MAIN Wine Europe Ukraine

The Ukraine wine regions include the Crimea, Odessa, Kherson, Nikolayev, Transpcarpathia and Zaporozhy.

Crimea has the largest area devoted to viticulture (63,000 hectares), and the wines from this region are considered the best quality. The Massandra winery, in the Crimea, was built in the 1890s to supply Czar Nicholas II's nearby summer palace. Dessert wines, such as Krasny Kamen (Red Stone) Muscat are a specialty of the region.

With 290 days of frost-free days the grapes are able to be harvested ripe and some overripe which adds natural sweetness to the wines. Dryer cabernets such as Abrau and Miskhako and fortified wines such as the Black Doctor are well known and Artyomov sparkling wine made by the champagne method and bottled in the eastern Ukraine is also an excellent choice.

Kherson's Perlyna Stepu (Pearl of the Steppe) white dry wine has been a popular choice for several decades. There are warnings to the traveler or wine buyer in the Ukraine. Many of the top quality wines are being counterfeited - watered down versions or even vinegar may be the actual product in the bottle. Winemakers have taken steps to stop this by adding holographic labels and other marks that are not easy to duplicate to the bottles, but make sure to buy from reputable dealers or through the winery...

A taste of Ukraine, one sip at a time - Start with Crimea’s Noviy Svit winery where sparkling wines have been made and stored since the days of the Czars and taste your way through the Ukraine with Natalia Feduschak's report.

Tavriya, the steppes of Ukraine - This article provides an overview of the Kherson region's attractions which just happen to include some good white wines and cognacs...

Artyomovsk Sparkling Winery - The home page of the winery gives a tour of the production including the grapes and the cellars. The wizard rules section has a very nice introduction on how to choose a champagne to your taste as well as serving and drinking rules...

Ukraine - Wines - A brief, fact-filled article with a discussion on the climate and grapes used in wine production in the Ukraine with a bit of information on the current state of the wine industry.

Czar's ancient Crimean wines auctioned in London - Interesting article on a recent auction..."Hundreds of bottles of wine selected for the pleasure of Czar Nicholas II and preserved on the orders of Josef Stalin were auctioned by Sotheby's in London Dec. 3, 2004..."

also see -> Bulgarian Wines | Wines of Croatia

Czech Wines & Wineries | Romanian Wines