In the Mykolaiv region of southern Ukraine, winemaker Mykhailo Molchanov tends to his organic vines, planted amid biodiverse grasslands, with his dog Direktor at his heels. The idyllic scene is marred by an unexploded Russian rocket half-buried between rows of Chardonnay grapes. The Molchanovs have chosen to work around it rather than risk damaging their vines with heavy machinery.
Living Between the Lines
When Russia's full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022, the Molchanov family left their home in Mykolaiv and moved to their winery on the Southern Buh river. They found themselves between the lines of both armies. 'You could see the rockets going directly up towards space – as if they were launching cosmonauts,' said Heorhii Molchanov, the son. Their wine cellar served as a bomb shelter, but a 2017 Cabernet was lost. Mykolaiv's successful defence was a relief; capture would have opened the way to Odesa.
Expanding Despite Adversity
Despite the war, the Molchanovs have expanded their vineyard acreage and plan to increase production from 10,000 bottles a year to 30,000-50,000 over the next decade. They grow both international varieties and native Ukrainian grapes like telti kuruk and odesa black. Mykhailo is optimistic about Ukrainian wine's potential: 'I was listening to Italian wine growers talking at a conference recently, and their situation reminded me of ours – except they were talking about the 1960s.'
A Hub for Winemakers
The Molchanovs run a hub for local winemakers who have lost their vineyards. Olha Kashchenko, from Kherson, plans to buy grapes and produce wine there. 'We plan to return, we will rebuild and plant our own grapes. But the area is mined, and who knows how long it will take,' she said. According to Svitlana Tsybak, president of the Ukrainian Association of Craft Winemakers, Ukraine's vineyard area dropped from 68,000 hectares in 2014 to 47,000 after Crimea's annexation, and now stands at 15,000 hectares. However, 82 craft wineries have been established since 2022, mostly in safer regions.
Beykush Winery: Close to Danger
Beykush winery, on a cape southwest of Mykolaiv, is only 8km from Russian-occupied territory. Head winemaker Olha Romashko and her deputy Oleksandr Pashkovsky run the operation with a skeleton team, observing a blackout after 10pm. 'In 2022, we had lots of cruise missiles from Crimea... If you see a Shahed, though, it is coming for you,' Romashko said. Despite the danger, they planted malbec grapes in November 2022. 'You can't miss a single cycle or step – if you do, you have wasted all your work,' said Pashkovsky. 'When you look at these buds, how could you possibly abandon them?'
