MAKING WINE IN THE TIME OF WAR The winemakers of Ukraine are in a difficult position – instead of focusing on producing unique and tasty wines, the owners of vineyards must protect themselves and their beloved creations from missiles and tanks. These are the stories of the Beykush Winery and the Stakhovsky Vineyard. Beykush is Ukraine’s most valued wine producer from the Mykolaiv region, right on the coast of the Black Sea. The winery was founded in 2010 with an ambition to cultivate grape varieties that had never been grown in Ukraine before – Pinotage, Alvarinho, Tempranillo, etc. As a trick of nature, one year the berries were not harvested as they did not ripen enough. Later, while inspecting the fields, the wine master discovered that the grapes had grown a valuable mold called Botrytis and it was from this “lost” harvest that Beykush developed its exceptionally pleasant series of dessert wines called “Passion”. The Beykush Winery matches varieties that are not usually combined, thereby breaking all the golden rules of winemaking. As a result of this, wines with completely unique flavors are born. For example: Yafe Nagar – a blend of Chardonnay and Riesling; Kara Karmen – a Ukraine’s own Amarone. The Beykush Winery is about 100 km from the front line of the war. As of now, the region has been hit with indirect fire and ammunition has fallen on the plantation, but the wine cellar has not been damaged. All the wines, that were already bottled, were transported into a safe place in Wester-Ukraine. The owner of the Stakhovsky Vineyard is Sergiy Stakhovsky, a top tennis player of Ukraine, and today, at the front, defending his homeland. The Stakhovsky Vineyard is a small wine producer from Transcarpathia, aiming at producing highquality drinks. Stakhovsky does not focus on the quantity, but quality of the wines produced there, wanting to remain a small business. His first experience with wines was in Bordeaux, where he used to play in local tennis clubs that where sponsored by the best wine producers of the region. In 2015, he had become such a big fan of wine culture that he rented 20 hectares of land to start producing liquid gold himself. This year, Stakhovsky wanted to open a visitor center in his vineyard, but sadly, the war cancelled his plans. Making wine at the time of war is not easy – lack of workforce, materials necessary for production and low sales have put Stakhovsky as a winemaker in a difficult position. Alcohol may be harmful to your health! 72
Beykush White Alvarinho 2021 White wine 13,5% 75 cl Stakhovsky Merlot АСЕ Red wine 13,8% 75 cl Stakhovsky Cabernet Sauvignon ACE Red wine 13% 75 cl Stakhovsky Chardonnay W White wine 13,5% 75 cl Alcohol may be harmful to your health! 73