The Legend of the Black Doctor and the Black Colonel
He lived in the village of Kozy in the Solnechnaya Valley, in the south-east of Crimea, a student of Avicenna - a doctor-healer who knew magic, medicinal herbs and the laws of the movement of celestial bodies. For his selfless kindness, wise advice and talent for healing, the villagers nicknamed him their Doctor. However, the talent of this kind, intelligent and irrepressible man was not limited to healing. On his lands he was engaged in viticulture and, after many years of work, developed two extraordinary varieties of grapes, from the berries of which the Doctor prepared a precious wine the color of dark magical rubies. With the help of this wine, he worked miracles, bringing hopeless patients back to life. The fame of the Doctor and the miracle drink soon crossed the borders of Cimmeria.
Once upon a time, fate brought the Colonel, driven by the intrigues of the royal court, to this distant, remote and enchanting corner of the Crimea. In a cozy house between mountains and forests, on the shores of the Black Sea, he spent his life hunting and long emotional conversations with the smart Doctor.
The Colonel's passion for hunting intensified over the years. He was a naturally brave and desperate man; he risked his life more than once. One day, during another hunt, the Colonel was seriously wounded by a wild boar. Bleeding, the hunters brought him to the Doctor's house, but he was not at home. The neighbors arrived in time and advised the hunters to pour the Colonel some miraculous wine. Sincerely wanting to help, his friends gave him a full jug of the magical drink to drink. A miracle happened this time too. The dying man opened his eyes and stood up... But the jug turned out to be too large: having instantly healed the flesh and restored strength, the wine just as quickly clouded the mind. Intoxicated with wine, without meaning to, the Colonel attacked the Doctor returning at dusk and killed him, mistaking him for an enemy on the battlefield. And when he came to his senses, the terrible news of his friend’s death instantly and forever sobered him up. He vowed not to drink a drop of wine in the future.
The villagers, who idolized the wizard doctor, gave names to the vines from his vineyard in memory of this story. One was called "Ekim Kara" - "Black Doctor", the other - "Cevat Kara" - "Black Colonel".
And to this day, wines with such names keep within themselves, like fabulous living and dead water, two opposing principles: healing and destructive, like honey and poison...
These indigenous varieties grow and retain their taste and medicinal properties only in the unique soil and climatic zone of the Sunny Valley of Crimea, on the site of the former Doctor’s vineyards. When transferred to other places and regions, varieties can produce higher yields, but at the same time lose their unique advantages.
For the first time in experimental winemaking, the Black Doctor wine variety was tested in 1933-44. And already in 1940, the wine of the 1939 harvest, prepared at a wine point in the village of Kozy, was highly praised at the All-Union tasting in Moscow. Like many red wines, “Black Doctor” has a radioprotective effect and P-vitamin activity. Contains vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, rare organic acids and biologically active substances. Glucose and fructose are easily absorbed by the human body and provide additional energy support for the heart muscle and have a beneficial effect on the condition of blood vessels in atherosclerosis.
According to ancient belief, wine should be consumed when a person lost blood, was exhausted and lost strength. Warriors returning from the battlefield were given this wine to drink and their wounds were washed with it. The high bactericidal properties of "Black Doctor" contributed to rapid healing. Its effect is similar to the “green stuff” used in medicine.
The bouquet of the wine is original with tones of prunes, chocolate and subtle shades of vanilla. The taste is full, velvety, with pronounced tones of dried pear, milk cream, morocco and Constantinople mulberry. The piquant astringency does not prevent the wine from being soft, harmonious, and coherent. There is a pleasant hint of cocoa and cream in the aftertaste. So it is not only healthy to drink, but also pleasant and, most importantly, tasty. Only the “Ministry of Health warns” - drink in moderation, do not be like the Black Colonel.
Source: "Russian Almanac of Wines"