The motto of Father’s Wine tells much about the wines they make – high quality and small batches as you would do for yourself.

 

The winery was founded in 2010 by Volodymyr Buyachko. He enthusiastically planted experimental saplings, and after a while his debut in wine production was made. His hobby and passion turned out to be a business. After Volodymyr passed away in 2018, his family – wife Nadezhda and children – Taras and Oksana – continue his work.

The winery is located in the Western part of Ukraine – in Ternopil region that has favourable conditions for making white wines; the terroir gives perfect acidity to almost all white varieties. Father’s Wine has Jupiter, Johanniter, Muscat Ottonel, Riesling and Helios white varieties and reds Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Odessa Black (cross of Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon). Harvesting is done by hand.

Currently, the vineyards are about 4.5 hectares but in the near future the winery plans to expand and plant some more white varieties. Today the production is 12.000 bottles per year.

There is news to come as the winemakers are experimenting with Pet-Nat, sparklings, different white varieties and also orange wines. A new tasting area will be also opened shortly.

Last but not least the labels. Bright geometry, a colourful kaleidoscope, an allusion to an ethnic costume, a code of generations… The simplicity and symbolism used on labels present the history of previous generations, connection with the elements and family traditions. Can you find grapes, fields, stars, sun, wine glass and founder initials on the labels?

Ace & W by Stakhovsky – wines from the best Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky

 

Stakhovsky decided to engage in winemaking at the end of 2015 – after being exposed to wine culture while competing for Vila Primrose (Bordeaux, France). Sergiy rented 20 hectares of vineyards in Wester part of Ukraine in Zakarpattia reigon and began to cultivate the existing grape varieties Merlot, Saperavi, Rose Traminer, Chardonnay, Riesling, Zweigelt, and Cabernet Sauvignon. For two years the team of Stakhovsky Wines was planting vines, putting pillars, cleaning the parcels and replanting plots. In 2018 the first harvest was send for maturation in French oak barrels.

“As an elite tennis player, I was convinced that alcohol had no place in sporting life,“ says Sergiy Stakhovsky. But all that changed very quickly when he moved to France to the Bordeaux tennis team, Villa Primrose.

Stakhovksy arrived in 2010 in Bordeaux for his first match as the new guy in a team of seven. He was invited to a team dinner in the club restaurant on the first night. All of his teammates were from France or Belgium and their faces lighted up when the bottles were brought in. At that time Stakhovsky had no clue about the wines.

Stakhovsky was also offered a glass of wine, but he politely declined and for this grave offence earned himself the nickname ‘Crazy Ukrainian’ (crazy being a synonym of teetotaler in Bordeaux).

“I cannot say that I started to like the taste of wine straight away, but I completely fell in love with the culture of wine!”, says Stakhovksy.

Stakhovksy wines are made with high-tech equipment from Italy, Germany and France that allows processing grapes in gentle mode. White wines are labelled as “W” and red “Ace”.