Posted: 18.06.2024
Presenting Ukrainian wine in Vienna to the world – how it happened
The Chateau Chizay Winery participated in a remarkable event – the international exhibition VieVinum, held in the capital of Austria. The “Ukrainian Winemaking Team”, united by the Wines of Ukraine initiative, presented domestic wines in a historic palace in the center of Vienna, alongside the best wineries of Austria.
The VieVinum exhibition takes place every two years and is a highly prestigious professional event.
The main visitors are wine professionals from around the world: experts, sommeliers, Masters of Wine, journalists, bloggers, representatives of retail chains and the restaurant business, and buyers seeking the best wines.
The exhibition also welcomes enthusiasts, winelovers, and those genuinely interested in wine.
Therefore, the interactions and evaluations at the exhibition are meaningful and professional.
Oleksandra Polishchuk, Vice President of Development at Chateau Chizay, shares her impressions of participating in the VieVinum exhibition:
“It was incredibly interesting and atmospheric! For three days, we represented Ukraine.
We dedicated two floors of the palace to our wines at VieVinum. Several other participating countries, like Ukraine, were specially invited guests.
Winemaking in Austria has its unique path: it sits between classical wine Europe and countries that are still developing their winemaking industries. This experience is definitely beneficial for us!
I should note that Austrians themselves prefer domestic wines, the country has excellent wineries, and overall the quality is very high. The level of this event is also very high.
Therefore, it is especially pleasing that the guests of the exhibition showed great interest in the Ukrainian stand, there were many visitors, conversations, and questions all the time.
The Ukrainian stand welcomed visitors from the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, the Baltic countries, and others.
I can confidently say – the wine world is interested in Ukraine!
Several Ukrainian wines became ‘stars’ for the visitors. Among them was our sweet wine made from botrytized grapes, Furmint Late Harvest.
It was praised for its unique and rich aroma and taste, as well as for its originality – there are only a few such wines in the world”.
Guests were also delighted to discover Chateau Chizay’s exclusive wine – Chersegi. To make it even more interesting, we presented our flagship variety in two styles: the sparkling Carpathian Sekt and the still dry wine Chersegi. Most people said it was their first time tasting it, but it definitely deserves attention due to its unique character. This aligns with the trend – the world is looking for originality.
The Ukrainian stand at the exhibition was visited by the Ambassador of Ukraine to Austria, Vasyl Khymynets, who thanked the Wines of Ukraine team for their work in “wine diplomacy”, which is crucial for promoting Ukrainian identity and values.
In turn, our winemakers and wine enthusiasts thank the event organizers, Austrian Wine, and especially Mr. Chris Yorke, CEO of Austrian Wine. Thank you for helping to open up Ukraine to the world, and this is not just about wine.
We are happy to have had the opportunity to represent Ukrainian winemaking at an international event, to share more about what our country creates and what it stands for.
Thank you to the incredible Wines of Ukraine team for your hard work and passion!
