Kazakhstan: History

At the end of the 19th century, grapes were grown on a small scale by private farms. The development of commercial grape culture began in the 1930s, when the first fruit- and wine-growing state farms such as Issyk in the Alamty region, Uch-Bulak in the Zhambyl region, and Juvaly and Kaplanbek in the Shymkent region were established. Viticulture developed rapidly after 1957. Vineyards occupied 4,997 ha in 1958, and 22,311 ha/55,130 acres in 1976. Twenty-six specialized fruit- and wine-growing state farms in the south and south east of the country owned 85% of the total vineyard area with the rest divided between collective farms and individuals.