Prince Lev Sergeyevich Golitsyn ran experiments at his Novy Svet Estate in Crimea. Golitsyn studied a hundred varieties of grapes, chose five and obtained a splendid result from his series of tests: Russkoye Shampanskoye, a Russian sparkling wine, claimed the Grand Prix de Champagne of the 1900 World Fair in Paris, leaving shocked hosts holding the bag.
Later, Lev Golitsyn established another renowned factory, now known as Abrau-Dyurso. So when you celebrate your birthday or the New Year, remember Lev Sergeyevich.
