Short answers, pulled from the story.
Prince Lev Golitsyn founded modern commercial winemaking in Russia between 1845 and 1915. He established the first Russian factory of champagne wines at his Crimean estate of Novyi Svet before the Revolution of 1917.
Semi-sweet and sweet wines account for 80% of the total Russian wine market today. This figure exceeds 90% within the economy segment of the industry.
The Rkatsiteli grape accounts for over 45 percent of total Russian wine production. Other varieties used include Aligote Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Muscat Pinot gris Riesling Saperavi Traminer and Golubok.
Krasnodar has anywhere from 193 to 233 frost free days during growing seasons allowing full ripening. The North Caucasus region where most vineyards are located experiences a continental climate requiring growers to cover vines with soil to protect them from severe winters.
Mikhail Gorbachev pushed domestic reforms in 1985 as part of his campaign against alcoholism causing significant disruption. By 2000 the entire Russian Federation had less than half the total area used in the early 1980s due to privatization of land.