Memoirists claim that Tsar Nicholas II would always keep a flask of Massandra port hidden in his high boot during his daily Sunny path walks, while his wife sipped the very same drink listening to Rasputin's prophesies. The imperial court's winery is now open to visitors. On a mandatory Russian-language tour (leaving every two hours from 11am to 7pm), you get to see the tsar's wine cellars, which contain over a million dust-covered bottles, including a 1775 Spanish Jerez de la Frontera claimed to be the oldest preserved wine in the world. The tour itself might seem a little boring, if you don't understand Russian. Subsequent wine-tasting sessions are more fun, but you must have a sweet tooth to appreciate local wines. There is a shop selling bottles for collection at modest prices. To reach the winery, take marshrutka 40 from Veshchevoy Rynok bus station. Ask the driver to stop at Vinzavod Massandra.
