Taste of Ukraine: Odesa Black is a wine with an authentic soul and strong character

Every wine-producing country in the world has its own leading grape varieties. Malbec in Argentina, Pinotage in South Africa, Carmenere in Chile, Albariño in Spain, Zinfandel in the USA. These varieties are an integral part of the unique wine identity of each country, giving them a respectable status in the world wine arena. And in Ukraine, it is Odesa Black.

What started it all

The history of Odesa Black goes back to the middle of the 20th century. In 1948, with the efforts of scientists-breeders of the Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking named after Tairov, a new variety was bred, which started an interesting stage in the history of Ukrainian winemaking. Odesa Black received its name in 1960, and 10 years later it was entered into the Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine. If you suddenly come across a wine label with the name Aliberne, be sure that it is the same Odesa Black. He got his second name thanks to his French parents - Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Boucher. 

The largest plantings of Odesa Black are concentrated in the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, but today winemakers are planting experimental vineyards in various regions of Ukraine - even in the North and West.

Militant spirit of Odesa Black

Today, Odesa Black wines are among the most expensive in Ukraine. However, this was not always the case. Alibernet's original goal was simple: to give wine a deeper color and flavor. Winemakers did not consider this variety worthy of mono reproduction, but "added" it for balance and a more expressive style. Imagine that almost all red grapes are not so red - their flesh is white and white wines can be made from them.  And with Odesa Black is a completely different story, with cool plot twists. There is a lot of tannin in the skin of the berries, without aging in a tank - the wine is excessively tannic, you will not guess with aging - it will show aggression both in aroma and taste, if you deprive it of aeration - it will also respond with sharp "surprises". And it should be mixed with other varieties carefully - otherwise Aliberne will drown out its "friends" in the tub. 

However, thanks to the experimental spirit of Ukrainian winemakers, Odesa Black wines received a new life. The most exquisite red wines - dry and dessert - are produced from skillfully processed grapes, which win the hearts of real connoisseurs. High-quality wines from Odessa Black have a bright ruby ​​color. Its bouquet is formed by overripe red and wild black berries, prunes, baked pepper, chocolate. And the taste impresses with its structure, depth, body. Dessert wines acquire a thick ruby ​​color, an unrivaled bouquet with chocolate tones. The taste gives a real harmony. Aliberne is also excellent for making sparkling wines.

Odesa Black is a real hero among grape varieties, which has good resistance to gray rot and oidium. He reveals his talents under favorable conditions in late September, early April. It withstands frost well and is unpretentious in agricultural technology.

Where success lies

True glory came to Odesa Black a few years ago, when Ukrainian winemakers one by one took on the challenge of "taming" the belligerent spirit of a capricious variety and turning it into a wine masterpiece.

Aliberne's authority was also strengthened by numerous popularization measures. The impetus for this process was given by the competition "Best Odesa Black 2021", aimed at promoting the "Ukrainian wine" brand, forming the image of Odesa Black as a business card of Ukrainian winemaking in the world - following the example of Saperavi in Georgia, Fetyaska in Moldova, Malbec in Argentina, Carmenera in Chile, Shiraz in Australia.

Just imagine, the Ukrainian variety, which the average consumer had not heard of 15 years ago, was represented at the first competition "Best Odesa Black" by 32 wines from 22 wineries. Today, the number of manufacturers has doubled.

As part of the event, an unprecedented event took place: the international jury chose a special tasting glass for Odesa Black, in which it is best revealed. It was developed by the famous glass manufacturer - the Austrian company Riedel. This opened another door to the international arena for our "hero".

For the first time, the competition for the title of the best Aliberne was held in 2021, at the same time the variety received its day in the calendar - May 5. This year, the Odesa Black Day will take place for the second time at the official level and, by the way, will coincide with Easter.

Odesa Black and food

And when it comes to a festive dinner, wine and food are two things that go together like bread and butter. Choosing the right pair will give your receptors an unparalleled third taste that you will want to repeat again and again.

The main idea of combining wine and food is hidden in the fact that the texture and taste of food and wine interact with each other in different ways (fatness & acidity; spiciness & sweetness). The harmonious combination of dishes will make them even tastier and bring you a new and interesting gastronomic experience.

Odesa Black is definitely a gastronomic wine. You will never go wrong if you complement it with aromatic hot appetizers (baked stuffed bell pepper with rice and mushrooms), meat dishes in the oven or on an open fire (grilled steak or shish kebab), smoked meats. The well-balanced acidity and excellent tannins of Alibernet will easily cope with the fat content of the dish and preserve the expressiveness of its taste.Each region of Ukraine has recipes in its culinary history that will go well with Odesa Black wines. For example, cold or hot kavarma, carnations from Bessarabia, dumplings with meat, beef shpundra from Poltava region, turkey mazurikas from Volyn, Transcarpathian shovdar, Bukovyna chanakhs or Hutsul cabbage rolls.

Now you know which wine will definitely decorate your holiday table. Especially since Odesa Black goes very well with meat delicacies. Whatever dish you choose, you will definitely find the best option for you in the stylistic variety of wines from Odesa Black.

A kaleidoscope of Odesa Black styles

The mission of the Big Wines Big Art winery is actually to show the rich potential of this variety. In the 2020 vintage, it shows its powerful character and noble charm, 2021 is an ideal opportunity to replenish or start a wine collection. Mitz Aliberne plays with the most exquisite notes over the years. And 2023 is already making friends with the receptors of wine lovers today thanks to its lightness and fruitiness.

Odesa Black 2020, Big Wines Big Art. This is our first wine, and it is no accident. We embodied the idea of developing our Ukrainian variety from different sides, making it both young, fresh, bright, and more mature, mature, with the potential for long aging. We achieved good results. The first wine from Odessa Black 2020 was balanced and rich, with velvety tannins on the palate. The aroma is deep and complex, with notes of blackberry, black mulberry, black rowan, black and white pepper, chocolate plum and violet.

Odesa Black 2021, Big Wines Big Art. This is the second release in the Big Wines Big Art series. Limited edition. According to experts, this year has very good potential. The wine is powerful, rich, with characteristic tannins and a strong structure, with a long aftertaste. The aroma has notes of smoked cherry, blackberry, black mulberry, white and black pepper, prunes in chocolate, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, light notes of currant.

Odesa Black 2023, Big Wines Big Art. This release is made in an absolutely atypical style for the variety. The wine is light, bright and fruity. This bottle of Odesa Black contains a generous array of wild and garden black and red berries and fruits (plum, currant, Chinese cherry, blackberry). The taste is balanced, powerful, with pronounced tannins, but at the same time the wine is drinkable and "understandable". With this style, we want to show how different our Ukrainian variety can be depending on aging, year, weather, technology. With this wine, we wanted to disprove the idea that young Odessa Black is not suitable for young consumption.

Odesa Black has deservedly become not only a symbol of the Odesa region, but also a business card of Ukrainian winemaking in general - it conveys the authenticity of our land. This is confirmed by numerous reviews of the international expert community and simply fans of new high-quality unusual wines.

Travel to the world of wine with pleasure!