Khovrenko Winery and wine tasting in Samarkand

Grapes have been grown in the Zarafshan valley around Samarkand for thousands of years. Sogdian merchants traded wine along the Silk Road, and Chinese sources mention the wines of the region. After the Islamic conquest wine-making continued on a smaller scale, and grapes were mainly eaten fresh or dried as raisins, for which Uzbekistan is still famous.

Commercial wine-making in the modern sense began after the Russian conquest. In 1868 a merchant named Dmitry Filatov founded a winery in Samarkand that won prizes at international exhibitions in the late 19th century. In the Soviet period it became a state enterprise.

The winery is named after Mikhail Khovrenko, a Russian scientist and winemaker who worked in Samarkand in the first half of the 20th century. He studied the local grape varieties and the hot, dry climate of the Zarafshan valley and created a range of wines suited to them, especially sweet dessert wines and fortified wines, which became the trademark of Samarkand. His name was given to the winery in his honour.

A typical visit begins in a small museum displaying old bottles, labels, medals and equipment, with the history of the winery and of wine-making in Uzbekistan. Then a guide leads a tasting in an old-fashioned tasting room, usually of around ten wines and brandies, served in small glasses with explanations of the grape varieties and styles. Expect a mix of dry, semi-sweet and dessert wines and a couple of brandies; Samarkand is best known for its sweet and fortified wines.

Tastings are usually offered in Russian and English, sometimes other languages, and are often booked for groups. Small snacks may be served. Bottles can be bought at the shop.

The winery is in the western, 19th-century part of Samarkand, a short taxi ride from the Registan. Tastings usually need to be booked in advance, particularly for individuals and small groups; your hotel or guide can arrange it. A fee is charged. Visitors must be of legal drinking age (18 in Uzbekistan). Do not drive after the tasting.

If you want to take wine home, ask about export limits for your country and pack bottles carefully. Customs rules on alcohol apply when leaving Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is a majority-Muslim country with a secular state. Alcohol is legal and widely available in shops and restaurants in cities, and many Uzbeks drink, especially at celebrations. At the same time, many people do not drink for religious reasons. Be discreet: do not drink near mosques, shrines or in conservative areas, and respect hosts who do not serve alcohol. A winery tasting is a natural place to enjoy local wine without offending anyone.

Since the winery is in the 19th-century quarter, combine the tasting with a walk along University Boulevard, past the Orthodox cathedral and the colonial buildings, then dinner in one of the restaurants of the new town. An evening tasting followed by a walk back to the illuminated Registan is a pleasant way to end a day of sightseeing.

Uzbekistan grows dozens of grape varieties, many of them local. Some are table grapes for eating fresh or drying, such as the long green husayni and the seedless kishmish used for raisins; others are wine grapes, including local red varieties and European ones introduced in the 19th and 20th centuries. The hot summers and cold winters of the Zarafshan valley give grapes high sugar content, which is why sweet and fortified wines became the regional speciality. In late summer and early autumn you will see grapes everywhere, in bazaars, gardens and on vines shading courtyards.