The oldest records date back to the 4th century BC, indicating that Uzbekistan has an ancient winemaking tradition. Although viticulture in the country was put on hold for a long time due to the arrival of Islam, nowadays, Uzbekistan is the main wine-producing country in Central Asia, and its winemaking tradition thus merits some attention.
Determining a start for the Uzbek winemaking tradition isn’t easy. When Alexander the Great conquered the city of Samarkand in the 4th century BC, the city’s sweet wines were already well-known, meaning their roots go back even further. Due to Uzbekistan’s location along the Silk Road, its produce was shipped all over the globe and, simultaneously, international wines and grapes passed through the country, permanently marking the local craftsmanship.
With the start of Islamic rule in the region came the prohibition of alcoholic beverages, including wine. This meant that many of the vineyards switched to table vines instead of those meant for winemaking, thus somewhat halting the evolution of Uzbek winemaking. However, not all winemakers halted their activities, and in the 11th century, polymath Ibn Sina (Avicenna) outlined both the negative and the positive effects of wine in his Canon of Medicine.
Modern winemaking in Uzbekistan really started at the end of the 19th century. In 1868, the ambitious Russian merchant Dmitry Filatov decided to plant new vineyards and make wine in Samarkand. Under the influence of the Russian Empire, he managed to expand his business, which still exists today.
Since then, many wineries have opened in Uzbekistan, especially since the start of the Soviet regime in the country. Mikhail Khovrenko, the first Russian winemaking professor, was particularly important in this regard, as he systematised the types of wine being made, cultivated several new varieties of grapes, introduced new technologies for wine production, and developed technological schemes for vintage wines.
Today, Uzbekistan has numerous wineries and a total of 118.000 hectares of vineyards (as of 2022, according to Statista). The main white wine varieties are Bakhtiori, Bayanshira, Bishty, Kuldzhinskii, Muscat Blanc, Rkatsiteli, Riesling and Soyaki (one of the ancient local vines). The main red wine varieties are Aleatico, Khindogni, Morrastel (Graciano), Pervomaisky, Rosenmuskateller, and Saperavi.
Overall, more than 300 types of grapes grow in Uzbekistan nowadays, whether on a smaller or larger scale. However, not all of those are used for winemaking, resulting in a production volume of 217.000 hectoliters per year. The Uzbek wineries produce everything from sweet whites over sparkling options to strong reds and dessert wines.
Even though Uzbekistan has a mainly continental climate, not all regions lend themselves to winemaking. The foot of the mountains and the river valleys around Tashkent, the Fergana Basin, the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand, and the country’s southeast are the most popular among winemakers.
Those who want to discover some of Uzbekistan’s finest wines while visiting the country can visit one of the many vineyards. These often provide guided tours and tastings, giving you the opportunity not only to learn a little more about the wine you are drinking but also to test your taste buds.
