Updated 07/17/2021
People come to the resort village of Abrau-Durso for the famous champagne factory, delicious food and natural attractions. From the article you will learn how to get to Abrau-Durso from Novorossiysk, what to see, where to stay and where to eat.
I spent a few hours in Abrau-Durso, but you can also spend a couple of nights here. The setting of one of the few resorts in the Krasnodar region not located on the sea is conducive to this. In the high season it is crowded and noisy, but in April, when I visited, there were few people.
Abrau-Durso: what you need to see on your own
Now these villages form the Abrau-Durso resort, attracting lovers of gastronomic tourism and winemaking. There is plenty to do here besides tasting and learning the secrets of making sparkling drinks. The modern resort settlement attracts with its developed infrastructure, art objects and creative atmosphere. Let’s consider which of its attractions you should definitely visit – even during a 1-day excursion.
Russian wine house "Abrau-Durso": champagne wine factory and museum complex
- Address: Promyshlennaya st., 19.
The history and modern life of the resort village is inextricably linked with one of the oldest wineries in Russia. The Abrau estate, which marked the beginning of the wine-making history of these territories, dates back to the era of Alexander II - it was founded in 1870. Initially, the plot allocated by imperial decree for a dacha was not intended for growing grapes.
But after 4 years of winemaking, a master from the Czech Republic brought and planted Riesling grape vines here, and they took root well. In 1881, the Czech made a splash at a wine exhibition, and Abrau began to be called “a new region of Russian winemaking.” The authorities issue official permission to engage in winemaking. In the 1990s. The estate is managed by Count Golitsyn, and a winery is established here. In the last years of the century before last, the first batch of wine produced at the Abrau-Durso plant saw the light of day.
Today, the Russian Wine House is both an active production facility and a historical landmark. The winery hosts various excursions; visitors will be told the history of winemaking, introduced to the intricacies of production and, of course, given the opportunity to taste six of the most famous varieties of local wine.
The museum complex is housed in a building built in 1907; it dates back to the period when the famous French winemaker Victor Dravigny worked at the plant. In the historical complex “Abrau-Durso”, those interested can go on an excursion to the dungeons where wine is stored. And adventure lovers are invited to go through an underground quest in the tunnels of the winery - this is one of the most popular entertainments for tourists coming to Abrau.
Alexander II Square and the Bottle fountain
- Address: Alexander II Square.
The main square of Abrau is named after the founding emperor of the settlement, Alexander II. It has a round shape and is located near the champagne factory. The square attracts with its creative atmosphere. In the center is the main highlight of this place and one of the symbols of Abrau-Durso - a designer fountain in the shape of a champagne bottle.
The material and manufacturing technology of the object are noteworthy. The “huge bottle” consists of almost two thousand “standard” glass bottles. In the evening, the fountain is illuminated, the gushing stream of water resembles splashes of champagne; at night, it is an enchanting and solemn spectacle.
Art Park Abrau
- Address: Naberezhnaya street.
The park on the shores of Lake Abrau is a creative place; it is not just a walking area, but almost an open-air museum. Here, various art objects are presented to visitors. One of the most famous sculptures, “Wind and Music,” is installed right at the entrance. It can not only be seen, but also heard, since in keeping with its name, this object reproduces a melody. Among the popular “exhibits” of the park is the art object “Nest”.
All the sculptures and objects of this Abrau-Durso attraction can be touched with your hands, and some even need to be climbed into, for example, in the park there is a gazebo for making wishes come true: you need to sit in it and perform certain actions - then, as some reviews say, your wish will definitely come true . The Art Park in Abrau is a great place for a resort photo shoot.
Singing Fountains
- Address: Lake Abrau.
On the territory of the art park there is an interesting attraction worthy of special attention; it connects a small village in the Krasnodar Territory with one of the most alluring coastal cities in Europe, with Barcelona itself. The local “Singing Fountains” is a relatively new facility that has added glory to the Abrau-Durso resort. All tourists who come to the village on vacation or on an excursion strive to see the fountain show.
As the facts say, this is the largest fountain complex in the region - in the entire Krasnodar Territory, it was created by engineers of the Sochi Olympics and began work in 2016. The “performances” involve an interactive screen and the surrounding landscape; multi-colored jets flow directly from the lake. “Dancing” streams of water are accompanied by the broadcast of clips about the city and music. The show takes place in the evening.
Cultural and tourist complex "My Russia"
- Address: st. Korolenko, 16A, Kamchatka village.
One of the most famous and popular entertainment complexes among tourists on the Black Sea coast. It is visited by both tourists who come to Abrau-Durso and vacationers from popular surrounding resort towns - Anapa, Gelendzhik, Sochi.
Little tourists and their parents will love the local Amusement Park. The complex has its own stable, where experienced instructors work. Here you can also ride horses and take riding lessons. But the most important thing that people come to “My Russia” for are the performances taking place in the “Colosseum” amphitheater. The auditorium is designed for one and a half thousand people.
Among the popular shows is the ancient program “Gladiators of Rome”, which justifies the name of the arena. The arena hosts enchanting fire shows and extreme programs with complex stunts. What you can see here is something more than a circus and theater combined.
How is champagne made?
The champagne production process is complex and consists of many stages. The grapes are harvested and pressed to extract the juice. The first squeeze, in which the juice from the skin is not mixed with the juice, is valued the most. Then comes the stage of primary fermentation.
In ancient times, champagne was aged in such barrels.
It was in these oak barrels, made without glue and without a single nail, that champagne was previously aged. The capacity of one barrel is 5000 liters. It can easily accommodate several people. Now these are only museum exhibits.
In the fermentation workshop
And these are their modern analogues - stainless steel tanks with a capacity of several thousand liters each.
In the fermentation workshop
Cheap champagne (the one that the union invariably gives us for New Year) is produced using the tank method. As already mentioned, this technology makes it possible to increase production volumes many times over, but, unfortunately, at the expense of product quality.
Modern computerized production requires virtually no human intervention (except at the packaging and control stage): all operations are performed by machines.
Expensive champagne matures in bottles
But good (and, as a result, expensive) champagne, after the primary fermentation stage, is bottled in special high-strength bottles, after adding sugar and yeast to each bottle so that it can ripen quietly in the silence and coolness of stone tunnels. A prerequisite is to store bottles in a horizontal position.
Actually, at this stage the main sacrament is performed.
I wouldn't want to be around at the moment when this bottle exploded
