The “Shohrud” company is one of the oldest wineries in Uzbekistan, founded in 1936 in ancient Bukhara. This city, which stood for centuries at the crossroads of culture and trade routes, gave the world not only great historical monuments, but also unique winemaking traditions.

From the very beginning, “Shohrud” became a symbol of the revival of Uzbek winemaking, combining the region’s centuries-old traditions with cutting-edge 21st-century technology. Bukhara’s favorable climate, abundant sunshine, and fertile soils created ideal conditions for growing grapes, which produced rich and distinctive wines.

1936–1940: Foundation and First Steps

In 1936, the winery was founded, later named “Shohrud”. The first years were the time of formation:

• Vineyards were planted using local varieties (Khusayne, Bayan shirei, Mayskiy cherny) and European (Rkatsiteli, Cabernet Sauvignon, Saperavi, Muscat).
• The first workshops were built and production of table and fortified wines began.
• During this period there were also difficulties with a lack of equipment, low mechanization, and dependence on manual labor.

1940-1960: Post-war period.

Despite the difficult post-war period, the company found funds for a radical reconstruction of the plant.

During this period, the company was actively developing, expanding vineyards and improving production technologies. Winemakers increased and preserved the traditions of producing not only wines, but also high-quality cognacs. The history of cognac production here is closely linked to the development of winemaking in the region, and the drink itself became a symbol of the skill and patience of Bukhara winemakers.

1960-1990: History of Cognac Production

The heyday of cognac production in Uzbekistan. In the 1960s and 1970s, the first experiments with cognacs laid the foundations for future cognac production. Shokhrud began producing ordinary and vintage cognacs using classic aging technologies in oak barrels. The basis for them were local and European grape varieties, which produced rich and saturated distillates.

1990-2015: The Period of Independence

During the Soviet period, Uzbekistan was an important wine-making region, and after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the industry experienced difficult times. However, in the 1990-2000s, Shohrud was able to adapt to new economic conditions and preserve the traditions of wine and cognac production.

• After the collapse of the USSR, many winemaking enterprises in Uzbekistan faced economic difficulties: the breakdown of business ties, a lack of equipment, and a decline in demand.

Shohrud took steps to modernize its wine receiving points (WRP), many of which used technologies from the 1970s and 80s, another problem of that period was the low quality of raw materials – due to a lack of fertilizers and vineyard care. Reduction of processing capacity – some WRPs were abandoned or worked inefficiently.

2015-2025: Formation

With the arrival of the new head Nodir Mukhamotovich in 2015, large-scale transformations began at the enterprise aimed at increasing efficiency, modernizing production and improving corporate culture.

Structural changes were made, business processes were optimized and modern management technologies were introduced. Thanks to a clear strategy and a systematic approach, the company was able to increase productivity, expand sales markets and strengthen its position in the industry.

The result of the changes was a significant increase in performance indicators: profits increased, the competitiveness of products increased, and the company reached a new level of development.

Today, the company continues to develop dynamically, maintaining the course towards innovation and sustainable progress laid down by the management in 2015.

“Shohrud” began a gradual renewal of production:

• Purchase of new equipment from Italian manufacturers (crushers, presses, refrigeration units) for wine collection points; European distillation apparatuses, oak barrels, and stainless steel containers were purchased for the cognac complex.
• In the 2020s, Shohrud began to gradually increase production. The company began to focus on both the domestic market and exports to the CIS countries (especially Russia and Kazakhstan).
• Traditional technologies for aging cognac spirits in oak barrels have been revived.
• Implementation of modern fermentation methods to improve the quality of wine materials.
• Cooperation with winegrowers – the company encouraged farmers to increase their grape supplies by providing them with technical support.
• Improving the quality of raw materials – working with agronomists, purchasing new grape varieties (Rkatsiteli, Saperavi, Bayan Shirey).
• Increasing processing volumes – if in 2015 5-10 thousand tons of grapes were processed per year, then by 2025 the capacity will increase to 20-30 thousand tons.

As a result of modernization, production increased – the output of wine materials, cognac distillates and finished products increased. Wines and cognacs “Shohrud” quickly gained popularity not only in Uzbekistan, but also far beyond its borders. Master winemakers carefully preserved traditions, passing on knowledge from generation to generation, and each new wine became a reflection of the rich culture of the region.

Today, JSC Shohrud is a harmonious combination of history and progress. The company remains faithful to traditions, but at the same time introduces modern winemaking technologies.

“Shohrud” is not just a winery, but a custodian of the centuries-old culture of viticulture in Uzbekistan. We are convinced that real wine begins with respect for the land and its gifts. Our vineyards are cultivated with care for nature, and in production we strive for a balance between traditional methods and innovations.

Future: New pages of the legend

JSC Shohrud continues to write its history, opening new horizons. We explore the potential of Uzbek terroirs, experiment with aging and blends to create wines and cognacs worthy of the great heritage of Bukhara.

JSC “Shohrud” – the taste of history embodied in wine!