.

It seems to me that I succeeded. What was originally in the imagination, all this is fully and harmoniously embodied in the created samples. Of course, this is a very pleasant moment when the result is creative and professional satisfaction, which becomes the best reward for hard work.

Cognac "Vieille Ville" XO - unusually soft, charming. The sophistication of cognac spirits from Grand Champagne is successfully combined with the deep tones of spirits from Petit Champagne, honey-spicy tones in aroma and taste fascinate and beckon. Balanced shades of raisins, dried prunes create a powerful and balanced taste.

Cognac "Vieille Ville" Extra - elegant, strict, refined, graceful. This is unobtrusively evidenced by the floral-vanilla range, and the flowers are light, airy - violet with forget-me-not, in the aftertaste - aging tones, balance of woody tones. The taste plays and shimmers with the versatility of its palette.

Cognac "L'Oeuvre" has in the bouquet subtle delicate tones of vanilla, the enchanting aroma of Grande Champagne roses, creamy shades of chocolate, resinous tones of wood. The taste is full, multifaceted, saturated with bright intense fruit tones of ripe apple, quince, plum. Noble tones of long-term aging emphasize the elegance and masculinity of cognac.

Of course, communication and consumption of cognacs of this level requires a certain entourage. Imagination draws a fireplace, muted color, silence, romance, warm friendly conversation, but most importantly - there must be a certain mental attitude: calmness, tranquility and warmth of the soul. This will help to reveal all the charm and mystery of these wonderful cognacs.

— Is there a threat of copying Keane's style from competitors?
— Copying and falsification are two different things. Counterfeiting is an extremely dangerous phenomenon, and besides, it is criminally punishable, because counterfeiting can cause irreparable harm to the health of the buyer.

Most often, ordinary cognacs are faked: they are the easiest to fake. Rectified spirit of grain origin is used. They can even use industrial alcohol, various dyes, as well as young, freshly obtained cognac alcohol, which is passed off as aged with caramel and oak shavings.

When KiN started producing ordinary cognacs, our task was to show what an ordinary cognac should be like - pure, solid, full, soft, and most importantly - of stable, constant quality, so that the buyer recognizes the bouquet, pleasant and elegant taste, so that he trusts the factory's products "KiN" and was sure that we would never let him down.

I am sure that the buyer, who often purchases the products of our factory, always recognizes the falsification and counterfeiting of our cognacs, which are often dealt with by unscrupulous producers.

If we talk about copying style, then every winemaker always has his own secrets of production, besides, he puts his soul, his heart, love for his work into the drink.

You can copy the composition of the drink, but you can not repeat it completely - there will be no that final chord, zest, charm, subtlety and grace that only the creator of the product can give. Of course, a regular customer and a true connoisseur of our products will recognize the imitation, understand that he has a drink in front of him that does not reflect the “Kinovsky” style.

Unique in its kind and the only one on the entire Black Sea coast of Russia, the wine training class received the first students of the Wine Laboratory, which opened today on the basis of the business incubator of the Sevastopol branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

During six training days, leading winemakers will give an intensive 72-hour course of lectures to improve the qualifications of wine management for the first students. Classes start at 10.00 and end at 20.00. At the end of the training, students will have a final test, after which they will receive state-recognized certificates of advanced training from Moscow State University, signed by rector Viktor Sadovnichy.

The potential of Sevastopol is huge

In addition to the classroom for 24 students, the Wine Laboratory has an administrative office and a laboratory where it will be possible to conduct research. One of the main ideologists of the project, Sevastopol winemaker Pavel Shvets, told ForPost that lectures and practical classes will be given by practicing winemakers who have created more than one wine enterprise in Russia. Students will be told about new technologies and Western wine production technologies that have never been informed in general audiences.

“Our program is very ambitious and long-term. She, by the way, was part of the electoral program of "United Russia" in the elections of 2014, which involved the creation of a wine production cluster in Sevastopol and the allocation of this wine-growing region to the global level. The program was soon forgotten, and we continue our work. We want to create about 200 full-cycle wineries in Sevastopol,” said Pavel Shvets.

One of the initiators of the project, Pavel Shvets, a Sevastopol winemaker, told ForPost that lectures and practical classes will be given by practicing winemakers who have created more than one wine enterprise in Russia. Students will be told about new technologies and Western wine production technologies that have never been informed in general audiences.

“The potential of Sevastopol is huge. Russia consumes one billion bottles of wine a year - this is a huge market, and many foreign companies would like to become part of this market. And we are here - and we cannot yet offer the consumer a worthy product, ”added Pavel Shvets.

“The first listeners of the Wine Laboratory were young winemakers who already produce wines in small quantities, as well as private individuals who are determined to produce a quality drink in small volumes, technologists and employees of existing wineries. And potential investors from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Rostov, Makhachkala, Voronezh, Sevastopol and Yalta,” said Aleksey Sapsay, teacher of viticulture and winemaking at Wine Laboratories.

The project plans to create a full-fledged training program for bachelors, designed for 500 academic hours. The business incubator of Moscow State University will also open classrooms for tourists who wish to get acquainted with Sevastopol and the wine of the region.

As ForPost wrote, thanks to the efforts of Pavel Shvets and with the support of the Association of Sevastopol winemakers and winegrowers. It took the initiators two months to complete all organizational arrangements.