Russian Wines Kenyans Must Try: Highlights from Nairobi Tasting

Russian wines were introduced to Kenyan sommeliers and wine enthusiasts at a curated tasting in Nairobi, where lesser-known regional varieties were presented to a local audience for the first time.

The event, held in a city hotel ballroom and hosted by the Russian Embassy in Kenya, offered guests a focused look at wines from Crimea, the Don River Valley and the North Caucasus. Russian Ambassador to Kenya Vsevolod Tkachenko noted that wine has been produced in territories now part of Russia for more than a thousand years, framing the tasting as a meeting of long-standing traditions and modern ambition.

The programme opened with a sparkling Kokur Brut from Crimea, a region shaped by early Greek viticulture. Although the Kokur grape is largely unfamiliar in Kenya, its firm acidity and marked minerality stood out. Traditional bottle fermentation and extended ageing on the lees gave the wine additional complexity, suggesting broader potential for sparkling wines from Russia’s coastal vineyards.

A rosé from Usadba Sarkel expanded the regional focus, showcasing a blend of Denisovsky and Tsvetochny grapes from the Don River Valley. Pale in colour and subtle on the nose, the wine offered refined texture and freshness. Produced using the saignée method, it carried greater depth while retaining the valley’s characteristic lift, pointing to an identity distinct from established European rosé styles.

One of the most discussed wines was a Sibirkovy from Vedernikov Winery. Once close to disappearing, the grape has been revived with a profile that combines bright fruit with strong mineral structure. Partial oak ageing added weight without overwhelming its character, reflecting a broader revival of indigenous varieties in the Lower Don region.

Crimea featured again through Vostorg, a grape originally bred as a table variety during the Soviet era. Zhakov Estate’s version showed how such grapes can yield expressive modern wines when handled with care. Its fruit-driven style made it one of the more approachable selections of the evening.

The red wines introduced two of the Don region’s most established grapes. Tsimlyansky Black, historically used for sparkling red wines, appeared here in a still format that emphasised its aromatic depth, moderated tannins and restrained oak influence. The final wine, a Krasnostop Zolotovsky from Soberbash Winery, demonstrated the grape’s reputation for concentration and longevity. 

Thick skins, careful selection and extended oak maturation produced a rich, layered red that closed the tasting on a definitive note. Together, the six wines illustrated Russia’s effort to strengthen its presence in the global market by advancing lesser-known indigenous varieties rather than replicating Western styles.