
Best Places for Wine & Brewery Tours in Moscow, Russia

1. Moscow Brewing Company
Known for its rich history in brewing, this brewery offers guided tours where you can see the brewing process and taste fresh beers. It provides a unique chance to learn about local brewing traditions in the heart of Russia.
- Accessibility: Located within city limits, making it easy for tourists to visit.
- Educational Value: Offers detailed insights into the brewing process.
- Tasting Options: Includes a variety of beer samples during the tour.

2. Wine Discovery Center
This center is dedicated to helping visitors learn about Russian wine varieties through detailed guided tours and tastings. It’s perfect for wine enthusiasts eager to explore local grape varieties.
- Variety: Offers a wide range of Russian wines to sample.
- Expert Guides: Leads tours with knowledgeable sommeliers.
- Booking: Requires advance booking to accommodate guests.

3. Lefortovo Brewery
An active brewery known for its friendly staff and engaging tours that showcase traditional Russian brewing techniques. The cozy atmosphere makes every visit memorable.
- Atmosphere: Provides a warm and welcoming environment.
- Historical Insight: Shares the history of brewing in Moscow.
- Group Size: Ideal for small group tours for a personalized experience.

4. Moscow Craft Beer Brewery
Popular for its innovative craft beers, this brewery provides interactive tours and workshops. It offers something for adventurous beer enthusiasts seeking unique flavors.
- Innovation: Known for creative and experimental brews.
- Interactive Elements: Involves guests in the brewing process.
- Language Options: Tours available in both English and Russian.

5. Moscow Winery Tour
Located on the outskirts, this winery offers scenic views and a deep dive into Russian winemaking processes. It’s a great escape from the city's hustle.
- Scenic Views: Surrounded by beautiful vineyards.
- Relaxation: Provides a peaceful respite from city life.
- Transportation: Best reached by private car or tour shuttle.

6. Zhiguli Brewery Complex
This historic brewery combines heritage and modernity, offering tours about authentic Soviet-era beer-making alongside contemporary practices.
- Historical Relevance: Known for Soviet-era brewing equipment.
- Innovation: Combines old and new brewing techniques.
- Accessibility: Located slightly outside central Moscow, so plan for travel time.

7. ABC Wine School
Offers educational wine tours that focus more on tasting and understanding wine rather than production, making it ideal for beginners.
- Educational Focus: Perfect for novices wanting to learn about wine.
- Tasting Sessions: Emphasizes flavor profiles and pairing.
- Duration: Tours are concise and ideal for short visits.

8. Gorky Brewery
Located near Gorky Park, this brewery is perfect for those who want a craft beer experience in Moscow’s bustling heart. It’s a blend of culture and refreshment.
- Location: Easily accessible from central Moscow.
- Cultural Blend: Combines beer with local cultural experiences.
- Family-Friendly: Offers activities suitable for all ages.

9. Moscow Traditional Meadery
This place specializes in mead, a historic honey wine. It’s an offbeat choice for those wanting to try something distinct from typical wines or beers.
- Unique Offerings: Focuses on traditional honey-based wines.
- History: Provides insights into ancient alcoholic beverages.
- Tasting Flights: Includes diverse mead varieties in tasting sessions.

10. Mitino Winery
Nestled in Moscow’s suburbs, this winery is known for its artisanal approach to wine production, emphasizing organic and sustainable practices.
- Sustainability: Promotes eco-friendly wine-making.
- Artisanal Process: Uses handcrafted methods for production.
- Accessibility: Might require travel arrangements due to suburban location.

11. Vodka and Wine Factory Museum
Offers a unique combination of wine and Russia’s iconic vodka production tours, providing a deeper understanding of Russia's beverage culture.
- Dual Experience: Explores both vodka and wine production.
- Museum Aspect: Includes historical displays and artifacts.
- Diverse Tastings: Provides tastings of both wine and vodka.

12. Sergei’s Wine Lab
A boutique cellar experience where visitors can taste high-quality wines and learn more about boutique wine production in Russia.
- Boutique Appeal: Focuses on high-end, small-batch wines.
- Intimate Setting: Offers a personalized and close-knit experience.
- Advanced Booking: Required due to limited tour sizes.

13. Moscow Beer Festival Grounds
While primarily a venue for events, during festivals, it transforms into a lively hotspot where numerous breweries and vineyards set up stalls.
- Event-Based: Best visited during beer festivals.
- Wide Selection: Offers tastings from multiple breweries in one place.
- Seasonal Availability: Check festival dates before planning.

14. Urban Vineyards
Offers a rare experience of urban wine production, focusing on rooftop grape cultivation in the city and the subsequent wine-making process.
- Urban Innovation: Features unique rooftop vineyards.
- Eco-Friendly: Utilizes sustainable practices in urban settings.
- Small Groups: Tours are small and exclusive, requiring reservations.

15. Moscow Cider House
Specializes in cider, offering tours that differentiate it from typical wine or beer tours with a focus on apple-based drinks.
- Specialty Focus: Dedicated solely to cider production.
- Seasonal Drinks: Offers a rotating menu based on apple harvest.
- Engaging Workshops: Includes cider-making sessions.

16. Blue Diamond Winery
This winery focuses on sparkling wines, offering visitors a refreshing break from traditional wine tours with a bubbly tasting experience.
- Specialization: Known for its sparkling wine production.
- Festive Atmosphere: Great for celebratory occasions.
- Advance Reservations: Necessary due to high demand for tours.

17. Moscow Mead Alley
This area is dedicated to showcasing different meaderies and their honey wines. It presents a side of Russian beverage culture that few visitors get to see.
- Honey Wines: Exclusively features meaderies and meads.
- Collective Experience: Multiple meaderies in one location.
- Cultural Insight: Educates on mead's historical significance.

18. Local Craft Beer Circuit
A guided tour through several lesser-known city breweries, offering a diverse taste of Moscow’s underground beer scene.
- Diverse Stops: Visits multiple craft breweries in one tour.
- Hidden Gems: Focuses on discovering unknown local brews.
- Time-Intensive: Requires a full day to complete the circuit.

19. Moscow River Winery
Take a scenic wine tour along the Moscow River, complete with tastings and a boat ride. It melds sightseeing and sampling in a tasteful manner.
- Scenic Tours: Combines river views with wine tastings.
- Novelty: Unique experience pairing river cruises with wine.
- Seasonal Operation: Best booked during warmer months.

20. Arbat Wine Pub Crawl
An evening experience visiting wine bars around the historic Arbat Street, perfect for travelers wanting to combine sightseeing with wine tasting.
- Nightlife Exploration: Focuses on the Arbat Street area.
- Social Atmosphere: Encourages meetups with fellow travelers.
- Flexible Itinerary: Allows for customizing the route.
- Each of these locations offers something unique for wine and brewery enthusiasts visiting Moscow. The factors to consider will ensure an enriching and well-planned experience.