Russia

Only the most southern parts of the Russian Federation south of the Don River and the Caucasus are suitable for viticulture. The principal limiting factors are low temperatures (in both summer and winter) and a short vegetation period. After a turbulent post-Soviet and post-gorbachev period at the end of the 20th century, total vineyard area had dropped to 61,500 ha/153,750 acres by 2012, practically all in southern Russia: 24,100 ha in Krasnodar Krai; 21,100 ha in Dagestan; 6,800 ha in Stavropol Krai; 4,600 ha in Rostov Oblast; and 1,200 ha in Kabardino-Balkaria. In 2013, when the total yield was 404,500 tons of grapes, a system of viticultural macroregions (Kuban, Stavropol Krai, Don Valley, and Dagestan), was established while official recognition of their smaller viticultural zones and appellations was still pending.