On Friday, July 31, the conference hall of the Kyiv-based think tank Experts Club hosted the fourth scientific and practical seminar-tasting of vintage drinks for people aged 20 to 80. The event was attended by Ukrainian and international wine experts, retailers and media representatives. Ricardo Nuñez, one of the world’s leading winemakers and an investor in the Ukrainian wine industry, was the guest of honor.
Igor Magalyas, a leading expert collector of vintage alcoholic beverages, introduced the participants to his collection, which includes the most popular Ukrainian and European brands of wines and brandies, including:
1. Italian wine Muscat, produced in 1999, which has a unique bouquet, characterized by luxury and depth.
2. Black Doctor 2005 – a wine with a wonderful multi-component aroma, which harmoniously combines the tones of dark grapes.
3. Massandra sherry made in 1983 is a unique wine from the Crimea, famous for its palette of aromas and flavors.
4. Sicilian semi-dry Marsala of the 1990s – this drink gives off a feeling of rich flavor, complemented by notes of cherry, fruit and vanilla. Marsala is considered one of the most famous Italian wines and is a symbol of Sicilian winemaking.
5. Green apple liqueur from the 1970s – this drink is attractive for its fresh and fruity aroma, with a balance of acid and sweetness. Its unique flavor evokes memories of summer, green apples and outdoor picnics.
6. Apricot liqueur of the 1980s is a sweet, but not over-colored drink that explodes with natural apricot flavors.
7. Poncho 1974 is a citrus alcoholic beverage with a unique flavor bouquet that combines the acidity of lemon, orange and grapefruit with light notes of spices. Made according to a traditional recipe, Poncho is a classic of cocktail culture.
8. Bobadilla 103 Sherry Brandy 1977 – with an unsurpassed bouquet of vanilla, caramel and nuts, this brandy is a model of sherry style. It has a balance between sweet and dry, with a rich and intense flavor.
9. Terry Centenario Sherry Brandy 1975 is a perfect representative of Spanish sherry, known for its deep aroma, with notes of nuts, fruits and spices. Its rich, delicious flavor and long aftertaste are the unique features of this exceptional drink.
10. Sherry brandy from the 1950s is a true relic of the past, with a rich and intense flavor that includes notes of caramel, nuts and dried fruit. This old sherry brandy is a reminder of the long and glorious history of winemaking in Spain.
The most intriguing part of the tasting was the rare dessert drinks, which are a real “living museum” of the alcohol industry of the 1970s. These are four special drinks: grapes, cherries, plums and raisins infused in different types of brandy and liqueurs. Among them, the Muscat raisin grappa was especially appreciated by experts, as it is distinguished by its unique bouquet.
High-quality gastronomic pairings for the drinks presented during the tasting program were provided by one of the best Ukrainian meat producers, Karapyshivski Kovbasy, a trademark of the company.
Igor Magalyas noted that all the presented drinks are in an affordable price segment, and their cost does not exceed the cost of modern vintage alcohol in Ukrainian supermarkets.
“These drinks were purchased by collectors in Europe at auctions or sales of private collections. They have a number of flavor and quality advantages over modern drinks,” he said.
Maxim Urakin, the event’s organizer, emphasized the importance of systemic support for Ukrainian winemaking.
“Long-standing Ukrainian-made beverages have traditionally been at the top of our experts’ preferences. However, without new systemic efforts by the government to support the industry, the situation will deteriorate. That’s why the Club of Experts analyzes the situation and provides its proposals in this regard,” emphasized Maxim Urakin.
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In another video on the YouTube channel of the Kiev analytical center “Club of Experts”, the anesthesiologist of the medical group Adonis, Mariana Bolyuk, spoke about the main types of medical assistance in Ukraine, and also analyzed the specifics of the first pre-medical aid, including the algorithms of basic life support.
“Medical assistance in Ukraine at the moment, according to current legislation, is divided into emergency, primary, secondary (specialized), tertiary (highly specialized), palliative, medical rehabilitation,” Mariana Bolyuk pointed out.
The doctor emphasized that first aid is the implementation of basic medical measures to save lives, reduce human suffering in an emergency, and prevent possible complications.
“We, medical professionals, provide this assistance professionally, but it is important to remember that the ambulance may not always arrive on time at the scene. Therefore, knowing how to provide first aid to the victim before the arrival of the rescue services may be crucial to save his life,” Bolyuk emphasized.
She also spoke about the algorithm of basic actions that should be adhered to when providing first aid:
In turn, the founder of the Club of Experts, Maxim Urakin, emphasized that according to the UN, the total number of dead and injured as a result of war among the civilian population has already reached 25,671 people, of which 9,287 people died.
“It should be noted that the real number of victims may be significantly higher, as many cases of death or injury have not yet been confirmed, and information from some areas where hostilities continue comes with a delay,” Maxim Urakin stressed.
In the expert’s opinion, journalists and media workers are among the main risk groups, as their professional activity is associated with the possibility of getting into an emergency.
“For this reason, in June, the ‘Club of Experts’ introduced an initiative to train media representatives in the basics of providing primary medical aid. And the first seminar-practical training has already taken place,” Urakin concluded.
Watch more in detail in the video on the YouTube channel “Club of Experts”:
You can subscribe to the Club of Experts channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@ExpertsClub
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On July 29-30, the V annual Cheese & Wine Festival will be held at the Forest Club Sherwood hotel and restaurant complex. The event is organized by Focus event, a company that creates emotions and various events to support people and the Armed Forces of Ukraine!
Cheese&Wine Festival is a combination of live music with a glass of real wine and craft cheese. The special guest at the event on July 29 is Pianoboy (Dmitry Shurov). The main goals of the festival are to raise funds for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; help businesses sell their products and find and attract customers for long-term cooperation; popularize the culture of Ukrainian winemaking and cheese making; develop a culture of wine consumption; and facilitate communication between producers, distributors and the hotel and restaurant business in Ukraine.
The festival will bring together top management of enterprises, owners and managers of agricultural enterprises, owners and managers of restaurants, pubs, hotel and restaurant complexes, wine and cheese producers, professional sommeliers, opinion leaders, and representatives of specialized associations.
The event will feature a lecture hall where wine experts will present important and relevant topics for Ukrainian winemaking. Speakers of the event:
Liudmyla Boiko, chief technologist of the family-owned company Khani Badger.
Natalia Blagopoluchna, President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, head of the first Ukrainian Sommelier School.
Eduard Gorodetsky, founder of Tiras Winery and MY Wine.
Mykola Blagopoluchnyi, CEO of Master Class, Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers.
Ihor Vishtak, Director of the Crop Production Department at the Ministry of Agriculture of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Pechko, head of the public association “Ukrsadvynprom”.
Iryna Kovaleva, Director of the V.E. Tairov Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the analytical center “Club of Experts”, publisher, marketing director of the news agency “Interfax-Ukraine”.
Yegor Belov, chef sommelier at InterContinental Kyiv, winner of the All-Ukrainian Sommelier Competition 2019.
Natalia Burlachenko, sommelier and brand ambassador of Vinos de La Luz (France, Spain, USA, Argentina).
The festival will feature a pre-premiere screening of the film Wounded Land. This is a documentary about the stories of Ukrainian winemakers who suffered from Russian aggression. The film was successfully presented in Hollywood (USA).
The event program will also include a roundtable discussion “Development of Ukrainian winemaking in times of war. Current issues. Communication between the government and producers to solve them” with Igor Vishtak, Director of the Crop Production Department of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, heads of specialized associations, owners and managers of wineries.
Cheese & Wine Festival has a charitable component. The military are sending various items from the frontline to be sold at a charity auction at the festival. The proceeds will be donated to the needs of the Armed Forces. Last year’s festival raised UAH 74,500, which was used to buy a car for snipers.
We invite everyone: from craft winemakers and cheese makers to large distributors and manufacturing plants, from experts, sommeliers, winemakers to connoisseurs of quality wine and cheese.
Join the V Cheese and Wine Festival 2023. It will be interesting and useful and, of course, very tasty!
Interfax-Ukraine, Club of Experts, www.open4businesscom.ua sind die Medienpartner.
Um Karten für das Festival zu kaufen: https://uman.karabas.com/ua/festival-cheese-wine
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More and more entrepreneurs and organizations are turning to grant programs in the hope of obtaining financial support for their projects. However, many of them make typical mistakes even at the stage of submitting and implementing an application, which can lead to undesirable consequences. In this regard, Kyiv Analytical Center “Experts Club” together with the founder of “Granta” company and grant projects implementation expert Olga Shaverina, launched a series of YouTube videos, dedicated to the peculiarities of grant financing. In the first video Olga Shaverina shared her experience and told about the most common mistakes made by beginner grantees, as well as gave recommendations on how to avoid them.
The first mistake many people make is not trusting grantmaking tools. Some entrepreneurs do not realize the opportunities that grants provide and miss the chance to get funding for their projects. Lack of information about grant programs and lack of knowledge about procedures can cause missed opportunities.
The second mistake, according to the expert, has to do with not accepting the fact that business is part of society. Many entrepreneurs forget that grant programs are usually aimed at solving social problems or supporting certain social initiatives. Emphasizing the social importance of their project can help in attracting the attention of grantmakers.
The third mistake is neglecting procedures. This is a critical component of successful grantmaking, where proper paperwork and adherence to grant program requirements are critical to your success. Negligence in this matter can cause the application to be rejected.
“Reassign the preparation of the grant application to your secretary on the principle of “He/She can do it! ” because he/she knows how to do the paperwork is the most common mistake among applicants. Most projects fail exactly on this basis,” says Olga Shaverina.
The fourth mistake entrepreneurs often make is underestimating the cost of training. First of all it is a question of labor inputs, because preparation of the grant application demands time, efforts and resources. Some entrepreneurs underestimate the amount of work required to prepare a quality application. Developing a detailed budget, creating a project plan, and analyzing the market and competitors all require careful preparation and research. The lack of a detailed plan and an incomplete understanding of the necessary resources can lead to project failure.
Finally, a fifth mistake worth noting is misunderstanding partnerships and consultant selection. Working in partnership with other organizations or consultants can greatly improve the chances of a successful grant project. However, choosing partners incorrectly or not understanding their role and contribution to the project can lead to conflicts and ineffective work. The criteria for selecting partners and consultants must be clearly defined and meet the goals and needs of the project.
Ms. Shaverina also emphasized the importance of a proper understanding of reporting. Many entrepreneurs underestimate the importance of reporting and do not pay adequate attention to it. Failure to comply with reporting requirements may result in penalties or loss of funding. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully study the reporting requirements and provide all the necessary documents in a timely manner.
Maxim Urakin, founder of the Club of Experts, in turn, shared statistics on grant assistance to Ukraine for the years 2022-2023. Thus, he noted that in 2022 international aid to Ukraine amounted to more than $32 billion, including 18 billion in grant support.
“This year Ukraine has already received about $19 billion in assistance, of which $11 billion was received in January-March, of which $3.7 billion came in the form of grants. That is why grant assistance, including those for specific projects, is extremely important for our economy under current conditions,” said Maxim Uralkin.
So, grant programs are an important tool for business development and implementation of social initiatives. However, in order to receive grant support successfully, it is necessary to avoid common mistakes, which the experts told us about. Compliance with requirements and procedures, understanding the importance of the social aspect of the project, choosing the right partners and consultants, as well as consciously estimating costs and preparing for reporting are all factors that can increase the chances of success.
You can learn more about the mistakes you make when submitting a grant proposal by watching the video on the Club of Experts YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F7qjrSoWac
Subscribe to the channel at:
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The Ukrainian wine market continues to actively develop and introduce new quality standards. This is evidenced by the recent return of Ukraine to the International Wine Organization and the holding of competitions, festivals and tasting events aimed at popularizing domestic brands. The highest quality of Ukrainian products was demonstrated during the second tasting seminar-presentation “Consumer tasting of the best craft wines of Ukraine-2023”, which was held at the Kyiv Analytical Center “Experts Club” on June 23. This event was part of a broad initiative aimed at supporting and developing the wine industry in Ukraine.
The event was supported by the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, the House of Ukrainian Wine, and the Public Union “Ukrsadvynprom”. They act not only as organizers but also as active participants in the process of supporting and developing the domestic wine industry. Information support for the event was provided by the Open4business portal and the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. The special partners of the evening, TM Zakarpatski Kovbasy and TM Kozatski Kozyrni Cheese, provided gastronomic wine pairings that allowed to fully reveal the unique taste of each bottle presented.
In his speech, Maxim Urakin, the founder of the Experts Club, emphasized the importance of supporting domestic wine producers.
“Every bottle of wine made in Ukraine is not only a high quality and delicious product. It is also a contribution to the development of the Ukrainian economy, jobs and confidence in the future for our compatriots,” he emphasized.
In her turn, Natalia Blagopoluchna, President of the Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, emphasized the unique organoleptic and flavor properties of Ukrainian craft wines.
“Our wines impress with their diversity, which is guaranteed by different local conditions and grape characteristics. They surprise, inspire, and encourage experimentation. Our wines are creativity and art. And we have every right to be proud of it,” said Blagopoluchna.
During the tasting, experts, guests and participants were able to evaluate the quality and taste of twelve best wines and spirits presented by domestic producers: TM 46 Parallel, TM Babchuk Winery, TM Driukivski Wines, TM Chateau Pinot, Georgiy Samsoniuk, TM My Wine by Eduard Gorodetsky, TM Kovach Wines, TM Vinorob Vinokur, TM KALYUS WINERY and Ivan Gorobets.
At the same time, the event has become an excellent platform for the exchange of experience, knowledge and ideas between producers, experts and wine lovers. Such interaction is the key to the success of the Ukrainian wine industry, which continues to actively develop and conquer new heights of quality.
The next seminars and tastings are already planned for the “Experts Club“.
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On June 23, 2023, Kyiv Think Tank Club, within the framework of the initiative aimed at supporting and developing the wine industry, will hold the second tasting seminar-presentation dedicated to the winners and finalists of the VIII All-Ukrainian Tasting Competition “Variety and Terroir. Micro winemaking. Unbreakable”.
According to the organizers, this event will be an interesting event for all wine lovers, both expert sommeliers and restaurateurs, representatives of retail, media community and ordinary consumers. At the seminar, visitors will be able to learn about the products of the leading craft producers of Ukrainian wines and spirits, as well as join the platform for the exchange of opinions and ideas between leading experts in the field of winemaking.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Club of Experts, PhD in Economics, emphasized the importance of supporting domestic wine and spirits producers.
“Our event is not just aimed at developing a culture of wine consumption in Ukraine. It also contributes to the growth of domestic production, helping the economic revival of our country. Each bottle of wine produced in Ukraine is a step towards creating jobs, increasing tax revenues and enhancing economic stability,” said Maxim Urakin.
The wine samples presented at the event will be presented by the finalists of the VII All-Ukrainian Tasting Competition “Variety and Terroir. Micro winemaking. Unbreakable” of the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, which will give visitors the opportunity to experience a rich bouquet of flavors created using traditional winemaking methods and modern technologies. Natalia Blagopoluchnaya, President of the Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, noted that all wines presented at the event have been expertly evaluated according to all criteria, from aroma and taste to texture, color and overall harmony.
The following Ukrainian wines and spirits will be presented at the wine evening:
“Sparkling pink, 2019” by 46 Parallel TM;
“Riesling, 2022 by Babchuk Winery;
“Rkatsiteli Orange, 2020” from TM “Driukivski Wines”;
“Pinot Noir, 2021 from Chateau Pinot TM;
“Pinot Noir, 2020 by Georgiy Samsoniuk;
“Merlot, 2021” and “Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021” from TM “My Wine”, Eduard Gorodetsky;
“White dessert vermouth” and “Honey casserole, 40%” from TM “Winemaker Vinokur”;
“Chacha Odesa Black, 2022, 42%” from TM “Winemaker Vinokur”;
Zweigelt 2019 TM “Vina Kovač”
Chorna perlina 2017 TM “Vina Kovača”
“Apple, 42%” from TM “KALYUS WINERY”;
“Calvados, 42% from Ivan Gorobets.
The partners of the event are the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, the House of Ukrainian Wine and the Public Union Ukrsadvynprom, which actively support the revitalization of domestic winemaking and expansion of its influence on the global wine market.
Information support for the event is provided by Open4business portal and Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
The special partners of the evening, Zakarpatski Kovbasy TM and Kozatski Kozyrni Cheese TM, will provide the perfect gastronomic pairings for the wines, which will help to further reveal the taste of each bottle presented.
Each participant will have the opportunity to personally taste the wines of leading Ukrainian winemakers, evaluate their character and quality, exchange opinions with other visitors and experts, and ask questions to the representatives of the producers. The seminar-tasting, which will be held at the Club of Experts, promises to be a bright event in the life of the Ukrainian wine community, bringing together wine connoisseurs, experts and producers under one roof.
In addition to supporting domestic winemaking and getting acquainted with the best samples of Ukrainian wine, the event participants will have the opportunity to engage in an important dialog about the future of winemaking in Ukraine. This includes discussing the current problems and challenges faced by the industry, sharing experiences and finding potential ways of development.
The organizers of the event hope that this initiative will not only raise the status of Ukrainian winemaking, but also stimulate the development of this industry by attracting investors’ attention, facilitating international dialogue and opening new prospects for Ukrainian wine on the global stage.
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