On the coast of the Black Sea, between Odessa and Mykolaïv in southern Ukraine, a small family winery stands resilient in the shadow of war. Beykush also produces the only Pinotage in Ukraine.
“Beykush” in Turkish means “birdmaster”. It’s a fitting name for this natural bird sanctuary where three major rivers – the Dnieper, Southern Bug and Berezan – flow into the Black Sea. It’s on this peninsula where telecoms entrepreneur Eugene Shneyderis spent his summers and founded Beykush Winery in 2010. He initially bought grapes from neighbours and vinified them in the cellar of his summer house in the village of Chornomorka, but in 2011 he acquired three parcels of land in Cape Beykush for his own vineyards.
He also roped in the services of Bulgarian-born oenologist and wine journalist Bisso Atanassov, currently winemaker in Barbaresco, Italy. A building initially built for the rare hens Eugene’s wife was breeding was turned into a temporary winery.
Extensive planning
In planning the vineyards, Eugene and Bisso did extensive work to collect meteorological data for Cape Beykush, including consulting the climate archives of the local research institute. “The Cape is located at a latitude similar to Austria, but the climate is different due to the presence of the sea on one side and the delta of the three large rivers on the other,” Bisso says. “The temperature indexes are close to those in Austria, but rain is quite scarce.”
The dry climate and sandy soils, low in organic matter, necessitated resilient rootstocks such as 1103 Paulsen and 110 Richter, with which no one in Ukraine had any experience. It also narrowed their choice of grapes. Their harvest usually starts in August and finishes by late October.
Choosing varietals
The winery and vineyards were planned in three parts. The first was the traditional regional varieties Rkatsiteli, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling for the whites, and Saperavi, Pinot Noir and Merlot for the reds. The second part was to comprise autochthonous varieties from Ukraine, but that proved to be a bigger challenge. “We couldn’t obtain them for planting in 2012 and planting was postponed to 2014,” Bisso recalls. “Then we ordered young Ekim Kara, Kefessia and Bastardo vines from vineyards in Crimea, but that was annexed by Russia and we couldn’t get them. We only managed to plant some Telti Kuruk, an indigenous white variety, in 2016.”
The third part was experimental. “We were looking at varieties that could grow well and ripen in our climate,” Bisso says. “We planted the earlier-ripening Bordeaux reds, both Cabernet and Malbec. We had no luck with Frühburgender but added the three other Atlantic varietals, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño. The latter was paired with Tempranillo as a homage to Eugene’s wife, who’s of Spanish-Cuban origin.”
As they were looking for early-ripening varieties from around the world, Eugene thought of Pinotage. Except for New Zealand, the grape had never been farmed outside South Africa. Fortunately, Bisso had some experience with it from his time in South Africa.
The Pinotage connection
Beykush contacted Voor Groenberg Nurseries in Wellington, and in 2012, 2 470 young Pinotage vines arrived in Ukraine. They were planted in two small plots and classified as “South African Pinot” as Pinotage doesn’t appear on the Ukrainian national grapevine registry. The winery is now working to have the variety officially recognised.
“Pinotage is the varietal I’ve always used to surprise friends and acquaintances, sharing stories and letting the wine speak for itself,” says head winemaker Olga Romashko. “I still remember that first Pinotage harvest in 2014. As it ripened on the vine, my fellow students and I delved into articles, learning about the unique qualities and techniques suited for this grape. In a way, that first wine was crafted with a blend of technical approaches, each inspired by our research.”
Pinotage turned out to be a joy in the vineyard. “The harvest was a pleasure, with beautifully sized clusters and thick skins that revealed its distinctive tannin character. It was straightforward to manage the fermentation temperature, and it matured well with berries that had such an appealing shape. It was simply beautiful. But what I love most about Pinotage is its unmistakable flavour. You could never confuse it with anything else. Since that first vintage, I’ve seen and presented Pinotage as a standalone varietal. It’s a wine with a unique character that stands out in any setting.”
Wines
The first small harvest of Pinotage went into Beykush’s top red, Kara Kermen, an Amarone-style dry red. “In 2014, we started ageing some of the Pinotage in barrels and using it in our red Artania blend,” Bisso recalls. “That vintage was 53% Pinotage, so actually a Cape blend. Because of its popularity, we’ve had to reduce the Pinotage in the Artania blend from 23% in 2015 to 14% in 2017.”
Pinotage was also used in the unaged Beykush dry red, a 50-50 blend of Pinotage and Merlot. “Since 2018, Beykush red has been made entirely from Pinotage and has become one of the winery’s most popular reds in Ukraine,” he says.
Today Beykush has 14 ha under vine and produces about 70 000 bottles annually across several ranges that celebrate the diversity and history of the region. “We grow 18 varieties, most of which were unknown in Ukraine until we started producing them,” Beykush CEO Svitlana Tsybak says. “Our winemaking incorporates traditional methods and innovative techniques, such as the appassimento method, skin contact fermentation and ageing in amphoras.” The vineyards used to be farmed dryland, but after three successive dry years the winery was forced to install drip irrigation in 2021 or risk losing them. Fortunately, they’re just out of the rockets’ range.
The war has significantly impacted the peninsula, but Beykush is resilient. “Despite being located in a danger zone with frequent shelling, the winery continues to produce wine,” Svitlana says. “Logistics remain a major challenge due to the region’s instability and we’re constantly exploring new ways to transport wine and winemaking supplies safely.”
In 2023, despite the full-scale war in Ukraine and uncertainty about the future, Beykush planted another three hectares of vineyards. The winery’s profits support a fund that provides prosthetics for wounded soldiers.
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