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Lev Golitsyn

Lev Sergeyevich Golitsyn (1845–1916) was a prince, jurist, and distinguished winemaker, the founder of champagne production in Crimea (Novy Svit), the builder of the "Massandra" wine cellars, the creator of unique Crimean wines, and the author of the celebrated principle "Grapes and wine are a product of the variety and the terroir." He was called the "king of experts" in the field of winemaking.

Overview

A descendant of the ancient house of the Gediminids and the son of a Polish princess of the Radziwiłł family, Lev Golitsyn received a brilliant legal education (Moscow University) and took part in the semi-clandestine preparation of a Constitution for the russian empire on the commission of Alexander II. However, due to his volatile temperament and personal circumstances, he left his career in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, moved to Crimea, and devoted himself to winemaking — the pursuit that brought him worldwide fame.

A self-taught winemaker, Golitsyn achieved remarkable heights: his champagne from Novy Svit triumphed at the 1899 World Exhibition in Paris. He established a collectible vineyard in Novy Svit (600–800 varieties from all over the world), built the world's finest cellars for aging vintage wines at "Massandra," and developed winemaking in the Koz Valley (now Soniachna Dolyna / Sunny Valley).

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Origin and education: Lev Golitsyn's native language was Polish, and his working language was French. He learned russian only at university, but spoke it with a heavy accent all his life. He also knew the Crimean Tatar language. He was the grandson of the prototype of Pushkin's "Queen of Spades."

  • Legal career: He worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the russian empire. He was invited to join the group of jurists who, by secret commission of Alexander II, prepared a draft Constitution. For personal reasons, he left state service.

  • Contribution to Crimean winemaking:

  • Novy Svit champagne: He founded the production of sparkling wines in the settlement of Novy Svit near Sudak. His champagne won at the 1899 World Exhibition in Paris and became a world-famous brand. Legend has it that it was drunk at New Year's at Windsor Castle.
  • The "Massandra" cellars: He built unique cellars for aging vintage wines, which became the foundation of the imperial winemaking.
  • "Soniachna Dolyna" (Arkhaderese): In the Koz Valley, based on local varieties brought in since the ancient Hellenes and medieval Armenians, he developed a unique production. The nominal owner of the land was Prince Gorchakov. It was in the cellars built by Golitsyn at Arkhaderese that his students created the famous "Black Doctor" in the 1930s.

  • Moldova: He organized proper winemaking in Moldova, proposing to use local wines as raw material for wine spirits.

  • Golitsyn's signature wines:

  • "Livadia" — the finest of domestic red port wines, the favorite wine of the last russian tsars.
  • "Seventh Heaven" — a 50/50 blend of white muscat with the indigenous Sudak kokur; revived by the winemakers of Kapsikhor (students of Golitsyn's students) about 20 years ago.

  • "Alushta" — a vintage red table wine of "Massandra." Legend has it that when the Alushta winemakers presented Golitsyn with an exquisite local red table wine, he said: "Do not name this masterpiece after the grape variety — 'Bordeaux' — but name it after the place." Thus the name "Alushta" appeared, although the wine was only firmly established in this form just before the Second World War.

  • The "On Wine" law: He took part in drafting the russian empire's "On Wine" law over 100 years ago, which experts still recognize as one of the most perfected in the world.

  • The principle of "product of the variety and the terroir": Golitsyn's celebrated phrase, which became the golden rule of winemaking. It is precisely this principle that makes it impossible to relocate the production of unique Crimean wines (such as "Massandra," "Soniachna Dolyna") to any other place.

  • Legacy and students: He nurtured a whole pleiad of domestic winemakers of the 20th century from the students of the Nikitsky school. He dreamed of creating an Academy of Wine, for which he gifted his beloved Novy Svit to the tsar. He did not live to see the end of the First World War; in the turbulent 1920s, even the ashes of the Golitsyn couple were removed from the modest vault in the middle of the Paradiz Valley.

  • Friendship with Feodor Chaliapin: Chaliapin was one of the prince's most famous friends, although he was sometimes annoyed that Golitsyn knew the Crimean Tatar language.

  • Raw material for champagne: For the production of the finest champagne wines, he imported the raw material from the vineyards of the lower Dnieper, which were cultivated by his son-in-law, Prince Trubetskoy.

Contemporary Context

After 2014, the brands "Massandra," "Novy Svit," "Soniachna Dolyna," and the trademarks "Inkerman," "Koktebel" are owned by the state of Ukraine, yet physical control over the production capacities in Crimea has been lost. The principle of "product of the variety and the terroir" rules out any possibility of relocating these brands. The heirs of Golitsyn's work and his students once again find themselves facing the challenge of reviving the industry.