Tajikistan

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Wine

By Jancis Robinson

Published 2006

  • About

Tajikistan, mountainous, former Soviet, central Asian republic between uzbekistan and china producing only about 10,000 hl/264,170 gal of wine from 40,000 ha/100,000 acres of vineyards in 2011 according to the oiv.

Viticulture and winemaking were developed in Tajikistan even before the military campaigns of Alexander the Great in the 4th century bc. Ancient documents testify to the cultivation of numerous vine varieties in the country, which were made into wine, vinegar, and bekmes (concentrated grape must), as well as being traded as table grapes and raisins. Viticulture was highly developed in Osrushan in Ura-Tyube, Fergana, and in the Zeravshan River valley.