Gastronomy and Wine Portal

Welcome to Drinks+! Welcome to the Eastern European markets!

Our portal expands the boundaries, and acting on the recommendation of our foreign friends and partners, we launched the English version of the site on March 21: https://drinks.ua/en/

Drinks.ua is a web portal covering all topics in the wine and alcohol industry.

Among the popular sections are the following:

• Calendar of the world’s exhibitions and competitions;
• Analytics;
• Interviews;
• Wine tastings, events, reports;
• Education and Work;
• Directory of distributors and suppliers;
• Articles about wineries, new products, restaurants and gastronomy;
• For those who are interested in travelling, we have drawn up our Wine Route Maps and enogastronomic tours around the world’s wine-producing countries.

Now, it will be easier for the international professional audience to get to know the latest news in the wine and alcohol market of Ukraine and Eastern Europe, monitor markets, track, and take part in leading exhibitions and professional events in Eastern Europe. Site visitors will have access to the information about importers and distributors in such regions, gastronomic particularities of the countries and statistical data pertaining to the alcohol market in Eastern Europe.

Read Drinks+ voraciously, and do your business when your mind is clear!

Our portal expands the boundaries: we launch the English version of Drinks+.

• late-budding varieties were not affected by frost.
• Nebbiolo conditions appear to be heterogenous across the various appellations and the damage is hard to establish at the moment, due to the irregular phenological phase in the vineyards. Therefore, it is possible to see both damaged and healthy buds on the same vine.
• the mostly affected vineyards are the ones at medium altitude, where bud burst already took place. For internal and south-facing vineyards the damage was very limited.

Between April 7th-8th there has been a drop in temperatures due to cold drafts coming from Northern Europe, which caused frost across the region.

Results of VI All-Ukrainian Tasting Competition «Variety and Terroir. Microwinemaking».

Despite the pandemic and on the eve of the next lockdown in Ukraine on March 19 in Odessa (at Business Centre «Aquarelle»), the traditional VI All-Ukrainian Tasting Competition «Variety and terroir. Microwinemaking» took place. Given the circumstances, we may state that the forum brought together real heroes: 18 participants from 10 regions of Ukraine submitted their wines for assessment by the reputable jury. Indeed, the Ukrainian winemaking is a journey for those who are brave, because they are the ones who dare to grow vines and invest into equipment in the country’s current conditions.

Conducting such event also required courage on the part of the organizers: All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, the Association of Caviste of Ukraine and the first Ukrainian School of Sommeliers «Master Class».

The communication media group Drinks+ (Drinks+ magazine, drinks.ua portal, Drinks’o’Clock online newspaper) acted as the General Information Partner of the Competition.

Assessment of wines produced by the Ukrainian microwinemakers took place pursuant to the following parameters:

• General assessment during blind tasting under Robert Parker’s 100-point wine-scoring scale.
• Determination of «The Competition’s Absolute Winner» (the wine that received the highest points from the jury).
• Determination of the Competition’s winners in nominations by the variety-based principle.
• Tasting from «Focus Group of Restaurateurs» in Odessa («public tasting»).

The Competition’s professional jury (11 people) headed by the owner of Vinos de La Luz group of companies Dr. Ricardo F. Nunez tasted 86 samples of wines.

The results were quite unexpected: the highest award went to a newcomer – a brand that has just entered the Ukrainian market.

«The Competition’s Absolute Winner» – TM De Laransa, Kharkiv Region, dry red wine «Merlot, 2019».

Winners of the Competition’s nominations:

• Serhiy Kovalenko, KSW Wine House, Cherkasy Region: Red Dessert – «Love story, 2020»;
• Boris Pecker, Home Wine From Boris, Nikolaev: Red dry from a local variety – «Odessa Black, 2019»;
• TM Fathers wine, Ternopil Region: White dry from a local variety – «Muscat Ottonel, 2020»;
• TM NAROVYLO, Kyiv Region. – Red Blend, dry wine «Cabernet Merlot, 2019»;
• LLC Grapes – Odessa, Odessa Region. This winery won in 2 nominations: Pink Dry – «Pinot Noir, 2020», and White dry from Chardonnay – «Chardonnay, 2020»;
• Volodymyr Simakin – TM Simakin Family Winery, Dnipropetrovsk Region: White dry from Riesling – «Riesling, 2020»;
• LLC Prestige Group, Odessa: Reservoir Sparkling – «Pink Brut Prestige»;
• Oleksandr Kosyanchuk, Kyiv Region: Red dry from Cabernet Sauvignon – «Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019».

Natalia Blagopoluchna, President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommelier shared her impressions and comments related to tasting with Drinks +:

• The absolute winner of the Competition is red dry «Merlot, 2019» by TM De Laransa. The wine pleasantly surprised all members of the jury. Saturated dark ruby ​​color, its aroma is determined by ripe plum, black berries, and prunes in chocolate. The taste is balanced, with a pleasant note of black berries and pickled sweet plums. The wine is full-bodied, the variety is immediately recognizable. Berry aftertaste, with a slight bitterness of the grapeseed.
• Reservoir Sparkling «Pink Brut Prestige». Great wine for spring and summer! It has a beautiful light pink color, persistent mousse and long-lasting perlage. The aroma is determined by ripe red berries (raspberries, strawberries), and spring flowers. The taste is bright, pleasant, with a balance of acidity,  barberry notes and viburnum aftertaste. One of the best pink bruts in Ukraine.
• Pink dry «Pinot Noir, 2020» from TM Grapes – Odessa. During blind tasting of this wine, it was interesting to keep an eye on the jury members: to see how the expressions on their faces changed with each new stage of tasting. From curiosity to surprise: is it indeed a wine produced in Ukraine? No, it is burgundy rosé! How balanced this wine was in terms of aroma and taste! Light shades of red berries and ripe raspberries were felt in both aroma and taste! The wine was very much admired by all members of the jury.

The winners received diplomas and cash prizes from the prize fund partner – TM RUMKA ONLINE (LLC Privat-Alco).

«The Competition’s Absolute Winner» and «Winners of the Competition Nominations» will present their wines at VII International Forum of Winemakers and Sommeliers at InterContinental Hotel (Kyiv) on November 20, 2021.

The event ended with the traditional «Winemakers’ Dinner», where a master class was conducted by Ricardo F. Nunez, Chairman of the Jury. Dr. Nunez has his own premium wine production facilities in 4 countries and on two continents.

His team includes the most talented oenologists who have a bold, creative thinking, so he did have something to tell the audience. He emphasized the importance of developing micro-winemaking for each wine-producing country. Ricardo F. Nunez expressed his confidence in the future of Ukrainian winemaking and wished all those present determination in achieving their goals.

Results of VI All-Ukrainian Tasting Competition «Variety and Terroir. Microwinemaking».

Francis Ford Coppola Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is the first wine in the Diamond collection, originating exclusively from the Paso Robles region.

Francis Ford Coppola, one of the greatest directors of our time, a six-time Oscar winner took a break from making films, but continues to delight fans, releasing wines at his own winery located in California. Yet another wine bearing the famous director’s name came out.

“One of the great joys of wine tasting is discovering how the color, flavor, and taste of grapes may change depending on a location,” – Gary Sitton, Vice-President at Francis Ford Coppola Winery said. – Paso Robles is a warm region with relatively low annual rainfall and a varied mix of soil types. With its distinctive flavor profile, the wine is a perfect supplement to the Coppola Cabernet family: Classic Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon and our bestseller Diamond Claret. “

Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon delights with notes of black fruits, coffee, almonds and vanilla in its flavor. The taste combines ripe fruits and light oak hints. A small amount of Petit Verdot variety impart piquancy and color, and Petite Sirah – depth and richness of flavor.

Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, this wine with 13.5% ABV is suitable for winter gastronomic pairings with such dishes as holiday roasts, mashed potatoes and cheese platters with spicy and aged cheeses.

The suggested retail price is $ 21 per bottle (750 ml).

Photo: beveragedynamics.com

Francis Ford Coppola Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is the first wine in the Diamond collection, originating exclusively from the Paso Robles region.

Recent years have witnessed ever-growing popularity of the Japanese whiskey in the world, however, the rules protecting authenticity of that product have not always kept pace with a rapid growth in this category. Therefore, it is quite often that the labels misleading buyers who are looking for real Japanese alcohol, are attached to such bottles.

In this regard, the Japan Spirits and Liqueurs Makers Association announced new measures to combat unfair competition. The organization posted a message on its website in which it regrets that many of the spirits marketed as “Japanese whiskey” are not only far from being a Japanese product, but often have nothing to do with whiskey. Therefore, the association has formally defined the basic principles that the “Japanese whiskey” should comply with:

Ingredients: Malt, cereals and water of exclusively Japanese origin must be used as raw materials.

Production: all stages of production, including saccharification, fermentation and distillation, must be carried out in a plant in Japan. At the time of distillation, alcohol content should be less than 95%.

Aging: the distilled product must be poured into wooden barrels with a capacity of no more than 700 liters and then aged for at least 3 years in Japan.

Bottling: Bottling must only be done in Japan and a minimum alcohol content of 40% must be ensured.

In addition, simple caramel coloring is acceptable.

If whiskey does not meet the above requirements, producers are not entitled to attach to their product a label containing the names of people associated with Japan, the names of Japanese cities, regions, famous places, mountains and rivers, as well as the image of the Japanese flag or other items associated with Japan.

These new rules are to enter into full force and effect on April 1, 2021.

Based on the materials of beveragedynamics.com

Recent years have witnessed ever-growing popularity of the Japanese whiskey in the world, however, the rules protecting authenticity of that product have not always kept pace with a rapid growth in this category.

A survey conducted by Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris recorded positive assessments of the past year, made by representatives of the wine business.

A survey of 658 wine producers and 737 wine and gourmet items merchants helped reconstruct the overall picture of 2020 for winemaking and wine sales. Using new tools or distribution channels, winemakers, together with merchants, have flexibly approached the challenges caused by Covid-19. Their assessment of 2020 appeared to be mostly positive.

Most wine and gourmet items merchants (60%) said their revenue was good. 55% of them reported sales growth, and 15% reported that sales were even more stable compared to 2019. During the holiday season of the last quarter of 2020, 58% of wine and gourmet items merchants witnessed a clear increase in sales over the previous year.

As for winemakers, 34% of respondents consider their results to be positive, and 22% – stable compared to 2019.

Dynamic approach to business development

Wine and gourmet items merchants have been able to adapt to security measures which are being implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic, by offering new services, including online sales (18%) and home delivery (20%), even after working hours (5%), as well as Click & Collect system. This helped them hold out with virtually no sales at large private events (weddings, anniversaries) and trade events (exhibitions, tastings).

Winemakers also showed initiative and creativity: 35% of them created their own sites for online sales during this period, 22% joined the existing Internet platforms, and 17% expanded sales to cover wine and gourmet items merchants. Overall, 67% of winemakers have found new distribution channels.

Still wines and spirits come out on top

Red and white wines had the best sales figures even compared to 2019, which is probably due to the role they played as “moral support” during the isolation. They showed almost the same results: sales of red wines increased by 53%, whereas sales of whites – by 55%.

Spirits also saw an increase in sales, rising 50% in popularity and confirming significant growth over the past few years.

However, sparkling wines, which are usually used at festive and public events, on the contrary, have suffered during the period of quarantine and isolation.

There are strong players in the world of wine!

While 66% of wine and gourmet items merchants are optimistic about the future, winemakers continue to express some concern. However, they show resilience: 65% of them want to maintain and develop their new distribution channels, including digital technologies.

The Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris survey showed a sufficient margin of safety for the wine market players and showed that this inherently resilient sector, with the support of consumers who continued to buy wines and other spirits, has been able to successfully restructure to bounce back and develop further.

A survey conducted by Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris recorded positive assessments of the past year, made by representatives of the wine business.

Last week, the Languedoc star Gérard Bertran, renowned for his creativity, introduced during an online tasting his first Orange wine from the new 8th category of wines put on the OIV list in 2020.

As reported by thedrinksbusiness.com, Orange Gold 2020 is a blend of six varieties of Chardonnay, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Mozac and Muscat. The first amber wine from the famous winemaker combines the traditions of Georgian winemaking and modern technologies used for the wines originating in the south of France.

As it became known, the release of orange wine had been preceded by a thorough study of styles and notes, and for that purpose Monsieur Bertrand and a team of oenologists tested 75 of the best amber wines in the world. According to the master, some of them evoked his admiration and others disappointment.

As a result, the winemaker set a goal to create the wine pursuant to the classic technologies of Kakheti, but in a modern, fresh style that is not deviating far from the Georgian traditions. As you know, according to the rules of Georgian winemakers, grapes are sent for fermentation in whole bunches and the processes of vinification take place with the pulp in order to ensure that the wine has a characteristic orange color and tannins.

Bearing that task in mind, the grape varieties were being selected. In addition, the winemaker was attracted by their aromatic complexity, when an expressive flavor of each variety was being combined into a balanced bouquet. According to Gerard Bertrand, Orange Gold has “an unusual profile, amazing refinement, reflecting the liveliness, minerality and freshness inherent in the wines of the southern France”. Among the flavors found in the wine are: white flowers, including fleur-d’orange, candied fruits, grapefruit notes and white pepper. Technological processes were also adjusted for the intended purposes, therefore, both oak barrels and steel containers were used.

According to the winemaker, he is especially proud of sweet bitterness – a particular bitterness in the aftertaste – which, in his opinion, whets appetite. He recommends pairing Orange Gold with hard cheeses and spicy dishes. Orange Gold 2020 is on sale on Gerard Bertrand’s website at a price of € 12.50 per bottle.

Among the winemaker’s novelties, which we would also like to draw your attention to, are two wines under the Prima Nature label, produced without sulfites: Chardonnay and Shiraz.

These wines are made of grapes from the old vines with low yields. The winemaker has been working on their production for three years. Both wines are vegan-certified. In order to clarify the wines, legumes were used as an alternative to egg white. According to the producer, they can be aged for more than two years. Profile’s key aspects: freshness and balance.

Last week, the Languedoc star Gérard Bertran, renowned for his creativity, introduced during an online tasting his first Orange wine from the new 8th category of wines put on the OIV list in 2020.

The bottles were elaborated by the artist who designed the cover of The Beatles’ cult album.

The new Anecdotes of Ages collection includes 13 bottles of whiskey dated back to 1967: the period of time, when the pop-culture grasped the artistic style of Sir Peter Blake, a British artist and a pioneer of the British pop art, who created the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for the famous Liverpool Four.

Each bottle is decorated with the label depicting Blake’s original collage, with which the renowned Scottish brand has been working for over 30 years.

“I am deeply inspired by Macallan’s incredible legacy and its focus on family, tradition and the natural world” – Blake says. – Each collage in the Anecdotes of Ages collection is inspired by the history and legacy of Macallan, respecting the time and craft: two important components of my own creative process. I worked meticulously on each collage, basing myself upon The Macallan Estate’s rich history, in order to create a collection that is a celebration of art and whiskey”.

The bottles for this collection are hand-blown, sealed with oak cork, and the labels are created by Blake himself. The whiskey comes in a European oak box with a photograph of Blake’s collaboration with The Macallan, a leather-bound book, and a Certificate of Authenticity.

“This exceptional 1967 whiskey was chosen because of its classic yet colorful character, which is reminiscent of the works of Sir Peter Blake dated back to the same year,” – Sarah Burgess, Macallan’s spokeswoman said. “This is a truly special single malt whiskey with notes of oak, fig, rich hazelnut and strawberry notes, and a complex aftertaste with notes of chocolate and a touch of peach”.

A total of 332 bottles of the Anecdotes of Ages Collection: Down to Work Limited Edition are available worldwide, with the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of US $ 83,000.00 per bottle.

One of the 13 original bottles from the new collection are to be sold at Sotheby’s live auction in New York on March 13, 2021, and the funds raised will be donated to the Solomon Guggenheim Museum.

Фото: thespiritsbusiness.com

The bottles were elaborated by the artist who designed the cover of The Beatles’ cult album.

Steven Spurrier, the legendary man in the wine world passed away at the age of 80.

The renowned wine expert, writer, educator and winemaker left this world. Mr. Spurrier was considered to be one of the most reputable and respected experts, and the master’s achievements can hardly be overestimated: at the onset of his professional activities he made an outstanding career in trade, having opened his own wine store in Paris, and was organizer of the famous blind comparative tasting “Judgment of Paris Tasting” in 1976, when wine producers from Bordeaux and California were competing.

In addition, Steven Spurrier founded L’Academie du Vin – the first private wine school in France, collaborated with the largest specialized magazine Decanter, wrote numerous books about wine, and conducted online seminars on wine topics during the pandemic.

It is especially difficult for us, journalists of Drinks + editorial board, to broach Spurrier’s death: not long ago we received congratulations from the master on the occasion of release of our 200-th anniversary issue, and a few years ago the wine guru gave an exclusive interview to our magazine, in which he disclosed details of the legendary tasting of American and French wines, his new project Bride Valley Vineyard; emphasized, which of his achievements he deemed the most important, and shared his plans.

It’s an awful pity that many of them are no longer meant to come true (((

Steven Spurrier, the legendary man in the wine world, passed away at the age of 80.

The company Cotnar is a legend of Transcarpathia. Located near the town of Beregovo, in the village of Muzhievo, the winery has been reviving the centuries-old traditions of the region since 1996, combining classical methods with modern approaches. It should be emphasized that 2020 became the starting point for its modern history and will be followed by another, much higher stage of the company’s evolution.

Cotnar’s ambitious young team has set new goals and is successfully implementing them: the product lines have been updated, and Ukrainian wine lovers familiarized themselves with the wines of a different level under the brand name Cotnar, which had been introduced into the market last year.

The team’s ambitions are not limited to the domestic market, where the company and its wines – for example, the line of light and fresh Gorobchiki – are already in great demand. The Transcarpathian winemakers are developing plans for international expansion; in the near future, they are going to present Cotnar – a key brand of one of Ukraine’s historical wine regions – to the foreign wine connoisseurs. Nature has generously endowed this mountainous region: mineral springs saturate the slopes with valuable elements; its favorable climate is characterized by mild winters and long warm summers, with an optimal number of sunny days. All these factors create ideal conditions for growing grapes, and in symbiosis with a hard work and experience on the part of the professionals, contribute to the birth of unique wines.

Among the picturesque Carpathian landscapes, there are 160 hectares of well-tended Cotnar vineyards, where dozens of popular European and local white and red varieties are grown: Traminer, Leanca, Muscat, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet, Saperavi, and Merlot. The selected grapes from these vines are used by the company’s gifted winemakers to create blends and elegant single-varietal dry wines as well as luxurious dessert ones.

The company Cotnar is a legend of Transcarpathia.