The BRICS Wine Summit was held for the first time at the Russian Wine Forum

Today, Russia confidently declares itself as one of the largest wine-producing powers. The domestic market is one of the most dynamically developing against the background of a significant drop in wine consumption in most countries of the world. In terms of the growth rate of wine production, the Russian Federation is one of the three world leaders.

International cooperation in the field of Russian winemaking is actively developing in the BRICS countries, many of which also demonstrate positive dynamics of the wine market. Thanks to the meeting of representatives of the leadership of national associations of winemakers and Russian government authorities at the Third Russian Wine Forum, the initiative on cooperation between winemakers and wine merchants of the BRICS countries, put forward at the RVF in 2024, has gained real outlines.

During the summit, issues of effective development of interstate cooperation between winemakers, winegrowers and representatives of the wine and tourism sector of the BRICS countries were discussed. The session was moderated by Boris Titov, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Relations with International Organizations for achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

"The creation of the Association is a logical step to strengthen cooperation in the field of winemaking and tourism within the framework of the BRICS. The diversity of the wine-growing landscape of the BRICS territory, with the unique terroirs and traditions of each country, can be a powerful incentive for joint projects not only in trade and production, but also in a wider range of fields, including science and tourism. Wine is a reflection of national authenticity and an important tool of socio-cultural diplomacy. Russia, with its growing wine-growing potential and strategic geographical location, can play a leading role in this process. The Association should become a key platform for coordinating efforts, sharing best practices, developing unique projects, tourist routes, and actively promoting BRICS wines on the global market," Boris Titov said in his welcoming speech.

From the foreign side, the meeting was attended by Ashwin Rodriguez, head of the Wine Growers Association of India, Ho Xingsan, Secretary General of the wine branch of the Chinese Association of Alcoholic Beverage Producers (CADA), Sandro Chavatella, an expert in international marketing and promotion of wine on the global market.

The Russian side was represented by Nikita Kondratiev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation; Dmitry Levitsky, restaurateur and founder of the HURMA Group of Companies; Pavel Mayorov, Deputy Executive Director of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia; Ilya Umansky, President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry and CEO of the Alean tour operator.

"Enogastronomical tourism is one of the most dynamically developing areas in the Russian tourism industry, including through the diversification of tourist routes within the BRICS countries. This growth is inseparable from an increase in interest in authentic travel experiences," Nikita Kondratiev said, announcing the creation of the BRICS Countries Tourism Association.

In his opinion, the formation of common tourism standards within the BRICS, as well as the development of common marketing strategies, will help attract the attention of an international audience, including to enotourism.

Pavel Mayorov stressed the importance of Russian wines participating in international competitions, not only in terms of exports, but also for the development of the industry within the country. He also announced the creation of The New New World association, which unites winemakers from the countries of the bloc. According to him, another important area of work of the AWBR will be the BRICS Wine Competition, which will ensure the certification and distribution of products within the countries of the association. The competition will be held in Moscow for the first time in January 2026 and will be conducted in accordance with the standards of the International Organization of Viticulture and Winemaking (OIV). The website of the contest – www.bricswine.com – it was officially launched during the summit.

Foreign wines were also included in the tasting program of the forum. For the first time in four years, participants were able to sample samples from Armenia, Hungary, Georgia, South Africa and Japan.