Ukrainian wine deserves a chance

Ukrainian wine has a history that is thousands of years old - but completely unknown to us. Especially Crimea and Odessa are important wine regions. Still and sparkling, dry and sweet wines are made from both international and indigenous Ukrainian grape varieties. Due to the war with Russia, the wine industry is also having a hard time. All the more reason to give Ukrainian wines a chance because they deserve it.

When you think of Ukraine, 'wine' is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Yet it is a very old wine country. Wine has been produced here for about 2,500 years. Archaeological research has shown that wine was already being produced in Crimea in the fourth century BC. A little further east, on the same Black Sea, lies Georgia, which is, as far as we know, the oldest wine country in the world. It is likely that wine growing spread from there across the Black Sea.

Crimea, Odessa and other Ukrainian wine regions

Crimea is still an important wine region for Ukraine. Even in Soviet times, the so-called Crimean sekt, or Crimean 'Champagne', was famous. Even after the fall of the Wall, this remained an important export product for the region. Producers such as Novy Svet and Massandra have their vineyards in Crimea. The former produces mainly sparkling wines and Massandra is a producer of high-quality dessert wines. The Russian occupation since 2014 has severely damaged the wine sector. Wineries have been confiscated by the Russians and Crimean wines are no longer allowed to be exported to the West.

Another important region is the area around the city of Odessa, in the far southwest of the country, near Moldova. Shabo, probably the most important wine producer in Ukraine, has its vineyards here. A third historically important region is in the Ukrainian Carpathians, close to the border with Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. This area - and its viticulture - has strong Hungarian influences. Finally, you will find vineyards further east, around Kherson and Nikolayev. It is not entirely clear to us whether vineyards are still being managed there at the moment.

Ukrainian grape varieties

Various international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Aligoté are grown in Ukraine, but the country also has several indigenous grapes in its vineyards. The most important are Telti-Kuruk, Odesa Black (locally called Odessky Cherny), Sukholimansky Bily, Zolotaia Balka, Inkermanskoie, Riesling Riesling Krymski, Riesling Xakarpatski and Bastardo Magarachsky. They give Ukrainian viticulture its own character.

Since 1991, Ukrainian viticulture has been privatized and dozens of small and large wine companies have been established. A new generation of winemakers has focused on quality rather than quantity. Some work organically and a few even make natural wines. A very promising development, but of course the war with Russia does not make it any easier to bring this industry to further prosperity. All the more reason for importers from the West to still get wines from Ukraine and for wine lovers to give their wines a chance.