Gastronomy and Wine Portal

On July 30-31, Drinks+ was a media partner of the International Economic Forum 2021. On Friday, we joined a session organised by OenoCo International with Robert Joseph, one of the most broadly experienced members of the wine industry.

Robert Joseph is editorial consultant, and columnist of Meininger’s Wine Business International, co-owner of Greener Planet and Grand Noir Wines. Last Friday, he held an online session at the International Economic Forum 2021 on the following issue: “Land or Brand? Local Grapes or International? Does the future for Eastern Europe like in appellations and traditional indigenous grape varieties? Or in brands and international ones? The answer is not as clear cut as some people would like to imagine.”

Starting from one of his favourite grape varieties which he also grows in the South of France, Mr. Joseph believes it could be a great alternative to Chardonnay. According to Google search results, this grape variety is difficult to pronounce: “easy to drink but hard to say” or “it’s hard to pronounce and though to figure out”. Can you guess what we are talking about?

This is Viognier! And unfortunately, there is a very clear correlation between the pronunciation of a wine and the people’s readiness to buy it. “So, we sell a lot of Chardonnay in America, and we do not sell a lot of Viognier,” notes Mr. Joseph.

The recent statistic from New Zealand demonstrates a vineyard area 2015-2022. The vineyards have been grown from 27,615 ha in 2015 to 32,813 ha in 2022. Almost all of those hectares belong to Sauvignon Blanc. Basically, the world likes New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc and they have grown more of it. In 2015, they had 129 ha of Viognier – that was not very much, now it is even less – 85 ha. The same applies to Riesling, a grape variety that wine writers love, its growing area dropped from 767 ha in 2015 to 568 ha in 2022.

In other words, in a dynamic country like New Zealand, the focus is on the things they can easily sell – which is Sauvignon Blanc.

Making a comparison with movies, we always see names of big stars on the posters because it stimulates people to come and see them – we tend to buy what we are already familiar with. In wine, for most of the world, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon are stars like those we see in a movie.

Afterward, Robert Joseph moved to the Sicilian case. In the 1980s, Sicily had almost no reputation of quality wine. And here comes a man called Diego Planeta who planted his first vines in 1985. And what did he plant? Despite Sicily has wonderful old grape varieties, he grew Chardonnay. And it turned to be successful. You convince people when you speak their language – and their language was Chardonnay. At the same time, he started to make blends with local Italian and international grape varieties and now Planeta is famous for its indigenous grapes.

Planeta got the confidence of consumers and of media around the world with wines people were familiar with and with that confidence they actually moved them into other styles they were not familiar with.

People are often eager to try something new. If you persuaded someone to start drinking Feteasca today, there is a high risk that tomorrow they are going to be attracted by Saperavi. “You are not necessarily are going to convert someone into your variety overnight. Anybody curious enough to try the new variety is likely to try something else,” emphasises Robert Joseph.

The challenge lies in identifying those people, communicating with them, and finding the best way to distribute your wine to them. And traditional media and distribution may not be the answer.

Another point is that people who are ready to buy unfamiliar wines are not necessarily ‘interested’ / ‘engaged’ wine drinkers. They may often be people who enjoy other new experiences like travel or food. But they may not be people who always read wine books or food / travel magazines. And it is important to figure out the way of talking to them and addressing them through the media that they are actually going to read. And that might apply to social media, lifestyle publications, and digital marketing.

Lastly, PDOs may add value to your wine, but not necessarily. For Mr. Joseph, it is clear – brand first; region and grape second. “Regions establish PDOs in the same way that nations establish alliances. It makes you feel good to have a PDO, but it is not necessarily because everybody wants that.”

PDOs can make sense, but do no expect foreigners to learn about, be interested in, or remember them. They are often not certainly better or more premium than multi-regional blends.

And remember: Brand First!

On July 30-31, Drinks+ was a media partner of the International Economic Forum 2021. On Friday, we joined a session organised by OenoCo International with Robert Joseph, one of the most broadly experienced members of the wine industry.

The Drinks+ publishing house together with the Italian consortium Asti held a closed B2B tasting of 13 Asti DOCG samples in Kyiv.

The event demonstrated to the professionals of Ukraine how diverse Asti can be! In addition, variations on the theme of food pairing showed that Asti is not only a pure aperitif or wine for fruit, but quite a gastronomic drink.

The participants had a great opportunity to discover a new taste of a familiar drink, because often the usual tastes and stereotypes in relation to certain wines do not give us a chance to experiment. And we often follow the beaten paths, in this case, perceiving Asti as an exclusively summer aperitif.

The tasting took place in the restaurant of modern Ukrainian cuisine “Hlek” in the very heart of Kyiv, and the chef Andrii Severenchuk selected a special menu for food pairing with Asti:

– soft cow and goat cheese plate;

– spreads for bruschetta with duck pate, smoked butter, bean paste and eggplant baba ghanoush;

– tomatoes with Stracciatella di bufala and elderberry;

– salad with turkey and pickled currant dressing with confiture;

– canapes with vegetable ceviche and perch;

– fruit plate;

– assorted homemade ice cream.

Without doubt, Asti is a great drink for any good event in your life, be it an evening with your favourite book, meeting with friends, your best friend’s wedding, or your own anniversary.

Asti is always a good idea! But do not forget to cool it, the ideal serving temperature for sparkling wines is 6-8 °C. It is convenient to use either chillers or coolers with ice for cooling, as well as freezers – it is fast and reliable.

D+ files

Asti DOCG, formerly known as Asti Spumante, – a refreshing, slightly sweet sparkling white wine made from Muscat White grapes in southern Piedmont, Italy. Since 2014 the production area of Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti DOCG, along with the winemaking countryside of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, with the other places considered precious to all humanity and thus worthy of special protection. This Piedmont site was the first winemaking district in Italy to receive this honor.

At the end of 1993, Asti Spumante was transferred to the highest classification DOCG.

ASTI DOCG in Ukraine: a palette of aromas and tastes

13 samples of Asti DOCG were presented at the tasting.

Asti docg Mondoro

Campari Group in Piedmont produces and markets a wide and consistent portfolio of wines and spirits in terms of quality and image both on the domestic and foreign markets. Its Asti Mondoro is in an elegant emerald glass bottle has won many gold medals at prestigious tasting competitions.

Asti docg Fiorelli and Asti docg Festoso

Fiorelli and Festoso are the products of the huge Italian wine tycoon of the wine house Toso. Toso specializes in the production of high quality still, sparkling, and flavoured wines and spirits in constant dialogue with the Italian and international markets. The company’s products are well recognized all over the world.

Asti docg Canti

The family company Fratelli Martini Secondo Luigi operating on the market since 1947 and Gianni Martini, renowned second-generation wine entrepreneur. The name Canti, meaning “songs” or “sing!” in Italian, recalling the world of music, conviviality, merriness, Italian spirit. Since 2002, Asti Canti is more than in 50 countries.

Asti docg Santero

Santero is one of the leading producers of sparkling and classic wines in the Italian and European markets. The production capacity of the plant, equipped with modern equipment, is more than 18 million bottles per year, which is primarily due to the presence of products in the main export markets of the world.

Asti docg Gancia

In 1850 Carlo Gancia founded a wine house in Canelli. His persistence allowed him to get the first sparkling wines in 1865. It was from this moment that the production of sparkling wine began in Italy, which at first was called “Spumante Italiano “, and now are widely known throughout the world as Asti Spumante.

Asti docg Martini

The Asti Martini brand belongs to one of the largest alcohol conglomerates of our time – the Bacardi Martini company, which has taken the production of sparkling wines to a new level, providing large exports and capital investments that contribute to the quality and scaling of production. Today Asti Martini has conquered the whole world.

Asti Perlino

In 1905, Giuseppe Perlino had the intuition to embark on a path to sell the finest wines of Asti creating a simple yet modern company, whose true assets were the hard work and spirit of sacrifice of his family and collaborators. The real turning point came in the 1930s when Perlino, alongside with its Piemonte wines, began the production of sparkling wines as Asti Spumante and vermouth, which became over time the company’s true strong point.

Asti docg Tosti1820

Based in Canelli in the heart of moscato bianco production, Tosti produces wines and sparkling wines since 1820, in the name of quality for a family business run by the Bosca family for 7 generations. A heritage made up of years of tradition and culture in winemaking that led to identifying the best areas of cultivation and the best methods of processing grapes. This long experience allows Tosti1820 to produce quality bubbles with a strong identity as Asti Spumante.

Asti docg San Maurizio

Vallebelbo is an agricultural cooperative founded in 1956 that collects and vinifies grapes produced by 150 associated winemakers, owners of about 500 hectares of beautiful vineyards located in the heart of the Langhe. This wine region is the most important center for the cultivation of the Moscato Bianco variety, from which two world famous sweet and aromatic wines are produced – Asti and Moscato d’Asti docg. This makes Vallebelbo one of the most important cooperative wineries in Piedmont, where Moscato production accounts for about 5% of all Piedmont production.

Asti docg Acquesi

The Piedmontese Winery Cuvage, founded in 2011 in Acqui Terme, interprets the ancient tradition of sparkling wine born in Piedmont in 1895 with a modern point of view. It specializes in the production of DOC and DOCG class sparkling wines made from autochthonous variety. “Acquesi” is a great example of contemporary Italian winemaking. Skillfully combining many years of experience with traditional production methods, the company’s specialists create elegant, fresh sparkling wines that can conquer from the first moment.

Asti docg Soria

Situated in Costigliole d’Asti and Calosso, The Morando’s family wine-making business can be traced as far back as the late nineteenth century. After more than a century of business, today Casa Vinicola Morando – CA. VI. M. fills a primary role in the wine sector. Its Asti spumante is known on the market as Asti Soria.

Comments

Natalia Blahopoluchna and Mykolai Blahopoluchnyi

Founders and leaders of the first Sommelier School in Ukraine “Master Class”:

Mykolai: “Excellent samples, wonderful tasting! Thank you very much to the Asti consortium for the opportunity to taste such an extensive line of Asti and compare wines with each other, as well as discover new flavors and new combinations. I am sure that sparkling Asti now definitely needs to focus on young people, since the younger generation now has an active trend towards drinks with a small amount of alcohol, they also prefer sugary drinks to dry ones. Asti is unique with its natural sugar and incomparable aroma! But, of course, it worth thinking about more modern packaging of wine, so that it would be convenient for young people to drink Asti both at a party, and at the airport, at a concert or on the way home from university.

As for the new flavors and combinations that I discovered at today’s tasting, this is the classic combination of Asti with strawberries. But to make the sparkling wine more gastronomic, I would serve it with strawberry mousse or grilled chicken in strawberry sauce, play with the berries a little and integrate them into more complex food pairing dishes with Asti.”

Natalia: “Amazing tasting, thanks for the invitation! I discovered completely new Asti. For example, I was struck by the sample which in the aroma suggested absolutely dry sparkling, but in fact the taste was the classic sweetness of Asti. I was also pleasantly surprised by the samples with a very high acidity which removed the sweet sugariness and made the wines as fresh as possible, despite the high percentage of sugar.

In combination with cheeses, the wine opened up beautifully, buttery, texture, bitterness and pungency from blue cheeses incredibly complemented each other with Asti.

It was also interesting that the wine played with pates and spreads, but for food pairing to be perfect, I would add fruit jam for the same pates, for example, peach or fig. And, of course, strawberries and ice cream are Asti’s classic friends, in principle, most desserts will go well with Asti.”

Vitalii Kovach

Founder and head of the Vitalii’s Kovach School for Sommelier, member of the Italian Sommelier Association:

“If you want to be happy – drink Asti!” – now this is my new motto after the current tasting. Such an amazing aftertaste, such an amazing mood this drink gives! Thank you very much for organizing and inviting!

For me, Asti is a holiday drink, I always, anywhere in the world, know that if I buy a bottle of Asti, I will get exactly the taste and aroma of White Muscat that I need, and a little bit of happiness)).

It turned out to be an interesting tasting, we looked for differences between samples that were similar to each other, and we found them. All the wines are of the highest class, the difference was somewhere in freshness, somewhere in acidity, somewhere in minerality. But all samples are of excellent quality and absolutely worthy!

As for food pairing, I remain unconvinced: Asti is, first of all, an addition to fruits and desserts, it is also an excellent aperitif and digestif. You can also experiment with light Asian cuisine.”

Yehor Belov

Chief Sommelier of the hotel InterContinental Kyiv:

“For me, Asti is a summer wine for meditation. I can drink it anywhere with anyone and get tremendous pleasure, as long as it is well chilled!

Asti is a very understandable drink for the Ukrainian consumer, I have been working with guests for many years, and sweet wines in Ukraine still hold the lead over dry ones. Therefore, sweetness, incredible fruity aroma, wonderful pearl, and a small percentage of alcohol – all this converges into one big plus for the Ukrainian market. The only thing that can hinder the complete absorption of Ukraine by Asti is a fairly high pricing policy for our country.

As for food pairing, today I discovered the combination of Asti with cheeses, it’s wonderful, and they just dissolve in each other, discovering new flavors.”

Ricardo F. Nunez

Founder and owner of Vinos de La Luz wine companies:

“Thank you very much for organizing such an interesting tasting. Today I learned that in addition to the classic Asti, to which we are all accustomed, in Italy there is also a new generation of Asti, a new wave. They differ in a different approach, innovations in aroma and taste. And you know, I came to the conclusion that the new Asti wave is no worse than the classical one, they are all beautiful and very likable.

It was also a discovery for me that a Ukrainian chef in a Ukrainian restaurant can choose such an amazing menu for such a complex gastronomic wine. I tried Asti with all the dishes, and it is just incredible, I am overwhelmed and very happy about the new experience I have gained.”

Victoriia Ahromakova

Founder and head of alcohol exhibitions and competitions Wine & Spirits Ukraine:

“Quite an unusual tasting, for the first time I tasted Asti in such a variety and with so many types of dishes. I concluded that Asti was great both by itself and with simple, uncomplicated dishes that did not interrupt the brightness and aroma of Asti. These dishes include soft cheeses that were on our table. This wine is especially good in combination with Stracciatella, it also goes well with salty meat or vegetable dishes, but always with a berry component in the form of gravy or a sweet fruit ingredient to balance with Asti.”

Nataliia Burlachenko

The brand ambassador of the Vinos de La Luz wine companies:

“A very interesting experience of combining Asti with appetizers. The combination of wine with tomatoes and Stracciatella, bruschetta with ceviche and salted fish was a discovery for me, and I was amazed at how well sweet Asti and salty grilled chicken with berry sauce complement each other. Awesome pairing)). Thank you for the new experiment! “

Olha Pinevych

Editor-in-chief of Drinks+ magazine:

“Although we prepared for this tasting and organized it ourselves, the result amazed me. It’s incredible how the same grape variety harvested in the neighborhood can produce such different wines. Asti is an example of Muscat wine, bright, rich, juicy, drinkable! Asti is summer, parties, happiness, emotions!

Andrii Severenchuk, the chef of the restaurant “Hlek”, has done a tremendous job in the selection of dishes, and most of them fit perfectly with Asti. But I didn’t have enough Ukrainian desserts in the menu, I’m sure that Asti would also go well with such dishes as varenyky with cherries, crepes with cottage cheese and raisins, a honey cake and a Kyiv cake. I will definitely continue to experiment and create new pairings with this summer’s drink!”

Drinks+ would like to thank the restaurant of modern Ukrainian cuisine “Hlek” for cooperation and perfectly selected dishes of Ukrainian cuisine for tasting Asti wines.

How to recognize Asti and Moscato d’Asti docg 

Authenticity and uniqueness for Asti spumante and Moscato d’Asti docg are guarantee by the State seal DOCG (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin), affixed to the neck of each bottle. The State seal certified by the alphanumeric acronym with which it is possible to trace the entire productive row and to contrast adulteration.

The Drinks+ publishing house together with the Italian consortium Asti held a closed B2B tasting of 13 Asti DOCG samples in Kyiv.

The Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella, an association of grapevine growers, winemakers and bottlers of Valpolicella wine production area, hosted the second online seminar Valpolicella Superiore – A Territory Opportunity.

800 participants from 25 countries, including Drinks+, took part in the online seminar Valpolicella Superiore – A Territory Opportunity, organized by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella.

In the first part of the seminar, Consorzio Valpolicella President Christian Marchesini, and Il Corriere Vinicolo journalist Giulio Somma discussed the key figures of the annual report which includes detailed production data, historical information, climate characteristics and market trends. The annual report was prepared for the first time by the Consorzio.

So, currently 2271 producers, 322 bottlers are working on the production of Valpolicella wines. 70% of the wine produced is exported to 87 countries around the world. The vineyard area is 8398 hectares, the annual turnover is more than 600 million euros. Almost 65 million bottles of Valpolicella and Ripasso DOC, as well as Amarone and Recioto were produced last year.

For small wineries, the percentage of wines produced is the following: Valpolicella Ripasso (44.6%), Valpolicella (30.7%), Amarone / Recioto (24.7%); for large wineries, Ripasso reaches 57.8%, Amarone / Recioto – 24.7%, and Valpolicella – 17.6%.

During a discussion between Consorzio President Christian Marchesini and journalist Giulio Somma, the region’s strengths were identified. They include:

• an increase in the area of vineyards in the valley from 4600 hectares in 1972 to the current 8398 hectares, with an increase of 60% over the past 20 years;
• consolidation of the main sales markets – Canada, USA, Northern Europe and Germany, as well as new opportunities on the Asian market, including China;
• growing commitment to organic certification;
• inclusion of Valpolicella in the Register of Traditional Historical Landscapes of the Ministry of Agriculture, which enhances further the attractiveness of the region.

In the second part of the online workshop, wine journalist Filippo Bartolotta raised the question whether Valpolicella Superiore could be the wine of the territory, not the wine of the method.

Gabriele Gorelli, Italy’s first MW, took samples and investigated the future of Valpolicella Superiore using the wine profile as an example. The online event was moderated by wine marketing consultant, trainer, wine journalist JC Viens.

Experts noted that over time, it became necessary to clearly separate the oenological concept of the production of Valpolicella Ripasso and Valpolicella Superiore which compete on the international market and sometimes have similar organoleptic characteristics. The consortium conducted research among producers which made it possible to clarify the differences between these types of wines and find a certain scheme that will be introduced in the following years. In addition, wine experts agreed that Valpolicella Superiore wines should express the distinctiveness of the territory, without using the appassimento method.

The second part of the online seminar also included tasting of 8 samples of Valpolicella Superiore, which were sent in advance by the Consorzio. The samples only indicated the alcohol level. According to Gabriele Gorelli‘s comments – and one cannot but agree with them – most of the samples retain the aromatic characteristics typical of Corvina, Corvinone, Molinara, Rondinella, such as currant, white pepper, strawberry, and have a velvety structure with light tertiary and spicy notes. Valpolicella Superiore wines clearly have a recognizable identity, Gorelli said, and online conference moderator JC Viens noted that significant economic support is needed for small producers to promote and define Valpolicella Superiore’s identity. And, according to representatives of the Consorzio, the producers are ready to begin their work that can strengthen these wines in the region as a whole.

We would like to thank Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella for the opportunity to taste Valpolicella Superiore wines and take part in the online conference.

The Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella, an association of grapevine growers, winemakers and bottlers of Valpolicella wine production area, hosted the second online seminar Valpolicella Superiore – A Territory Opportunity.

Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe, looks at what the American craft brewing industry is doing to become more sustainable.

The American craft beer industry is all too aware of the need to conserve energy and become more sustainable and environmentally responsible. It emits about half a billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. The world-class quality, full flavoured, expertly brewed American craft beer we have come to love and enjoy requires its fair share of natural resources and creates waste materials and by-products in equal measure. Consequently, the majority of small and independent American craft breweries are acutely aware of their environmental footprint and are constantly developing new and creative ways of becoming more sustainable, more energy efficient and more environmentally responsible. Here are just a few examples of both large- and small-scale initiatives taking place across America.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co is the third largest small and independent American craft brewer in the States and prides itself on its approach to sustainability, regularly passing up the chance to brew more easily and cheaply. At the main site in Chico, CA, there are 3.5 football fields worth of solar panels which work in tandem with two megawatts of Capstone microturbines to provide over 90% of the electricity needed to run the brewery. Waste heat is captured and used to make steam and hot water for the brewing process.

Instead of venting naturally produced CO2 from fermentation, Sierra Nevada recovers it, cleans it and sends it back into the brewery to pressure tanks and assist in packaging. Recovered CO2 contains less oxygen than commercial CO2 improving the quality of the beer.

Water conservation is crucial in drought-stricken California and Sierra Nevada has eliminated water-based lubricants on the bottling and kegging lines which not only reduces water consumption but wastewater heading to the on-site treatment plant. The brewery recovers water used to rinse bottles prior to filling and uses it in vacuum pumps that dispense beer into bottles, saving about 2.5million gallons of water annually. This environmental stewardship is at the forefront of Sierra Nevada’s core values and as important as making great beer.

Mandi McKay, director of social responsibility at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, comments: “We have excelled at the philosophy of closed loop sustainability, and it’s proven to be a wonderful operating strategy. We’ve shown that waste coming out of one process such as heat, water or CO2 recovery can become a resource for something else. We’re very energy intensive in the brewing industry, we make a lot of heat, and we use a lot of heat so we’ve gone all in on recovering heat and steam and that closed loop philosophy has been a guiding principle for us. At Sierra Nevada we do a lot more than just brew amazing beer and the same commitment to continuous improvement and zero waste runs across the board. We’ve always been interested in connecting ourselves with our supply chain – early on we planted our own hop field – and that comes from the fundamental belief that everything is connected and our impact on the environment is impacting ourselves. In the future we’re hoping to look at a broader strategy outside our four walls and that could be through advocacy, partnerships or the supply chain.”

In 2019 Maui Brewing Co in Kihei, Hawaii, became the first completely off-grid brewery in the entire United States. Solar panels cover the roof of the 85,000 square foot production facility and a recovery system to capture and reclaim CO2 is in place.  These efforts plus solar energy will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 2 million pounds per year.

“As we grew successful, we saw the opportunity to invest in sustainable energy and lead by example in sustainable manufacturing,” says CEO and Co-Founder, Garrett Marrero.

“We are focused on authenticity and that means using local ingredients, being innovative and being highly sustainable. We produce over 90% of our energy on site through solar and the remainder comes through bio diesel generators along with a measure of solar thermal for water heat and steam so that we have a low carbon footprint. We will continue to develop initiatives that not only help the company but also inspire our community,” he adds.

But it’s not simply innovative and creative beers that American craft breweries excel at; they are also developing highly creative uses for brewing industry waste products. Denver Beer Co, based in Denver, CO is capturing CO2 generated during beer’s fermentation process and reusing it to stimulate marijuana plant growth (legal in Colorado).  Instead of venting carbon dioxide from the fermentation tanks into the atmosphere it is routed into a pressurising foam trap and from there into a purifying box that removes unwanted gases, acids, aromas and volatile organic compounds before chilling and converting into a liquid. Once stored it can be transported to the cannabis cultivation centre, converted back into a gas and pumped into a 2,400 square foot grow room to provide supplemental carbon dioxide for the cannabis plants to aid photosynthesis.  This speeds up the plant’s life cycle when grown indoors. In addition to its CO2 capture program, Denver Beer Co converted its can works brewing and production facility to 100% solar power in 2018. The brewery also recently purchased a fleet of EVs for its sales team, which are charged using the 258 kW solar array installed on their roof.

Ska Brewing Co in Durango, CO has gone one step further. In addition to installing solar panels that generate enough energy to brew approximately 545,000 pints each year, the brewery also insulates the brewery’s walls with old blue jeans, the bar and tables are made from bowling lanes and the grass and flowers receive recycled water! What’s more, Ska is reusing old cans by re-labelling them and sending them out to market.

Sustainability is a core value for the vast majority of American craft brewers, the pursuit of quality is another borne out by the number of medals and top honours American craft beer wins at prestigious international beer competitions that are judged by the finest, most experienced palates in the world. One of the key reasons behind the success of American craft beer internationally is the proximity to the freshest examples of highly sought-after hop varieties. By visiting the hop fields, themselves American craft brewers are able to develop flavour profiles in beer that are difficult to control elsewhere. Combine quality and freshness of raw materials with American craft brewers’ technical expertise and it’s easy to see why American craft beer is renowned for its quality the world over.

The Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association representing small and independent American craft breweries, is heavily invested in making a wide range of sustainability resources available to the brewing industry including the Brewers Association Sustainability Best Practices Manual and a Sustainability Benchmarking Tool.

Looking ahead, the Craft Brewers Conference®, the number one environment in North America for concentrated, affordable brewing education and idea sharing, takes place in Denver, Colorado September 9-12, 2021. Registration is now open. In 2022, the Great American Beer Festival, North America’s largest ticketed beer festival, will return in person to celebrate its 40^th Anniversary in Denver, Colorado, October 6-8, 2022.

Many American craft beers such as Firestone Walker Brewing Co, Lakefront Brewery Inc, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Rogue Ales, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Stone Brewing Co. and The Bruery are available in Silpo or Good Wine stores throughout Ukraine, plus selected on trade venues.

www.brewersassociation.org

About the author: Lotte Peplow is the American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe for the Brewers Association and is based in London, UK.  She is a Certified Cicerone®, BDI accredited Beer Sommelier, beer writer, beer communicator, international beer judge, homebrewer and beer lover.

About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,500-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup^®, Great American Beer Festival^®, Craft Brewers Conference^® & BrewExpo America^®, SAVOR^™: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew Con^TM, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week^®. The BA publishes The New Brewer^® magazine, and Brewers Publications^® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com^® and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association^® and the free Brew Guru^® mobile app. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe, looks at what the American craft brewing industry is doing to become more sustainable.

The Ukrainian wines received awards at the prestigious competition Decanter World Wine Awards 2021.

The 18th and one of the most influential international wine competitions was held in London. This time there were a lot of innovations at the Decanter World Wine Awards: the competition samples were judged by 170 authoritative wine judges, including 44 Masters of Wine, 11 Master Sommeliers, as well as wine experts from around the world. The number of wines presented also broke records of previous years: the jury evaluated 18,093 samples!

And this year, for the first time, so many Ukrainian manufacturers took part in the competition – and, what is especially pleasant, they were accepted triumphantly, having received many awards, including “gold”. But first things first. 🙂

The first pleasant surprise is two bronze medals of the young Odessa winery Odesos Winery. Note that the company was founded in 2019 – and already such an achievement at a prestigious competition in London! Apparently, the philosophy of Odesos Winery winemakers “Quality is more important than volume” is bearing fruit. Keep it up! 🙂

The company Artwinery is also celebrating the victory, two sparkling wines of which won bronze medals in the competition.

Another debutant of the Decanter World Wine Awards is Beykush Winery. The jury awarded medals to 9 samples of this winery: 5 wines received silver, and 4 wines brought the producer bronze. Well, after the recognition of domestic experts and the awards received at Ukrainian professional competitions, as well as the high assessment given to Beykush wines by one of the most respected wine critics in the world, Jancis Robinson, during the tasting of Ukrainian wines organized by Drinks+, the medals at such a prestigious competition seem quite logical and well-deserved. We wish Beykush Winery to conquer new international wine peaks! 🙂

The main Ukrainian triumphant of the Decanter World Wine Awards was the SHABO company, whose wines won 16 (!) Awards, including two gold medals – for Grande Reserve Chardonnay 2015 and Grande Reserve Cabernet 2017! The professional expert jury of the competition evaluated these two samples at a record 95 points. Separately, we note that wines from a special collection of Iukuridze Family Wine, were also awarded. The premiere of the collection in Ukraine was announced for the fall by SHABO CEO Giorgi Iukuridze. We are looking forward to and wish the entire team of the leading Ukrainian wine-making company to conquer new international heights! 🙂

We indicate that several Crimean enterprises also contributed to the collection of awards of the Ukrainian winemaking “team”: the jury of the competition noted the wines of “Massandra” and “Zolota Balka”.

This year, our wine-making partner countries, Moldova and Georgia, took part in the Decanter World Wine Awards. Moldovan winemakers won three gold medals: the jury noted the wines of the Purcari, Radacini and Kazayak wineries. Georgia brought one “gold” which was received by the Binekhi Winery from Kakheti.

Drinks+ once again congratulates all Ukrainian producers who have been highly evaluated by the expert jury of the prestigious competition and believes that ours is just beginning its triumphant march to the international wine arena.

Photo: decanter.com

The Ukrainian wines received awards at the prestigious competition Decanter World Wine Awards 2021.

The OIV representative dived into the OIV general principles of sustainability: environmental, social, economic, and cultural aspects during the last day of the Wine Paris & Vinexpo.

During the Wine Paris & Vinexpo webinar, Tatiana Svinartchuk, Head of Unit Economy & Law at the OIV, shared the structure and working mechanism of the OIV, the organization’s objectives and the historical timeline of the OIV resolutions regarding sustainability in vitiviniculture.

Wine sector is a significant contributor to the sustainable development goals. For the OIV guiding in vitiviniculture sector, an understanding, adoption, and application of the concept of sustainability has been one of the priorities for a number of years.

At the last general assembly of November 2020, the OIV has adopted an important document – The OIV Guidelines for the implementation of principles of sustainable vitiviniculture. This step constitutes the finalization of the entire cycle of works and discussions, which started in 2004 when the first definition of sustainability was developed.

The document underlines the importance of collective strategies and actions in the sector. It provides various management tools and advice as well as a library of already accepted best practices for each principle of sustainability. These recommendations were accepted via consensus by 48 member-countries.

The OIV devoted 16 years of groundwork to this issue starting from 2004. At that time, the first document was adopted – Development of Sustainable Vitiviniculture. In the following discussions, the OIV started to work on the document explaining how to implement this sustainability definition in practice. Two resolutions were adopted – OIV Guidelines for the sustainable vitiviniculture production, processing and packaging of products (2008) and Guidelines adopted to table grapes and raisins (2011). Before the final resolution, the OIV arrived at the definition of general principles of sustainability in 2016.

According to the Resolution, there are five principles of sustainability:

1. The globality – the sustainable approach integrates environmental, social, and economic aspects.
2. The development of sustainable activities is based on an environmental risk.
3. Sustainable vitiviniculture is sensitive to social and cultural aspects.
4. It seizes to maintain economic viability.
5. Sustainable initiatives require planning and assessment.

To implement the concept, several management tools is proposed such as notification of stakeholders and influencing organizations, prioritization of actions, examples of potential indicators, etc.

Tatiana Svinartchuk presented a holistic vision of the connection between culture, wine, and sustainability: “Wine is an internationally recognized product. It has impacted the societies’ cultures and landscapes. Cultural heritage nourished by the wine sector cannot be sustainable without considering the undenied cultural product and its impact on producing and consuming societies.”

She underlines that the opposite is also true: “The agricultural product – wine – needs to consider the deep impact it has on the landscape of structure of raw societies, on engaging a collective strategy to share the added value and traditions.”

The OIV representative dived into the OIV general principles of sustainability: environmental, social, economic, and cultural aspects during the last day of the Wine Paris & Vinexpo.

The ecosystem of innovative Made in France start-ups provides some answers to the pandemic impact, major consumer behavior changes and the future trends to stay. 

Drinks+ joined the online session “An overview of solutions for improving online sales presented by Vinocamp & La Wine Tech” at the Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris on June 15. Three perspectives were presented by three French companies operating in the wine sector.

The Covid pandemic gave a huge boost to the development of e-commerce. Online sales increased from 32% in 2019 to 47% in 2020.

Erwann De Barry, founder of TWIL marketplace which means “the wine I love”, talked about changes the market faced from both the customers’ and producers’ sides.

“The major change caused by the pandemic was mostly on the wine growers’ part. Online sales seemed the last thing you spend time on because there are prior tasks such as managing plantation, making good wines, importing them”, emphasizes Erwann.

However, there were no other alternative with the Covid, but to move on digital. Firstly, it helped to collect the feedback from the wine producers’ clients. Secondly, it provided plenty of digital tools and data the wine growers could use. Finally, it introduced a new logistic system to them. The wine growers have realized going digital required lots of work both to get recognition and to be able to sale online. So, the shift in the way of thinking has happened.

Reflecting on the future impact, customers and wine makers will definitely keep the best from this transformation. Customers, who have ordered wine online, received their delivery in a short period of time, and were fully informed about the products, will keep this tendency to buy online. The satisfaction with their online experience is the decisive here.

This aspect concerns the producers as well. Those, who have worked with good digital partners, will not avoid this channel in the future.

When it comes to the price policy, to settle a good one is a key for combining digital and traditional wine sales in the future. In the wine industry, the price used to differ from one customer to another. With the spread of the Internet, the online transparency created lots of problems for wine makers. Therefore, providing your partners with an organized and mutually beneficial price policy is important.

Lionel Cuenca, cofounder of iDealwine, shared his perspective on good practices for securing a good position in the full-fledged distribution channel. The company started as a small startup in 2001 in France and became a “dinosaur” with the 20-year experience in the world of wine.

There are two main business activities of iDealwine, namely online auctions and fixed-price sales. The company is one of the world leaders in auction which brought around 26 million euro to its revenue last year. The auction reaches 60 countries, 50% of business outside of France.

“We experienced different challenges for 20 years but nothing in comparison to the last year. The beginning of March was extremely hard – on March 17, we sold just for 110 euro. Luckily, it was just for a day, then things got better”, shares Lionel.

The company faced the same challenges as others, in particular, with the logistics when its French partner Colissimo decided to stop delivering parcels. But the adaptation period helped to set and manage the process from a new page.

Lionel believes people will keep buying online: “Consumers’ habits have changed for a year. The main reason behind the increase in our sales is new members. We doubled the number of our clients in 2020 compared to 2019. These new clients increased our orders for 45%.”

The second reasons why things will not come back to the initial state is a generational phenomenon. Young generations are tech savvy, they naturally buy online. So, strong online presence of the wine sector will go along with traditional channels.

Considering the wave of newcomers in the online wine sector, Lionel suggests wine growers to select their team members carefully and specify their target audience. People who love and value wines of a specific producer are the best ambassadors of them.

Thomas Dayras, from a tech company “Matcha Wine” launched in 2018, shared the company experience of online sales during the pandemic. Matcha is a blend of sommeliers and developers with a focus on wine, beer, and spirits. The company developed the sales boost solution for retailers, bottlers, and other parties in this industry.

From the perspective of a non-selling wine platform, there are three points to emphasize regarding the major changes brought by the pandemic. Firstly, there is a great demand for advice and guidance with consumers online.

“From the beginning of the first lockdown, the traffic of our website doubled in two days. The usage of the solution we provide, especially the virtual assistant, has been multiplied by three. The conversion and engagement rates stayed very high”, says Thomas.

Secondly, there is a need for vaster product content and information when the customer goes online – product data demand. There are such things to keep in mind as uploading attractive product pictures, gathering consumers’ feedback, working with the NFC tag to provide all the necessary information, and so on.

Lastly, there are lots of newcomers planning to launch their online projects. They use a long tail of SEO (less searched key words) to make their business stands out of competition.

Traditional wine growers might find it hard to adapt to new digital circumstances. There is a possibility to rely on already existing online platforms such as TWIL, winetech, iDealwine. Besides, online retailers also have their customers community and know how to manage wine logistics.

The ecosystem of innovative Made in France start-ups provides some answers on the pandemic impact, major consumer behavior changes and the future trends to stay.

The best Rieslings of the year were honoured today at the digital awards ceremony. A total of over 2,400 Rieslings from all over the world once again faced a jury of experts.

Winners come from the Palatinate, Franconia, Württemberg, Mittelrhein and Mosel. Rieslings from Austria, Australia and the Czech Republic impress.

Besides well-known wineries, new “hidden gems” were discovered in the exciting final tastings of the eight competition categories. Third place in category 1 was won for the first time by a winery from the Czech Republic with a “Ryzlink rýnský” from the 2015 vintage.

The results of the category winners show that top quality wines were produced in all German wine-growing regions, especially in the 2019 and 2020 vintages.

Among the first-place winners are well-known names such as the wineries Philipp Kuhn and Neiss (both Palatinate), winery Dautel (Württemberg) and the wineries Schloss Sommerhausen and Horst Sauer (both Franconia). But also many up-and-coming wineries such as winery Harald und Jürgen Krebs (Palatinate), winery Emmerich-Koebernik (Nahe), winery Albert Lambrich (Middle Rhine) or winery Würtzberg (Mosel) are among the winners.

This year, the Moselland eG Winzergenossenschaft (Best Dry Riesling in Food Retail), Weingut Loimer from Kamptal, Austria (Best Dry Riesling Europe) and Weingut Grosset from Australia (Best Dry Riesling from the New World) were awarded one of the coveted special prizes.

Most of the Rieslings that received an award came from the Palatinate (488 Rieslings), followed by the Mosel (338) as well as Rheinhessen (254).

The international top ranking of the best Rieslings this year is led by Alsace with a clear margin, with 102 award-winning Rieslings. It is followed by Austria (59), Luxembourg (12), as well as Australia (8) and the Czech Republic (7).

“We already saw the huge potential of the 2019 vintage last year. The Rieslings from 2019 tasted now show that these wines are now showing their greatness through bottle maturity. The 2020 vintage is very exciting from our point of view. Some wines are already captivating at a very young stage, but a lot can be expected here as well,” Christian Wolf, tasting director of Best of Riesling, summarises his impressions.

“We were particularly pleased this year that very many older Riesling vintages were submitted to the competition. The 2015 from the Czech Republic was a real surprise.”

On a total of nine tasting days, the Rieslings entered for the competition were intensively tasted, evaluated and the best were awarded one of the coveted prizes. The wines were tasted blind by an expert jury of oenologists, specialist retailers, sommeliers and journalists who were very familiar with the diversity of Riesling.

The winners of the eight categories as well as the top 150 will be presented by Meiningers Weinwelt in its July issue.

Based on the press release of Best of Riesling

The best Rieslings of the year were honoured today at the digital awards ceremony. A total of over 2,400 Rieslings from all over the world once again faced a jury of experts.

Drinks+ joined the session of the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2019 Marc Almert about virtual tastings future at the Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2021.

Marc Almert, ASI 2019 World’s Best Sommelier and Chef Sommelier Baur au Lac & Baur au Lac vins, in partnership with the International Sommelier Association (ASI), shares his personal experiences on virtual wine tastings at the Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2021. A focus of his speech was placed on ideas, insights, and best practices, as well as tackling the question: “Are virtual wine tastings here to stay or will they disappear together with the pandemic?”

From a consumer side, there are several forms of wine tastings. The easiest would be the organizer sells wine that the consumer have with him. Another form is a tasting as a host, for example, a pre-event sale on a private basis via a wine distributor or via a winery. Besides, there is a public tasting in form of an Instagram live talk, or a Zoom webinar streamed on Facebook. Trade tastings have the same technical setup, but the level of presentation is different. Finally, there are tastings that appeal more to emotions rather than just selling wine. For example, wine tastings around Christmas time replace classical Christmas parties where wine is a connecting medium to the concept of being together.

According to the study on some Californian wineries, 52% were increasing a digital marketing budget and 22% of them are planning to employ staff dedicated to digital marketing and online events. This is a small indicator that digital tastings are here to stay even beyond the pandemic. However, what kind of tastings is another question.

Based on the questionnaires on Swizz wine market, more than 60% of people attending the online tastings have as a key motivation to learn and to taste something new.

What are the edges of hosting online tastings?

Marc Almert names traveling costs on behalf of the person or organization hosting the tasting as one of the biggest advantages.

It is easier to get lots of people together also quite spontaneously. If you organize it on a premise tasting, you will probably need a couple of weeks to send invitations, deal with cancellations and make sure you have a suitable venue with enough space. Downside of that is that you are limited to one market, you usually can invite only local customers from a country. But in a virtual tasting depending on the time slot you choose you can theoretically invite the whole world to show your new product or project.

Public tastings such as an Instagram live session or a Zoom webinar help to reach a younger demographic. This type of consumers are not willing to attend a classic table tasting or a wine and dine event but open to follow one of the influencers or journalists they look up to. Online tools provide a huge reach which is impossible to get offline.

Online tastings challenges

Motivating people to attend a tasting is getting challenging. A private customer may receive an email or a newsletter from a local wine shop that he has a trust relationship with to attend its virtual tasting.

Based on the survey conducted in Switzerland, people consider the body formats to be too large (75 cl or sometimes half a bottle) for home tastings. At the same time, almost the same amount of people say they get not enough wine meaning the quantity of samples. In the winery or wine and dine, 8 to 15 different kinds of wine are likely to be tasted while in online wine tastings for private customers, usually 3 to 6 bottles are tasted.

Apart from them, private customers go to tastings as something social to visit new places, to see a person standing next to vines, etc. This whole experience can only partially be recreated through the camera.

Another challenge is to cut through the noise. There is so much an offer that it becomes difficult to fill this offer. That is why organization of online tastings needs extra attention to make sure people will be interested and motivated to spend some money and time on it.

As Marc Almert remarks here: “I believe what we will see disappearing are the so-called entry-level tastings which try to get you by a cheap price offer because those are usually the customers who are not too loyal, and industry educated. They just want to have nice time with nice alcohol but don’t really care what kind of wine, spirit, or beer it is.”

The case of 67 Pall Mall, a private members’ club for wine lovers in London, that could not welcome customers throughout last year, is representative. They created a series of online tastings on a very high level not only technically by setting up the studio, but also by rebottling high-quality wine and inviting great hosts, masters, sommeliers, and winemakers. Some of the tastings costed several thousand pounds. In fact, that proved to be so successful that they are about to launch 67 Pall Mall TV which will be a mix of recorded live tastings with small bottle samples. It shows that premium, which is harder to reach on the daily basis, is on a higher demand. It does create an emotional connection as a once in a life experience unlike entry level tastings.

Costs themselves can be a challenge. The costs in general for hosting virtual tastings are lower, but the costs per person participating are much higher – shipping cost, customs cost. The more people you send your packages the higher the cost is.

And wine rebottling challenge comes along with this. Oxidation or overheating of wine may occur during the transportation. Therefore, it might spoil a customer experience as a whole.

So, Marc Almert predicts that virtual tasting will stay on the market but rather in its premium segment. Wine trading can be expected to initiate brand building on Instagram which is still quite new to the wine world. More people will consider online tastings as a mean of staying in touch, presenting new products, new vintages, and projects. What audience will stay? Either the very top premium fine wine collectors or the younger demographic.

Drinks+ joined the session of the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2019 Marc Almert about virtual tastings future at the Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2021.

The Odessa Wine Week, the wine event of an unprecedented hybrid format and almost cosmic scale took place for the first time in Ukraine. The week combined exhibitions, a tasting competition, conferences, exposition areas, circular tastings, discussion panels, a gastronomic festival and even an air flight from South Palmyra.

Therefore, the retrospective of the Wine Week has become a long read, for which we feel a slight feeling of guilt in front of our readers. But, believe me, the event was worth it.

We go white

87 speakers from 18 countries took part in 15 massive wine events. During the Odessa Wine Week, the following events took place: the All-Ukrainian tasting competition “Odessa Wine & Spirit Awards“, the international symposium 2021 OENOVITI International Network, the conference “Innovative tools in viticulture in the face of climate change”, the author’s tasting from the OWW guest – Vinos de La Luz for HoReCa and retail representatives, Wine Future Forum, circular tasting from OWW partners and participants; expositions: from corkscrews from the collection of sculptor Andrei Lyubov or photographs – from co-author of the Blue Bird tour, Alexander Baron, to tractors; Best Riedel glass for Odessa Black variety project – selection of the optimal Riedel glass for local Odessa Black wine; conference “Wine and gastronomic tourism – a driver of development of tourist destinations”; “Air tasting” on the UIA flight, XI gastronomic festival “Yes, indeed, delicious”. And these are just the main events.

In addition to the scope of the event and the titanic volume of work done by the organizers, the participants were excited by the new name of the tasting competition – the successor, as we understand it, of the “Odessa Bay” – Odessa Wine & Spirit Awards.

The competition within the framework of the Wine Week promises to become the leading one in the country, first of all, thanks to the professionalism of the team, the core of which is made up of the heads of the laboratory of sensory analysis at the Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies. At the same time, the level of expertise of the competition was strengthened by a combination of sensory analysis methodology and the work of a carefully selected jury from among certified experts. The rest of the regulation was almost 100 percent in line with the international rules developed by the OIV.

The tasting committee consisted of 16 professional sommeliers and wine experts who in 2 days evaluated 305 sparkling, still, dessert and fortified wines, as well as a pool of spirits from 65 Ukrainian producers.

I would like to note the competently equipped tasting area: each judge worked in a separate booth, equipped in accordance with the highest international standards and requirements. To evaluate the samples, the Gustos Life program with blockchain technology was used, which excludes the possibility of changing the assessments of experts both during the competition and after its completion.

The winners of the competition were awarded gold (86-95.5 points), silver (82-85.99 points) medals and diplomas of the competition participant. It should be noted that, according to the OIV rules, only 30% of the total number of participants receive medals. As a result, 30 samples were awarded with gold medals, 49 with silver in the category of wines; in the category of spirits: 7 – gold and 7 silver medals.

A noteworthy fact that everyone involved drew attention to is a significant number of white wines among the winners.

How can the phenomenon of this year’s competition be explained? With this question, we turned to Oksana Tkachenko, ideologist of Odessa Wine Week and scientific director of the Laboratory of Sensory Analysis, head of the department of the Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies. Her vision of the palette of winners is as follows: “In fact, a huge number of factors influenced the ratio of white and red, it is imperative to analyze the situation. This year, there are many awardees among the white wines, most likely simply because the winemakers paid more attention to them. At the same time, I know winemakers who do not make white wines at all, since it is technologically difficult for them. I think the fact that this time the winemakers were successful with the whites is an indicator of both technological and quality growth”.

Haute couture for Odessa Black

The project Best Riedel glass for Odessa Black variety became a significant and self-sufficient event of Odessa Wine Week, worthy of a separate story, during which experts chose the best Riedel glass for local Ukrainian wine of the Odessa Black variety.

Recall that a similar marketing technique was tested by the flagship varieties of a number of countries: Malbec in Argentina, Saperavi in Georgia, Feteasca in Moldova, Carmenere from Chile, Shiraz from Australia, etc.

The selection algorithm was as follows. A few days before the start of the Odessa Wine Week, the tasting committee tested 32 wines from Odessa Black, and the winner was named: Aliberne Reserve Limited Edition, 2017 from Gigineishvili Wine House.

Then the jury, which included winemakers, sommeliers, representatives of HoReCa, chose glass #4 from the Performance collection out of 9 proposed options for glasses. Our Ukrainian autochthon has decided on the ideal form of haute couture – from a world-famous brand! Performance is a fairly fresh collection which is usually personally presented in the world by Maximilian Riedel. This line of glasses was created using the latest technology, thanks to which the bowls have an extended inner surface, which emphasizes the organoleptic properties of the wine and enhances the optical effect. Glasses are made at a factory in Bavaria, but they are not inferior to handmade ones in terms of glass thinness and elegance of forms.

The wine future is in our hands

At the next serious event of the Wine Future Forum in Odessa, international experts and listeners discussed the most pressing topics: viticulture in the face of climate change, attracting investment in winemaking, peculiarities and problems of export, the experience of developed winemaking countries in promotion, etc., where the players of the wine business presented their vision, representatives of the authorities also joined.

During the video feed, the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Roman Leshchenko noted that winemakers should use the successful experience of neighboring countries and work to promote the Ukrainian Wine brand. By the way, the ministry is already actively engaged in in cooperation with the Ukrvinprom corporation on this issue. The minister also listed a number of urgent steps, including the need to abolish the excise tax, the removal of table wines from the list of alcoholic beverages and their inclusion in the food category, as well as the restoration of our country’s membership in the OIV. We hope that the case will not lag far behind the word. Moreover, the other day the D+ columnist, during an interview with OIV CEO Pau Roca, found out that the process of reconstitution of our country in the ranks of this world organization is elementary.

For Drinks+ it was a very honorable task entrusted to us by the organizers of Odessa Wine Week – to attract the most authoritative persons of the wine world to the discussions. Among them, we note such a bright speaker and marketer as Olga Bussinello, a private entrepreneur and ex-director of Consorzio per la Tutela Vini Valpolicella (Italy). In an online presentation, she shared her extensive professional experience in the development, promotion and positioning of the wine region in international markets, including the United States and Asia, as well as how to ethically and effectively coordinate such global processes.

Philippe Massol, General Director of Cité du Vin (Bordeaux), also addressed the audience with a video greeting. His story about overcoming problems during a pandemic and creating a digital marketplace about wine or, as Monsieur Massol himself put it, a kind of “Netflix for wine lovers”, was accompanied by a spectacular video about a unique futuristic wine museum – the center of wine culture.

Dr. Ricardo F. Nunez, founder and owner of the Vinos de La Luz group of companies, which unites wineries in Spain, Italy, Argentina and the United States, dwelled on the principles of the wine business in Argentina and government support programs. But, as it turned out, the strength of the Argentines is completely different. Local winemakers – we note, like the producers of most countries of developed winemaking, – are united under the Wines of Argentina brand and jointly participate in exhibitions and specialized events.

The investor is in the details

The presentation “Attracting Investment in the Wine Industry” attracted a particular interest from the community. Winemakers, drowning in problems, rely on investors, which is understandable. This is what Anna Horkun, CEO and founder of 46 Parallel Wine Group, a bright speaker in all respects, who is armed with legal education, and most importantly, her own comprehensive business experience and knowledge of the investment market, spoke about.

Anna introduced the main work cases, stages, and pain points of investing. And that there are no trifles in attracting investors. There is a need to delve into psychology. “Why do I focus on foreign investment? The way of thinking of foreign investors is very different from how our compatriot thinks. And you need to be prepared for the fact that if you want to attract foreign capital, if you are trying to get an institutional or portfolio investor as a partner, he will come to you with a “Talmud” of strict rules that must be followed.”

Natalia Burlachenko, brand ambassador of the international group of companies Vinos de La Luz in Eastern Europe, partner of the Wine Gallery distribution company, dwelt on stereotypes and their overcoming: “Ukrainian wines are an independent brand, and they are rapidly entering the path that will soon become successful. However, it seems to me that the underestimation of Ukrainian wine should be eradicated first from our consciousness. We have this ambiguous feeling that everything that is “ours” is of less quality than foreign. In fact, this is not true! For its rehabilitation, Ukrainian wine needs a massive campaign supported by the state. It seems to me that local wine should be associated, first of all, with the personalities of the country and with the locality, terroir”.

Drink. Eat. Fly!

The circular tasting from 18 partners and participants of OWW, which took place on the second day of the event, brought together the top officials of the leading wineries. I would especially note the presentation of vintages 2009 “Merlot Vitrimane”, “Cabernet Vitrimane”, “Aligote Vitrimane” from Prince Trubetskoy Winery.

In addition, in a specially designated exposition area for two days non-stop one could taste wines from Shabo, Chateau Chizay, TM “Odessa”, TM “French Boulevard” – and a number of other reputable producers.

The last burst of the Wine Week was the Yes, indeed, Delicious Festival, held in the scenery of the Odessa Film Studio with the participation of leading Ukrainian wine brands, a large food court, a festive menu with a variety of culinary specialties: Odessa, Bessarabian, European and Asian cuisines reigned here.

And the enchanting Odessa Wine Week ended with a hot spot: the Odessa-Odessa air travel with a tasting on the UIA aircraft board of the five Ukrainian wines-winners of the Odessa Wine & Spirit Awards competition. They are: El Capitan Pinot Gris 2019 from 46 Parallel Wine Group, Riesling Rhine 2016 from Prince Trubetskoy, Aliberne Reserve Limited Edition 2017 from Gigineishvili Wine House, SHABO Cabernet Grande Reserve 2017.

The wines were accompanied by dishes of Odessa cuisine, created by the brand-chef of Le Grand Café at Bristol Hotel 5* Odesa, Stéphane Vaittinadan.

The amazing testing-flight was a landmark that marked the meteoric rise of Ukrainian wines.

Photo: Arsen Fedosenko / facebook.com / odessawineweek, facebook.com/mkalenska

The Odessa Wine Week, the wine event of an unprecedented hybrid format and almost cosmic scale took place for the first time in Ukraine. The week combined exhibitions, a tasting competition, conferences, exposition areas, circular tastings, discussion panels, a gastronomic festival and even an air flight from South Palmyra.