Posted: 01.06.2021
Wine Rendez-Vous. How French and Ukrainian wines… competed
The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Embassy of France in Ukraine together with French partners organized a Wine Rendez-Vous: “Ukraine vs Bordeaux”. This is a friendly comparative tasting in the form of an online meeting, where French wine from Bordeaux region and Ukrainian wine were evaluated.
Exclusive samples specially selected by experts “played” for the French team. Ukraine was represented by releases of leading wineries: both large and craft.
The event “Wine Rendez-Vous: Ukraine vs Bordeaux” took place for the first time to taste the wines of the trendsetters of wine culture of Ukraine and France online. And, of course, to discuss how to develop winemaking in Ukraine. Bordeaux is Number 1 wine region in the world, so assessment and advice of French colleagues are very important.
“Even the crisis is not able to prevent us from meeting with our French colleagues to talk about wine culture of our countries and share our achievements,” said one of the organizers, Chairman of the Committee of Entrepreneurs of Agriculture at the Ukrainian CCI Oleg Yukhnovsky.
On the Ukrainian side, the event was attended by the President of the Ukrainian CCI Gennadiy Chizhikov, Agriculture Counselor of the French Embassy in Ukraine Laurent Denyo, Chairman of the Committee of Agrarian Entrepreneurs at the Ukrainain CCI Oleg Yukhnovsky, Agricultural Expert Lyudmila Stepura, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in France Ksenia Druzhchenko and representatives of wineries.
The co-organizers from the French side were the Higher National School of Agronomy of Bordeaux, Lyceum of Bordeaux, Blanquefort – University of Bordeaux. French winemaking was represented by Honorary Consul of Ukraine and “Interco” Director Christine Pecasteng, Managing Director of “Château Dauzac” Laurent Fortin, Professor of Economics and Marketing of Winemaking at the Lyceum of Bordeaux (Blanquefort) Stéphane Badet, oenologist from Bordeaux region Guillerme Martins.
Participants tasted wines from France and Ukraine according to the rules of professional tastings, covering different styles: from dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet (white, rosé, red), dessert to sparkling wines.
Ukrainian winemakers presented their companies and wines, and all together expressed their impressions and suggestions on how to improve the wine. Of course, the winners of the tasting were not determined, because the goal was to learn about the wines and do everything to increase the quality.
French experts noted the originality and high quality of Ukrainian wines as a country that should take a worthy place on the wine map of the world.
Chateau Chizay Winery presented aged white dry wine Furmint at the Wine Rendezvous, which was highly appreciated by the participants. Colleagues from Bordeaux noted that this wine can be presented in wine boutiques in Europe, including France, where it should cost three times more than its price today.
Igor Radomyselskiy, Vice President of Chateau Chizay, says:
“The Chateau Chizay team has another reason to be happy to participate in Wine Rendezvous. After all, we met with friends! Together with French specialists, we are implementing an unprecedented for Ukraine International Educational Program “Bordeaux – Transcarpathia”. This is an initiative of Chateau Chizay and wine specialists of Bordeaux region, aimed at the development of wine business, wine culture in Ukraine. We are waiting for the borders to be opened in order to move to the practical stage of the project.”
