Massandra Sherry de la Frontera 1775, popularly known as the Massandra Sherry 1775 is one of the most expensive wines which was sold for a whopping $43,500 for a single bottle at Sotheby’s London in 2001. It came from the collection of Massandra Winery which is well known for its large collection (over a million) of both Russian and European vintage wines bearing the Imperial seal. Among these, the 1775 Sherry was the oldest European wine.

The 1775 Sherry got its name from the Spanish town of Jeres de la Frontera. During that time, the Spanish were the only people producing the Sherry with the local wine makers rigorously guarding the secret of its making. The Sherry is a fortified wine which is proud of its powerful and manly strength. Massandra Winery began producing its own Sherry only in the 20th century with its Sherry being deep golden-amber in color, bright and clear which encompasses a delicate yet complex piquant bouquet and also has distinctive flavors which are full and harmonious.

Massandra, situated four kilometers from Yalta, is the oldest winery in Ukraine which has been making and serving fine wine for more than 110 years. The winery was regarded as highly distinguished during the Czarist Russia with the winery making wines to cater the Tsar’s every conceivable need.

The Tsar also appointed Prince Lev Sergervich Golitzin to manage the production process. Golitzin, who was an extremely accomplished wine maker, devoted himself to develop the best wines that suited the region and excelled in blending wines and creating new ones. Till date the secrets of his legendary ‘Seventh Heaven’ and ‘Honey of Altae Pastures’ are unknown.

The protective mountain shields and subtropical climate of the region have facilitated the production of quality wines at Massandra. The spectacular architectural design of the cellars and the production of fortified and dessert wines in them have earned Massandra great national renown as well.

During the 1920s when Crimea fell to Soviet Regime, Stalin ordered the authorities to preserve the winery as well as its historic collection. He also ordered all of the Tsar’s wine collections to be moved to Massandra cellars.

Massandra is also called a treasure trove of ancient wines as its library maintains or retains at least one bottle of every wine it makes. However, only a limited number of these historic wines are released over a period of time for sales where some of the most prestigious auctions list Massandra wines.