Ukraine, now and independent country of CIS (Confederation of Independent States), was the third important wine source of the U. S. S. R after Russia and Moldova.

The Crimean Peninsula, with its relatively mild climate, is the main region of vitiviniculture in this large country with its capital Kiev.

According to researchers vines were brought to what is today Ukraine in the seventh century B.C by enterprising Greek traders. By the fourth century B.C., there were large tracts of vineyards in southern Crimea.

Viticulture and wine production waxed and waned in the Ukraine since the land suffered several raids by nomadic tribes and witnessed numerous, prolonged wars.
Under Catherine II (1729 – 1796) in 1783 Crimea became Russian and started supplying wine to the Russian court.

The Institute for Vine and Wine Magaratch, the first such school in the world, was established in 1828 and still exists. This venerable institute contributed many grape varieties to vineyards in the U. S.S. R still grown today.

In 1882 Prince Leo Golitsyn established a winery in the village of Novy Svet, Crimea, specializing in sparkling wine.

Under Tsar Nicolas II (1868 – 1918) the now famous Massandra winery was founded. During this period the Institute for Design of Orchards and Vineyards in Simferopol, and Tairov Institute in Odessa were created for research and to educate future viti- and viniculturists.

Orthodox monks grew grapes around Kiev ( 50 27min latitude north) and sued to make wine for their own consumption.

Capitalism in Ukraine necessitated establishing new and profitable agricultural branches in 1913 there were already 54 000 hectares of vineyards, but phylloxera soon appeared ad devastated a large portion of the acreage, dwindling vineyards to 13 000 hectares.

Restoration gradually took place and by 1940 103 000 hectares were producing grapes for winemaking.

World War II devastated vineyards and reduced vineyards to 68 000 hectares.
U.S.S.R.’s planned economy restarted many of the vineyards and added more to the existing inventory. In the Soviet era there were 250 000 hectares of vineyards.
Gorbachev’s anti alcohol consumption policies in 1990’s diminished vineyards acreage considerably.

To supply the vast Russian market Ukraine produced approximately 50 million bottles of sparkling wines in Crimea, under the name of Crimean Champagne, against all logical appellation laws, since champagne can only be produced in the champagne region of France.

The climate in Crimea, the main source of viticulture in Ukraine, is mild continental with low winter temperatures of – 8 C and summer highs of 19 C with 230 – 290 frost free days in teh south.

Crimea has well over 60 000 hectares of vineyards, followed by Odessa region, Kherson, Nikolayev and Transcarpathia. Vines are grafted on phylloxera resistant rootstock.

Average yields are very high (200 hectolitre per hectare) leading to mostly very “thin” wines that must be capitalized to render them sweet as Ukrainians like off-dry to sweet wines.

Much of the wie produced today is still being exported to Russia, in addition to other republics of the CIS.

The following grape varieties are planted for white wines: rkatsiteli, aligote, pinot gris, sercial, feteasca, riesling, sauvignon vert, gewürztraminer, isabella, and muscats.

For red wines growers prefer bastardo, bastard Magarackski, fioletovy rauni, golubok, saperavi severnyi, pervenets, stepniak, podarok Magaracha, olimpiiski, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon.

The Crimea has the most favourable growing conditions, and Massandra winery is the best known of all Ukrainian wineries, followed by Novy Svet, Inkerman, Koktebel, and Magaratch Artyomovsk.

Massandra produces fortified port-type wines, Koktebel owns and manages 2200 hectares of vineyards and also distils brandy.

There is no legislation nor are there guideline for wine production. Most of the wine produced is designed to please the east European palate that favours off dry to sweet wines.

After the “separation” from the U.S.S.R, Ukraine’s economic policy has been reverted to capitalism with imports of all goods permitted. West European dry wines are now widely available to those who can afford them. Many rich and “nouveau riche” drink French and Italian wines, albeit not always the best, but the majority of the population prefers beer and vodka.

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Tags: ukraine, Wine

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 06:00 and is filed under Food & Wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.