Prince Lev Golitsyn, patriarch of modern Russian winemaking
Prince Golitsyn tested over 600 varieties of grapes at Novy Svet on the coast of Crimea in Ukraine. Many of the first foreign grapes planted in Russia were traditional French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Aligote, Chardonnay, and others. However, many wine grapes have their origins in the region since Georgia is considered to be first place where grapes were domesticated. These varieties include Saperavi, Rkatsiteli, Golubok, Krasnostop, Doina. In addition to these varieties, many new varieties and crosses were developed at USSR nurseries. Some important crosses include:
Magaratch Bastardo – a cross of Portuguese Bastardo with Saperavi
Magaratch Ruby – a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Saperavi
