Abrau-Dyurso makes sparkling wine, and it has been doing so since the nineteenth century, which surprises people who think of Russian drink as vodka. In 1870, Tsar Alexander II issued a decree creating an imperial estate on the shores of Lake Abrau, on the Black Sea coast near Novorossiysk, to develop viticulture on the southern slopes, and a few years later Prince Lev Golitsyn, who had made wine in Crimea, took over the project and began to produce champagne by the traditional method, with cellars dug into the hillside. The Abrau wines won prizes in Europe, and the tsar's court drank them. In the Soviet period, the estate supplied Soviet Champagne, the cheap and cheerful sparkling wine that appeared at every celebration, and today Abrau-Dyurso is a modern winery and a tourist stop, with tastings, cellar tours and restaurants.
The setting is lovely. The lake lies in a hollow of the Caucasus foothills, a few kilometres inland from the sea, about three kilometres long and a good deal deeper than it looks, ringed by forested hills and vineyards. The village runs along its north shore, with its neat old estate buildings, a promenade, and boats for hire, and the air smells of pine, juniper and warm stone. In summer, it is busy, with day trippers from Novorossiysk and Anapa, and in spring and autumn it is calmer. The sea beyond the ridge is warm in August.
The road from Novorossiysk climbs over a low ridge and drops to the lake, with gentle curves and good views, and the surface is generally decent, though it can be crowded in July and August. The inland roads through vineyards and hills are quieter and more enjoyable, especially in early morning. Weather is Mediterranean, with hot dry summers, wet autumns and the occasional fierce wind, called the bora, which blows down from the mountains at Novorossiysk and can make a bike twitchy.
The village has plenty of restaurants, cafés and guest houses, though tasting is obviously a matter of moderation if you are riding. Book tours in advance on summer weekends.
Take a walk around the lake in the evening. The light is soft, and the vines look golden.