Prince Lev Sergeyevich Golitsyn is considered the founder of winemaking in Crimea and the industrial production of sparkling wines in Abrau-Dyurso. He also founded the estate of New World and came from the princely family of Golitsyns. His father, Prince Sergey Grigorievich, married Polish lady-in-waiting Maria Ivanovna Yezerskaya after retiring. They had six children: three sons, Grigory, Lev, and Fyodor, and three daughters, Yulia, Maria, and Ekaterina.

Lev Golitsyn was born on August 12, 1845, in the village of Stara-Ves in the Lublin province of the Kingdom of Poland, in the Radziwill castle, which his mother inherited. He received an excellent home education, spoke Polish, French, and German, read extensively, and participated in literary and musical evenings organized by his father. Passionate about history and social sciences, Lev went to study in France at the University of Paris, graduating in 1862 with a bachelor's degree. Upon returning to Russia, he continued his education and service, paying special attention to the Russian language. From December 1864 to March 1866, Lev Sergeyevich worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, starting his career in the Asian Department and continuing in the Main Archive of the Ministry.

From 1867 to 1871, Golitsyn studied at the Department of Roman Law at Moscow University, where he organized discussions and seminars on history and law. In 1869, he published a book on the history of Roman law, and a year later received a gold medal from the university for a new composition. After completing his studies, he remained at the university, preparing for a professorship. In 1873-1874, he continued his education at the Universities of Leipzig and Göttingen, and then went to France to study winemaking technology.

Starting his winemaking business, Lev Sergeyevich planted Mourvèdre and Saperavi grapevines in a small estate near Feodosia and soon began producing wine, which initially became popular in Crimea and later in Moscow. In the early 1890s, he established industrial production of high-quality grape, sparkling, and champagne wines. To store the products, he organized the construction of multi-tiered cellars in the cliffs of Karaul-Oba and Koba-Kaya. In cellar No. 4, Golitsyn collected a unique collection of wines from the 18th-19th centuries, totaling over 50,000 specimens. The complex layout of the cellars was designed to ensure optimal aging conditions for various types of wines. Each cellar maintained a specific temperature and humidity for white, red, dessert, fortified, and champagne wines. There is a legend that one of Golitsyn's cellars, where the most valuable and rare wines are stored, has yet to be found.