Taste of rodnoveriya: how Russian wine is changing the country's restaurant maps
There is a noticeable shift in the restaurant wine culture in Russia. According to Roskachestvo and the Russian Wine Guide project, the share of domestic wine-making positions in catering wine lists has exceeded 15% and continues to increase. Representatives of the national product quality monitoring system in the Russian Federation told Izvestia about this. This initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to audit wine lists is aimed at even more active promotion of Russian brands, and restaurateurs and winemakers are already sharing their views on the changes. But there are many contradictions, and reality, as always, is further from our desires. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Patriotic portrait of the guest
Experts of the Wine Guide of Russia conducted an audit of the number of Russian wines in the cards of chain restaurants. The study, which evaluated 16 chains with a total of more than 300 establishments across the country, identified leaders in working with domestic wines. As part of this project, at the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, wine lists of catering establishments are being audited. Its purpose is to study how Russian wine is represented in restaurants and cafes, what proportion it occupies of the total number of wines and whether it is emphasized in the communications of establishments after the entry into force of GOST R 71775-2024, which introduced recommendations on the share of Russian wines in 20% and their presentation on the first pages in restaurant maps.
"We note that the profile of the Russian restaurant guest has changed significantly: he has become more thoughtful, knowledgeable and appreciative of local products," Roskachestvo assured Izvestia. — The unconditional preference for imported brands has been replaced by a pragmatic interest in domestic alternatives. The modern restaurant guest is interested in product history and new experiences, not just status, and the sommelier's recommendation plays a key role here.
And although skepticism about the heterogeneity of quality still remains, the transition from curiosity to conscious preference has already taken place, they added.
As for Russian premium wines, there is a growing interest from both the guests and the restaurateurs themselves, the organization adds.
— It seems that the profile of the restaurant's guest over the past two or three years has become more rational and loyal to domestic wines, including in the premium segment, – says Alexey Solovyov, president of the Association of Cavists of Russia, founder of the Ratingtelling research company. — It is not a "patriotic purchase" that is crucial, but a competent recommendation and compliance with the style of the kitchen.
In establishments with sommeliers and a wine culture, Russian positions have long occupied stable places on the maps, he emphasizes. In concepts without sommeliers, the transition is slower, but it is inevitable as precisely selected wines appear for the gastronomy of the institution, Solovyov said.
The expert of the direction "Popular Front. Analytics, Chairman of the Union of Farmers' Wineries Gennady Oparin emphasizes that from the point of view of large restaurants, the increase in the cost of imports for the benefit of distributing Russian products is still not critical: the purchase price of a bottle has increased by hundreds of rubles at a final cost of 2 to 15 thousand rubles.
"Although this is hardly noticeable for the premium segment, however, in wine—growing regions such as Crimea and Krasnodar Krai, the share of domestic wines is already close to absolute dominance," he says.
Peter Romanishin, CEO of Fanagoria, notes, in turn, that the further north you go, the more skeptical you become about Russian wines in the premium segment.
"In the southern regions, wines are allocated to separate sections of the maps, while in the northern regions they often believe that Russian wine cannot be expensive," the expert complains.
He believes that, unfortunately, the mass Russian restaurant visitor is not yet ready to give unconditional preference to domestic wines.
"The trend is changing very slowly," says the head of Phanagoria. — Restaurants are still putting budget items on the map, which provide volume, that is, a replacement for cheap items, for example, imported sparkling wine.
At the same time, the pricing policy is similar in the south and in Moscow in the top segment, but southern restaurants are more likely to strengthen their local positions through direct contact with wineries and tourists, Solovyov explains. In tourist cities, the share of serving glasses and themed collections is increasing, which makes it easier to get acquainted with different brands, he notes.
Adaptation of wine lists
Boris Titov, a member of the Board of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia (ABVR), owner of Abrau-Durso, believes that the basis for the growth of the domestic wine market in recent years has been not only a change in consumer tastes, but also a strong emphasis on regional identity and local production.
"Southern regions of Russia, such as Krasnodar Krai and Crimea, are showing the best results due to the development of hyperlocal wine offerings, which are highly appreciated by tourists and locals alike," said a representative of the wine industry.
At the same time, the reduction in imports prompted a re-layout of the maps: more domestic positions, shorter sheets, faster rotation, and an emphasis on paired set menus, Solovyov comments. Russian wines have become a mainstay, but the cost is growing, and part of the burden is transferred to the final cost, he notes.
Wine expert Vadim Martynyuk notes that premium domestic wines are more often a decoration of the cards and a choice for the collection, rather than an everyday purchase.
"The audience of these wines is people who are already familiar with Russian winemaking and who want to try new samples," he notes.
However, Gennady Oparin points out that, unfortunately, the increase in the quality of Russian wine still has no effect on the degree of representation of Russian wines in restaurants and cafes.
"Some individual restaurants are actually fighting for it, but I have big doubts about it," he says. — The restaurant system is actually a rather closed structure. Sommeliers working in restaurants belong to a certain circle: someone's wines are taken, then refused, then accepted again - and all this, as a rule, is not without material interest. First of all, "for money" you can get into their wine list, depending on the restaurant, of course. And sometimes this is done through patronage or through an administrative resource.
According to him, the main profit goes to wine distributors, who share the steep markup with restaurants, and the producer is left with a small fraction. So in the end, everything depends primarily on the restaurateurs and on the suppliers who supply wine to the restaurants, he said.
Chairman of the Coordinating Council of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, restaurateur Sergey Mironov notes that despite government support — subsidies, excise taxes, and so on — this does not affect the price of wine that goes to restaurants.
— Today, companies that supply wine to establishments often set the price even higher than for the same wine in stores. In fact, they take advantage of the fact that restaurants are trying to fill their cards with Russian positions, and noticeably inflate prices," the Izvestia interlocutor states.
According to him, the situation itself is ambiguous now: in fact, imported wines have not disappeared by and large — they are still present on the market, they have simply risen in price due to increased logistical costs and duties.
Import and competition
"Wineries are still fighting among themselves for a place on the map, not with imports,— says Romanishin. — There is a great demand for sparkling and premium items, especially unique series.
Pavel Shapkin, Chairman of the National Consumer Protection Union, points to high restaurant margins exceeding 300%.
— In these circumstances, it makes no sense to talk about salvation at the expense of the price of Russian wine. It is much more important to have an exclusive assortment," he complains.
According to experts, Russian wine has already become an important part of restaurant menus, but its promotion requires systematic work and long-term support. The diversity of regions, the changing profile of the guest, adaptation to new economic conditions and government measures create conditions for strengthening domestic winemaking in the market.
"Subsidies and information campaigns work for recognition, so a sustainable effect is possible only with investments in buyers, sommeliers, cavists," explains Alexey Solovyov.
Anton Nikitenko, an expert at Rosbiotech, emphasizes that the "Days of Russian Wine" and the laws on viticulture still form confidence in domestic brands.
"It is more convenient for restaurateurs to include Russian positions due to their accessibility, improved quality and government support," he said.
Oleg Nikolaev, co-founder of the Sevastopol Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers, representative of Delovaya Rossiya, focuses on government support measures.
— Propaganda and subsidies are becoming key to promotion. The example of France and Italy proves that government investments in the image of their wines are a strategic step," he emphasizes.
The press service of Rosalokoltabakcontrol reports that wine production has increased by 12.4% over the past four years, sparkling wine — by more than 36%. The share of domestic products on the shelf increased from 11.3% in 2021 to 13.6% in 2025, and the quality level is growing rapidly.
Izvestia sent a request to the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
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