"Abrau-Durso" and "Renna" Group Enter the Ice Cream Market
"Abrau-Durso" announced that, in collaboration with the "Renna" Group, the company is starting the production of ice cream bars coated in Belgian chocolate with the addition of sparkling wine. The first batch will consist of 80,000 pieces. If successful, the range will be expanded.
Distribution will be handled by "Renna" through its own channels. The product will be available throughout Russia and in "Abrau-Durso's" branded retail outlets in central and southern regions.
Pavel Titov, the president of the group, recalled previous experiences: "We've become a bit more like confectioners: together with 'Magnit,' we developed candies with the addition of sparkling wine."
The "Abrau-Durso" Group produces still and sparkling wines and owns 4,100 hectares of vineyards. In 2024, the company sold 66.86 million bottles (an 18% year-on-year increase). Revenue amounted to 15.79 billion rubles (+26%), with a net profit of 1.83 billion rubles (+43%).
"Renna" Group is one of the largest producers of ice cream and dairy products in Russia. Its portfolio includes brands like "Korovka iz Korenovki," "Alekseevskoe," and "Korenovochka." The products are supplied to 250,000 sales points and 20 countries. According to NTech, from July 2024 to June 2025, the "Korovka iz Korenovki" brand held 12.5% of the ice cream market in physical sales.
Alexander Stavtsev, head of WineRetail, notes that "Abrau-Durso" already has experience in expanding its food product line. "Many alcohol companies are following this path. However, scaling sales is possible only with a successful entry into federal networks," the expert says.
He recalls a similar experience by "Kuban-Vino," which has been producing Aristov sorbets since 2020. However, their distribution was limited to the regional network "Tabris."
Artem Belov, CEO of "Soyuzmoloko," emphasizes that it is especially important for ice cream producers to utilize capacities: "In the context of declining sales of traditional types of ice cream, companies are looking for new ways to stimulate demand." According to Nielsen, in January-June 2025, ice cream sales in Russia decreased by 4.5% year-on-year, and production fell by 4.9% to 332,300 tons. Only the fruit ice segment showed growth (+7.2%).
Experts believe that "Abrau-Durso" is leveraging its main asset — the sparkling wine brand — to enter new niches. "The sparkling segment is no longer experiencing explosive growth, so the company is looking for new revenue sources," notes Alexander Stavtsev.
