Crimea river: Ukraine fury as Putin and Berlusconi open 240-year-old bottle of sherry

Claims a 240-year-old bottle of wine was uncorked in Crimea for former Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have sparked a probe in Ukraine. The two old friends visited the Massandra winery last weekend, which has wine and sherry dating back more than two centuries. Its European wines include some from the personal collection of Tsar and Prince Golitzin, with a drink known as the Massandra Sherry 1775 being one of the oldest wines in the world.

This is one of the five bottles that constitute not only Massandra’s or Crimea’s heritage, but the heritage of all Ukrainian people.

Nazar Kholodnytsky, first deputy prosecutor for Crimea

Russian television, which covered the tour, showed Berlusconi looking at the dust-covered bottles. Later, the billionaire carried a bottle over to the party, which was identified as one of 1891 vintage, and asked in English: “Is it possible to drink?” The director of the winery, Yanina Pavlenko, replied: “Yes.” Ukrainian prosecutors appear to be focusing on a 1775 bottle that they say was opened for Berlusconi by Ms Pavlenko - and they want to charge her with embezzlement. When Massandra was owned by the Ukrainians, two presidential decrees were required before any of its wine could be sold.