Grape processing into wine in Ukraine down 36.5% in 2024 - statistics service

MOSCOW. Jan 14 (Interfax) - Ukraine processed 31,963 tonnes of grapes into wine materials in 2024, a 36.5% decline from 2023, Ukrainian media reported with reference to the State Statistics Service.

Producers of wine materials processed 9,771 tonnes of grapes they grew themselves, 30.6% of all grapes processed, and 22,192 tonnes of grapes purchased from the outside (69.4%), it said.

The varieties that were the most popular with grapes processing businesses in said period included Aligote (5,220 tonnes, 16.3% of the total amount of grapes processed), Chardonnay (4,016 tonnes, 12.6%), Cabernet Sauvignon (2,742 tonnes, 8.6%), Rkatsiteli (2,180 tonnes, 6.8%), Muscat (1,974 tonnes, 6.2%), Riesling (1,793 tonnes, 5.6%), Saperavi (1,595 tonnes, 5%), Pinot (1,415 tonnes, 4.4%), Sauvignon and Odessa Black, or Alibernet (both 1,080 tonnes, 3.4%), and others.

The amount of Aligote grapes processed in the 2024 season declined compared to 2023 by 30%, Chardonnay by 10.5%, Cabernet Sauvignon by 49.2%, Rkatsiteli by 35.6%, Muscat by 61.2%, Riesling by 17%, Saperavi by 38.8%, Pinot by 50.9%, Sauvignon by 55.6%, and Odessa Black by 48%, it said.

This resulted in reducing the amount of wine materials produced in the 2024 season by 38.1% to 23.91 million liters from 38.61 million liters in 2023.

As much as 16.18 million liters (67.7%) of these wine materials was used for producing table wines, 6.09 million liters (25.5%) sparkling wines, and 911,000 liters (3.8%) brandies.