Soviet Anti-Drink Drive Destroyed the Wrong Grapes
“Human folly” in pursuing President Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s anti-drinking drive caused the destruction of 16% of Soviet vineyards, many of which were not intended to produce wine, the media said Saturday.
The labor daily Trud said table grapes rather than wine grapes suffered the most during the systematic uprooting of vines spurred by the interest in promoting Soviet sobriety.
In 1985-87, 533,000 acres of Soviet vineyards, or 16% of the total, were destroyed, Trud said. The official Tass news agency called it a “human folly.”
Gorbachev launched the anti-alcohol campaign in May, 1985, raising the price of vodka and other alcoholic beverages and cutting production within two months of being named Communist Party chief.
Since then, the Soviets have admitted they erred in treating all alcoholic beverages alike, and have liberalized the sales of wine, cognac and some other beverages.
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