Count Vorontsov spread the planting of grapes and the production of wine from them. For several years, there were barely 300 thousand planted vines on the Crimean peninsula, but now there are more than two million! The first winemaking experiments, of course, did not meet the expectations of buyers: Sudak wines that came out of Tatar vineyards or in flat areas and along the banks of rivers planted and often watered turned out to be weak; but they were the first on sale, which is why they were received very unfavorably throughout Russia and even in Moscow. But they will soon come out of this delusion and give them all justice. The wines of the midday coast of Crimea, made from ripe grapes, skillfully processed, stored in good cellars and sent at a convenient time, are in no way inferior to good table wines in Europe. I would like the gentlemen of the Crimean landowners to stop calling them by other people’s names: why the names “Burgonsky”, “Madera”, “Medoc”, when this is Massandra, Koreiz, Kuchuk-Lambat? The buyer immediately makes comparisons based on the names. Not everyone is an expert in wine, and often even what is better in Crimean wine than in foreign wine is not liked simply because, in comparison, it is not in foreign wine. But they will recognize kindness, get used to the taste and begin to prefer their own to someone else’s. The difference in prices will inevitably give Crimean wines a big boost: they will replace foreign ones and give this industry greater development and significant income for landowners. You just need patience!
Alushta was built on a hill, near the sea coast, at the very fork of two valleys: rivers flow through each of them. There is a postal station, a hotel and a large mosque. I examined the three towers left to us from antiquity, and I do not agree with travelers who attribute their construction to the Genoese. Everything on the contrary proves that it was Frurion, or the so-called fortified castle, of which Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of several on the Tauride coast around 565 to protect the country from the Huns and Ugrians. Under the Greeks, Alushta was the seat of the bishop; there were many inhabitants in it; now it is a poor place, where apart from the ancient three towers there is nothing remarkable. Although the high mountains - Chatyrdag, Babugan and Demirdzhi - somewhat close the Alushta valley from the north, the gaps between them allow northern winds to pass through, and therefore frosts sometimes reach 12 degrees Reaumur. For all that, the vineyards here are not buried, as in Astrakhan, and they are not even protected from the cold with anything.
From Alushta I went to Kuchuk-Lambat, the rich estate of my friend, Senator rozdin, and drove between the house and garden of Karabakh, owned by Mr. Keppen - the same scientist who published the “Crimean Collection” in 1837. His work is especially curious and remarkable for its critical research on the antiquities of the southern coast of Tauris, and deserves the respect of learned people. From here the midday shore becomes more picturesque and pleasant at every step. I happened to be riding along a narrow path along the seashore so that the waves splashed up to the feet of my horse, and the steepness of the mountain on the other side did not allow me to move away from them in any way. The views changed constantly as the road twisted: now Chatyrdag was still visible in the fogs, now Castel Mountain appeared, now Ayudag appeared in the distance in front of me. Near Kuchuk-Lambat, gardens, vineyards, and cultivated land were everywhere, and this gave a cheerful and lively look to the landscape.
Finally I reached my friend's estate. With what joy I hugged my old and kind comrade! He reminded me of the pleasant days of our youth, spent in the best societies of St. Petersburg and in the circle of our mutual friends and acquaintances. His cordiality and friendly welcome revived and comforted me. We talked sweetly over his delicious meal, smoked tobacco and couldn’t stop talking; however, I needed peace, and my supportive, kind host postponed the walk around his lovely dacha until another day. Andrei Mikhailovich can be called an old-timer of Tavrida: he was one of the first to settle here permanently. I spent the night, felt completely refreshed, and, having had tea for breakfast, went for a walk with him.