Based on a groundbreaking consumer survey of Russian drinkers of imported wine, and containing both the latest sales data and information about routes to market, this report provides an unprecedented insight into a rapidly growing wine market on the doorstep of Europe. Unlike in the emerging Asian markets - to which Russia is often compared - people in this country are familiar with wine and are used to drinking it at the table with food. Wine was actually a popular choice during the Soviet era, and today Russians treat imported wine, especially from traditional European winemaking areas such as France, as a product with an important cultural value. However Russia's modern wine market is still relatively immature and has suffered two serious crises in the past 10 years, the financial crash of 1998 and the 2006 wine tax crisis - and as we enter the final weeks of 2008, the threat of a global economic downturn may yet precipitate another crisis in the wine industry. Moscow is fundamental to the success of any aspiring wine producer, representing at least two thirds of all wine sales. It is followed by St. Petersburg, and a handful of other key population centres. With its Vinitrac® Russia study, Wine Intelligence has been among the first to survey real consumer behaviour in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the results of this groundbreaking consumer research are contained in the report. While the global financial crisis may dampen some demand in the short term, the long term picture for wine in Russia is very encouraging. Wine Intelligence predicts that the Russian wine drinking population will more than double by 2020, which gives an opportunity for further sales and consumption growth. The challenge for the wine trade is to sustain this increase, as well as to educate a relatively unsophisticated market. www.wineintelligence.com