Russians have always had a soft spot for Italy: the Italian character, the way of life, the scenery and nature that are so dramatic and tranquil at the same time, Italian art, and of course wine and food. The love of Italian wine in Russia probably goes back to the second half of the 18th Century when Catherine the Great tried Moscato di Scanzo, brought to her by the famous Italian architect Giacomo Quarengi, who was building St Petersburg at the time. The wine was from his hometown of Bergamo, where it is still traditionally produced today.

Over the centuries, many famous Russians have spent lots of time in Italy. Dostoyevsky loved Florence, Chekov travelled all over Italy, and Gorky spent many years there, mainly in Capri and Sorrento. During the tasting, we’ll follow in the footsteps of these great people and learn about the wines they used to drink or could have drunk. We’ll talk about the history of Italian wine and taste the styles of wines traditionally produced in the areas popular with Russians in the past and in the present.

So come and discover these Italian wine treats for yourself at our next tasting at The Pushkin House Wine Club on Thursday, the 11th October, 19.00-21.00. And as usual, someone will go home with a prize wine after winning the mini-quiz.

PUSHKIN HOUSE WINE CLUB: RUSSIANS IN ITALY – ITALIAN WINE TASTING