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Ukrainian wine coming to UK off-trade

20 July 2023 By Louis Thomas

Kingsland Drinks has announced that it has signed an exclusive deal to bring Bolgrad wine from Ukraine into the UK market.

From next month, six wines produced in southern Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast by Bolgrad will be available in UK supermarkets and wine shops: Pinot Grigio, a Chardonnay/Aligoté blend, Chardonnay Sukholimansky (an indigenous relative of Muscat), Pinot Noir rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Saperavi (a variety native to Georgia).

Each wine has an RRP of £10. A seventh wine, Odesa Black, a crossing of Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon, will be coming to the range later this year.

The labels for the range prominently feature a Ukrainian flag, with the blue and yellow motif also continued on the foil.

Kingsland Drinks buying manager Kathryn Glass noted that, given the war, the deal was no mean feat: “This has been a huge endeavour for all parties involved against the backdrop of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We’re incredibly proud to play our part in bringing these wines to the UK.”

“Our business relationship with Bolgrad is based on mutual respect and appreciation and we were impressed with the quality and calibre of the wines being produced, so we’re confident British drinkers will buy the products primarily because they enjoy the wines,” Glass added. “They’re brilliantly unexpected, because of their origin, but we know the taste profiles and styles of the wines will match consumer preferences, and we’re confident they will perform well when compared to internationally produced wines already available in the UK.”

“We have forged a special bond with Ukraine here in the UK, and British interest in Ukrainian produce and culture has developed out of these turbulent times. We know the UK public will want to show their support for the range, and indeed the Ukrainian people, and we’re truly excited about the potential of Bolgrad in the UK,” she concluded.

The deal was brokered between Kingsland Drinks and Ukrainian drinks producer Alcoline, whose CEO Vitaly Shmulevich said: “Bolgrad is a brand that has gained consumers not only the Ukrainian market, but also in the European Union, Central Asia, Japan and China. Entering the UK market is a significant step for us, and we are delighted to have forged a strong partnership with Kingsland Drinks.”

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