Bolivia negotiates project to grow Tannat grapes in Crimea

Bolivia is negotiating a project to grow the red Tannat grape in the Crimean peninsula, Mauricio Vasquez, a member of the board of directors of the Bolivian-Russian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, told Sputnik news agency.

“We are negotiating the project at the preparation level. A Russian company plans to start experiments with the cultivation of Tannat in Crimea in the coming months. We are in contact with them,” Vasquez said without specifying the company’s name.

He stressed that Bolivia, for its part, is capable of supplying Bolivian Tannat grape seedlings.

He also said that a group of Bolivian wine producers plans to arrive in Crimea before the end of this year to see the potential area for cultivation.

Vásquez recalled that Bolivian companies have already done tastings of Bolivian Tannat wine in Russia and the experts gave it a very high rating.

He also said that by the end of the year, Bolivia expects to supply the Russian market with the first batch of Bolivian wine, gin, and the Bolivian alcoholic beverage singani, which is the name of a grape brandy.

“I hope the Russian market will appreciate these products; they are quality products. We hope to agree on everything before the end of this year, and supplies will start,” Vasquez expressed.

He stressed that the political situation and the exit of several companies from the Russian market opened good business opportunities for Bolivian companies in Russia.

The Tannat grape historically comes from France but is currently grown in Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru, among others.

With information from Sputnik