Abrau-Durso, one of Russia’s most prominent sparkling wine producers, has once again voiced strong support for the legalization of online wine sales, a debate that has been ongoing for more than a decade.
At the Eastern Economic Forum, company CEO Elena Zaritskaya emphasized the need to modernize the country’s restrictive alcohol trade regulations, at least by starting with an experimental program for Russian wine.
“We have been fighting with all our might for many years for permission to trade wine online, and maybe only Russian wine, which would support Russian winemaking. Almost all food products are already traded online; it’s a pity that specifically Russian alcohol is excluded,” Zaritskaya said.
According to her, even if online channels would not radically increase sales volumes, they would significantly raise visibility and recognition for Russian wine brands, especially smaller wineries. Abrau-Durso itself has launched Vino.ru, a project highlighting small winemakers who lack access to larger distribution networks.
A Longstanding Legal Roadblock
Online alcohol sales have been prohibited in Russia since 2007. Several attempts have been made to reverse this decision, but they have consistently faced pushback from health and law enforcement authorities.
- In 2020, the Finance Ministry drafted a bill to allow online trade, but it was blocked by the Health Ministry and Internal Affairs Ministry.
- In 2021, President Vladimir Putin instructed the government and Russian Post to conduct an experiment in selling Russian wines online, but implementation never materialized.
- In April 2023, the government submitted a bill to the State Duma for an experiment in Moscow and the Moscow region (scheduled for November 2023 to July 2026), but the Internal Affairs Ministry objected, claiming it was not involved in drafting the proposal.
Additional opposition came from the Federal Service for Alcohol and Tobacco Oversight (Rosalkogoltabakcontrol). Its head, Igor Alyoshin, argued in 2024 that Russia already has sufficient physical wine shops and that allowing online trade could have “unpredictable consequences.”
Earlier this year, Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Sazanov confirmed that the issue remains “frozen,” with bills stalled and no political consensus in sight.
Industry Perspective
Despite the political stalemate, industry leaders argue that Russia risks falling behind global trends. Abrau-Durso’s main shareholder, Boris Titov, has repeatedly pointed out that online wine sales are commonplace worldwide and do not present major challenges abroad.
For Abrau-Durso, which sold 66.9 million bottles in 2024—an 18% increase from 2023—the online channel represents not just a potential new revenue stream, but a strategic platform for promoting Russian winemaking culture.
As Zaritskaya underlined, “We are ready for it. Even if it doesn’t multiply sales, it will help Russian wines reach more consumers, strengthen brand recognition, and support smaller producers who cannot compete in traditional retail.”
For now, however, the digital future of Russian wine remains on hold, as the tug-of-war between economic opportunity and regulatory caution continues.
Source: Interfax