Navigating War and Wine: The Resilience of Ukrainian Wineries Amid Conflict

Contemplating wine production amidst a war might seem anything but typical. Yet, that’s exactly what 160 Ukrainian vintners continue to do despite the ongoing conflict in their homeland. It has been two years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, and the war front stretches along the eastern border and southern coastline of the Black Sea, which also happens to be where most of Ukraine’s vineyards are situated. Therefore, a moment of appreciation for these determined wine producers is due, and a closer look at their craft. The forthcoming ProWein wine exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany provides an opportunity to sample these wines.

Ukraine’s agrarian prowess positions it among the top ten nations for the production of goods like sunflowers, barley, wheat, and corn. However, war has markedly impeded this output. In comparison, the country’s vineyards are rather humble in scale, with around 30,000 hectares (approx. 75,000 acres), about half of Bulgaria or Hungary’s size, or a sixth part of California’s grape-growing land. Around 160 wineries are officially registered in the country.

The majority of Ukraine’s vineyards lie in the southern area, close to the Black Sea, in the regions of Odesa and Kherson – names you might recognize from the war narratives. Since Russia’s 2014 invasion of the peninsula, Crimea, another significant wine production location, has remained under Russian authority. Further vineyards can be located on Ukraine’s western limit, bordering Hungary and Slovakia, in the Zakarpattia region. Wine production is also carried out in several other parts of Ukraine, albeit on a smaller scale.

Kostiantyn Tintulov, co-owner of Vinhol Oksamytne / Villa Tinta winery in Ukraine, copyright BKWine… [+]

Eduard Gorodetskyi, founder and owner of myWine winery in Ukraine, copyright BKWine Photography

In a time when unusual and indigenous grapes have become trendy, Ukraine has much to offer wine lovers and wine drinkers who want to explore new things. There are numerous local (indigenous) grape varieties to explore: telti-kuruk, sukholimansky white, citronny of magarach, kokur, odessa black, ekim kara, magarach bastardo. I recently had the opportunity to taste Odessa black, and black it was indeed. It was dense, almost dark, intense fruit and had a strong backbone structure. It is what is called in French a tinturier, in other words, the grape juice is dark red (almost all red grapes have a clear juice). It’s a crossing between cabernet sauvignon and alicante Bouchet (also a teinturier). It was developed in Ukraine in the 1950s. But they also have many international grape varieties, of course.

I have only tasted a handful of Ukrainian wines so far, so it is difficult to have an opinion of the country as a whole. The odessa black that I mentioned above was certainly one that had great potential, as well as some made from the more “traditional” international varieties. Some were semi-sweet, which might not be so suited for the export markets.

Villa Tinta Odesa Black wine, Ukraine, copyright BKWine Photography

Ukrainian wine exports were a modest $9 million in 2023, which is perhaps not surprising. More surprising is that they managed to make and export any wine at all while the war was raging. They have an export promotional organisation called Wines of Ukraine, which this year will participate in the big international trade fair ProWein in Düsseldorf (Germany) on March 10-12. Sixteen wineries, an impressive 10% of all producers in the country, will be represented there. It will undoubtedly be an excellent opportunity to discover some unusual wines as well as to support a country at war.

Several international projects are ongoing in Ukraine to help support and develop the wine sector, as well as the rest of the agricultural business, USAID, the United Nations and even the Swedish government.

—Per Karlsson

About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!