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Putin, Berlusconi in Ukraine probe for drinking Crimea wine
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) visits the state-owned Massandra winery in Yalta, Crimea on Sept
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) visits the state-owned Massandra winery in Yalta, Crimea on Sept. 11, 2015. President Putin arrived in Crimea to meet with Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The Massandra Collection is one of the largest and truly unique collections of fine and rare wines in the world, estimated at over one million bottles, of various types and vintages which are recorded into the Guinness Book of Records. (Alexei Druzhinin/RIA-Novosti, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) (right) visits the state-owned Massandra winery in Yalta, Crimea on Sept. 11, 2015. President Putin arrived in Crimea to meet with Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The Massandra Collection is one of the largest and truly unique collections of fine and rare wines in the world, estimated at over one million bottles, of various types and vintages which are recorded into the Guinness Book of Records. (Alexei Druzhinin/RIA-Novosti, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
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span class="caption">Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) visits the state-owned Massandra winery in Yalta, Crimea on Sept. 11, 2015. President Putin arrived in Crimea to meet with Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The Massandra Collection is one of the largest and truly unique collections of fine and rare wines in the world, estimated at over one million bottles, of various types and vintages which are recorded into the Guinness Book of Records. (Alexei Druzhinin/RIA-Novosti, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Ukrainian prosecutors are reportedly preparing charges against the director of a winery in Russian-occupied Crimea for uncorking a 240-year-old bottle for Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi.
Putin and his old friend Berlusconi spent last weekend in Crimea, touring ancient ruins and visiting the peninsula's prized Massandra winery. Massandra was Ukrainian government property before being nationalized by Russia, following its annexation of Crimea in 2014. It has rare wine and sherry dating back more than 200 years in its collection; one bottle fetched nearly 32,000 British pounds in 2001.
Ukrainian media on Friday quoted Ukrainian prosecutors responsible for Crimea as saying they are preparing to file embezzlement charges against the winery's director, who opened the valuable bottle for Berlusconi.
When the winery was Ukrainian property, two separate presidential decrees were required to approve the sale of vintage wine from its collection. That means that under Ukrainian law, giving a bottle as a gift without Ukrainian presidential permission would amount to theft. The charges, however, would be moot since Russia currently has full control over Crimea.
Russian television last week showed Berlusconi carefully examining dust-covered bottles of wine while Putin listened to the winery director giving them a tour. Later on, Berlusconi brought over a bottle to show to the party, and the director said: "The year 1891."
"Is it possible to drink?" Berlusconi asked in English. The director said "yes."
The Kiev-based prosecutor's office for Crimea was unavailable for comment on Friday. Massandra director Yanina Pavlenko, who gave the tour last week, told The Associated Press on the phone that she showed the rare wines to Putin and Berlusconi but declined to comment on whether any wine was drunk during the visit.
