Kagor is a fortified dessert wine made from cabernet sauvignon, saperavi and other grapes on the Black Sea coast of the former Russian Empire, primarily in Moldova and Crimea. Its name comes from Cahors, France. Conversely, the dominant grape variety in French Cahors wine is Malbec.
Kagor originated as a sacramental wine for use in Russian Orthodox liturgy. It was Peter the Great who developed a taste for Cahors wines and started importing them in bulk. The Russian clergy was so impressed with its blood-red color (reminiscent of Christâs blood) that the Holy Synod adopted Cahors as a preferred wine for sacraments in 1733. The modern type of Kagor was developed for Prince Lev Golitsyn in the late 19th century. Its production usually involves heating the seeds and skins to 65 °C or higher.
