The Ukrainian Corporation for Viticulture and Winemaking “Ukrvinprom” and the state-owned “Ukrgasbank” have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at supporting the development of the Ukrainian wine industry, implementing joint projects, developing wine tourism, and introducing modern financial instruments for companies in the industry, the corporation reported.
As Ukrvinprom CEO Volodymyr Kucherenko stated in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine, the goal of the agreement is to create opportunities for further cooperation and provide winemakers with access to the bank’s financial instruments.
The agreement does not specify a fixed amount of funding. Industry enterprises will have access to the bank’s financial instruments as needed and within the framework of specific projects, in accordance with the terms of the bank’s programs.
“It is important to us that this particular agreement opens up an additional tool to support our winemakers and industry enterprises. You will see concrete results in certain areas of this cooperation, I think, in the very near future—even before the end of this year,” he said.
According to Kucherenko, the collaboration will also encompass the development of wine tourism and the preservation of Ukraine’s winemaking cultural heritage.
“We see the need to revive, preserve, study, and restore the so-called Mazepa Wine Cellar. We also see other areas that we are currently exploring. We hope that with the help of ‘Ukrgasbank’ and other patrons, we will be able to revive our Ukrainian winemaking heritage. And not only revive and preserve it, but also build upon the achievements of our winemakers,” Kucherenko noted.
He added that “Ukrvinprom” is open to cooperation with all market participants. In the first phase, the corporation plans to help its members gain access to special programs developed jointly with the bank, as well as to inform market participants about available opportunities.
The agreement was signed on September 18 during the 5th International Forum “Ukrainian Wine—Part of the World’s Cultural Heritage: From Trypillia to the Present Day” in Kyiv. One of the forum’s topics was financing opportunities for investments in winemaking and wine tourism.
On July 22, 2024, Ukrvinprom Corporation, as the official partner-ambassador of the Fondation pour la Culture et les Civilisations du Vin and its cultural center La Cité du Vin, opened the registration of applications of Ukrainian producers.
The selection of official wine ambassadors of Ukraine is being held for the third time within the framework of the international project “Ukrainian Wine – Part of the World Cultural Heritage of La Cité du Vin” initiated by Ukrvinprom Corporation and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The wines that receive the status of official ambassadors of the country become part of the collection of La Cité du Vin, which is the world’s largest wine museum. There, they are offered for tasting to visitors and invited to prestigious special events. For example, the winners of the 2023 selection were presented under the patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron at the annual Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris exhibitions, at the Sorbonne University, and at many diplomatic events.
Volodymyr Kucherenko, CEO of Ukrvinprom Corporation, says: “The mission of the Fondation pour la Culture et les Civilisations du Vin and the cultural center La Cité du Vin is to protect, present and learn about cultural, historical and intellectual information about wines from different countries and regions of the world. They truly strive to bring this living, universal heritage to the widest possible audience. By joining the center, each country significantly strengthens its international image as a wine-producing country, and the companies that represent it in La Cité du Vin gain worldwide recognition and high status as “wine ambassadors” of their country.”
The III All-Ukrainian competitive selection of the official wine ambassadors of Ukraine will be organized by Ukrvinprom Corporation together with the Association of Sommeliers of Ukraine in three stages:
Acceptance of applications from wineries – until August 20, 2024.
Blind evaluation of the applicant wines in the sensory analysis laboratory of the Ukrainian Wine Institute – August 28-29, 2024.
Awarding of the winners at a ceremony at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine – August 30, 2024.
Based on the results of the selection, the collection of 21 samples of Ukrainian wines that will receive the status of Ukrainian Wine Ambassador 2024 will be transferred to La Cité du Vin.
The partners of the project are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Directorate General for Servicing Foreign Missions, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the State Tax Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation, and the Association of Sommeliers of Ukraine.
The selection of the Ukrainian Wine Ambassador 2024 is widely supported by Ukrainian business: the general partner of the project is the leading agricultural company Perlyna Podillya, and the official partners are Polygraph Combine, Ukrposhta, Morshynska TM, Forests of Ukraine, Inter Fruits LTD, RadiMo TM, Interco Nouvelle-Aquitaine (France). The selection partners also include ATB, Ukraine’s No. 1 retail chain, Bousinage, a brand that offers modern wine aging technologies, and Artcatering, the organizers of the receptions.
Information support for the project “Ukrainian Wine – Part of the World Cultural Heritage of La Cité du Vin” is provided by Ukrayinska Pravda, Dico du Vin (France), PostEat, and PR-Service. Its educational partners are the National University of Food Technologies and the Uman National University of Horticulture.
For reference. Since its opening on June 1, 2016, La Cité du Vin World Cultural Wine Heritage Center has become a landmark social facility for both French and tourists. Every year, it receives an average of 500,000 visitors of 180 different nationalities, as well as more than a thousand French and foreign journalists. The center is also a popular venue for high-profile private events, the annual number of which reaches about 400.
The wines that the official partner (in Ukraine, Ukrvinprom Corporation) selects in their country and donates to La Cité du Vin are exhibited in different sectors of the museum and presented during various events, as well as separate wine tastings by country of origin. For the entrance ticket of one tour of the museum, each visitor can choose 15 samples from the collection of the world’s best wines, the list of which is regularly updated.
