The path of mistakes. How Ukraine's northernmost winery, "Vinoman," reached a Decanter medal.

The Vinoman winery in the suburbs of Chernihiv is the northernmost in Ukraine. It is located on the 51st parallel, where most winemakers would advise planting apple trees rather than grapes. In ten years, its founder Borys Slaboshevskyi twice completely uprooted the vineyards, invested about $90,000 in unsuccessful decisions, and yet brought the project to a stable quality.In 2025, "Vinoman's" Pinot Noir received a silver medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards. According to the jury, it is one of the best Ukrainian wines of the year – a result usually expected from wineries in the South or Transcarpathia, but not from near Chernihiv.How does "Vinoman" turn into a stable business despite its mistakes, lack of experience, and controversial location?Working backwards: from cognac to wine The owner of "Vinoman", Borys Slaboshevsky, imported the French cognac Larsen to Ukraine in the late 1990s. He considers it one of the best cognacs, which has undeservedly fallen into the shadow of Hennessy, Martell, and Courvoisier.However, the bet on success with an unknown product in Ukraine did not work. "For many years after that, I gave away to friends and finished off myself the cognac from the batches that were not sold," Slaboshevsky recalls.During one of his trips to France, he suddenly "discovered" wine. The idea of making it himself came to him.In 2010, together with a friend, Borys Slaboshevskyi drove a minibus through the vineyards of Bessarabia. They tasted and bought 50-100 kg of grapes of the wine varieties they liked. That's how they filled the whole bus with grapes. The choice of location for the purchase was expected: Odesa region is number 1 in viticulture in Ukraine. Here located 70% of the country's vineyards.Sloboshevsky's experiments with winemaking began with this wine material. The premises of the former office of the Desna branch of "Ukrvodshlyakh" were chosen for the experiments. It is located in the village of Zhavynka, near Chernihiv. Next to the fish farming complex – at that time it was Sloboshevsky's main business project. "I bought the building with three hectares of land at a privatization tender in the mid-2000s," he says.Read alsoSell to those who eat. How to make money on black caviar made in UkraineWhere grapes are grown in Ukraine, thousand hectares.Odesa Oblast9.1Mykolaiv Oblast3.1Zakarpattia Oblast0.7According to the State Statistics ServicePros and ConsThe first homemade wine was different. Some bottles had to be poured out, while some samples delighted not only Slaboshevsky but also his acquaintances and friends.Then the perfectionist's race began. To reduce the time for processing grapes, the entrepreneur bought a more powerful press and equipment. But with it, it was possible to process larger volumes – so, the next year, he had to buy even more Bessarabian grapes. After that, the entrepreneur again acquired even better equipment. And the next year, he brought even more grapes. It was during those times that the idea for the winery's name – "Vinoman" – emerged.At the same time, the novice winemaker decided to plant his own vineyard on three hectares of land on the banks of the Desna River. For consultations, Borys Slaboshevsky found an experienced viticulturist who at that time had more than thirty years of experience and had established more than one vineyard.The winemaker enthusiastically spoke about the potential of different varieties and the optimal conditions for their cultivation. Then he asked:-Where will the vineyard be planted?- Near Chernihiv.The grape guru was silent for a long time. Then he said:- You should plant apples and pears there. And make calvados. Grapes will die there.The audience concluded at this point.What did the entrepreneur do after that?Two mistakes and a business launchIf you look at the geography of Zhavynka, it is located on the 51st parallel, just like the French city of Dunkirk. It is a little north of the French department of Calvados, where the drink of the same name is made, so the expert's skepticism is understandable. But, on the other hand, there is a famous wine-growing region near Dresden in Germany, on the same 51st parallel.Read also"What are you doing here, girl? Go back and make your cheese." The owner of a cheese factory on the best job in the world.So, Slaboshevsky found German PIWI grape varieties and planted them on his three hectares. These were Solaris, Cabernet Cortis, Cabernet Carol, Cabernet Blanc, as well as Johanniter and Jupiter. It was the German grapes that became the first mistake.What is PIWI?PIWI grapes (from the German PIlzWIderstandsfähige – "fungus-resistant") are a hardy variety of berry, but they have certain deviations from the classic varietal taste.PIWI grapes (from the German PIlzWIderstandsfähige – "fungus-resistant") are a hardy variety of berry, but they have certain deviations from the classic varietal taste.The last factor played a decisive role. The wine lover Slaboshevsky did not like the taste of wine from PIWI grapes. He uprooted all three hectares. The wine from this raw material lacked "breed", that is, a refined, classic taste, the entrepreneur says.Instead of PIWI varieties, he planted traditional Pinot Noir, Merlot, as well as Chardonnay, Traminer, Sauvignon Blanc, and a bunch of others.It was this lack of focus that became the second mistake.In 2025, the entrepreneur uprooted this plantation as well. "I want to concentrate on only a few varieties. I know for sure that Pinot Noir will be one of the red ones. I haven't decided on the white ones yet," Slaboshevsky explains.The entrepreneur claims that since 2020, he has been trying to develop "Vinoman" as a business. The goal is to produce exclusively high-quality wine. This is what the extreme decisions are related to.What is the price of mistakes?Borys Slaboshevsky in the Vinoman cellarThe owner of "Vinoman" says he does not keep such records. But LIGA.net, after consulting with specialists from the Tairov Institute of Viticulture, estimates the cost of planting one hectare of grapes at $12,000. Uprooting requires three times less cost. Thus, two vineyard renewals on three hectares cost approximately $90,000.What's in the bottle?The wine from "Vinoman" is not cheap. Currently, there are no bottles in the assortment with a price lower than $15.Did Slaboshevsky manage to make a quality wine? Vinoman's Pinot Noir received a silver medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025. Sommeliers interviewed by LIGA.net note the similarity of this wine's style to Burgundy. "The cool climate gives it a special character – the wine is light, without excessive tannins," says Lidia Yakshyna, head of Winetime Academy.Speaking of another wine from Vinoman – Odesky Chorniy, sommeliers perceive a powerful balance of taste in it. This is according to Natalia Burlakova-Hrytsai, the founder of the Kyiv Food and Wine Festival and the chief sommelier of the "Wines of the World" wine market chain. This wine is made in Chernihiv from autochthonous Bessarabian grapes.So, even the Chernihiv climate is not an obstacle to fulfilling a winemaker's dreams. But there is a price to pay for it.Chernihiv wine will not be cheaper, says the winery owner. Even if the share of raw materials grown specifically in Zhavynka increases. For now, a significant amount of grapes are transported for processing over 950 km – the distance from Izmail. The distance to Transcarpathian suppliers is almost the same: this year, "Vinoman" is also purchasing raw materials there. Moreover, Slaboshevsky is considering the option of buying five hectares of Transcarpathian vineyards.Two of its own vineyards will allow the company to utilize existing production capacities and produce up to 25,000 bottles per year. This will be a vertical leap, as "Vinorob" currently produces about three thousand bottles.

The path of mistakes. How Ukraine's northernmost winery, "Vinoman," reached a Decanter medal.

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