On Friday, 18 September 2026, the National Academy of Culture and Arts Management hosted the International Forum titled ‘Ukrainian Wine — Part of the World Cultural Heritage. From Trypillia to Now’ as part of the awarding ceremony for the winners of the 5th All-Ukrainian Selection of Official Ambassador Wines 2026.
The event was co-organized by the Ukrvinprom corporation and the Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions, supported by the National Academy of Culture and Arts Management.
The 5th anniversary forum brought together over 100 representatives from the wine industry, public authorities, the diplomatic corps, scientific, cultural, and business circles, and international partners. The discussion centred on Ukrainian wine’s role in cultural diplomacy and Ukraine’s international representation, the preservation of national winemaking heritage, and the promotion of the uniqueness of Ukrainian terroirs. The participants also focused on the importance of strengthening inter-agency and international cooperation to preserve and develop the Ukrainian viticulture and winemaking.
The event brought together representatives of the foreign diplomatic corps, including Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Elena Leticia Mikusinski (Argentina), Arief Muhammad Basalamah (Indonesia), Ma Shengkun (China), Borjanka Simićević (Montenegro), Chargé d’Affaires of Iraq Kazem Tarek Adil Kazem, and representatives of the Embassies of Albania, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Libya, and Pakistan.
The forum began with a minute of silence in honour of those who gave their lives for Ukraine, followed by the National Anthem of Ukraine. An important part of the forum’s opening was the ceremony of the blessing of bread and wine and the prayer for Ukraine, its people, and winemakers, delivered by Rafail, bishop of Makariv. The ceremony was a symbolic blend of national memory, spiritual tradition, and Ukraine’s winemaking culture.
The ceremony was followed by welcome addresses from Valerii Marchenko — rector of the National Academy of Culture and Arts Management; Taras Vysotskyi — minister of agrarian policy and food of Ukraine; Shakhnoza Muminova — head of FAO Ukraine; Artem Romaniuk — deputy director-general of the GDIP; Florence Maffrand — head of wine partnership & international patronage at the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations (Bordeaux); and Volodymyr Kucherenko — director general of Ukrvinprom.
‘Ukrainian wine is about our land’s history, our traditions, and the people who put out high-quality products in the harshest circumstances every day. Through wine, we can tell the world about Ukraine: its culture, regions, traditions, and modern potential’, said Volodymyr Kucherenko.
The event included two professional panel discussions: From Trypillia to Wine of Ukraine: 7,000 Years of the Land’s Cultural Memory and Protection of Winemaking Heritage and the Development of Ukrainian Regions. The panels featured leading academics and experts in the field as speakers, including Iryna Vannykova — head of communications and partnerships at the Institute of President Viktor Yushchenko and the Nasha Osnova NGO; Pavlo Moroz — director of the Department of Corporate Social Responsibility at the MHP; Volodymyr Ponomarov — first deputy chairman of the board of Ukrgasbank; Volodymyr Kucherenko — director general of Ukrvinprom; Mykola Pototskyi — deputy director of the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovation; Olha Kuryshko — permanent representative of the president of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea; Oles Sanin — vice-president of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, film director; Iryna Vitka — head of viticulture and winemaking at the Department of Agrarian Development of the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine; Volodymyr Voievodin — campaign manager at BASF.
An important part of the forum was the execution of the Cooperation Agreement between Ukrgasbank and Ukrvinprom. The document lays the groundwork for joint initiatives to support and develop Ukrainian winemaking by expanding business opportunities, developing wine tourism, introducing modern financial tools, etc.
During the forum, participants were also shown a video presentation entitled ‘Ukrainian Wine on the Peaks of the Carpathians’ — a unique initiative by Ukrvinprom as part of the development of the official ‘Wine of Ukraine’ brand, which brings together Ukrainian wines, the Carpathian peaks, and symbols of Ukraine’s resilience and cultural identity.
A special part of the forum was the tasting presentation titled ‘Ukrainian Wine Ambassador: a Harmony of Taste and Modern Ukrainian Cuisine’ delivered by Ukrvinprom Director-General Volodymyr Kucherenko and Viktor Fialkovskyi, vice president of the Association of Chefs of Ukraine, honoured worker of the services field, master chef, and deputy director of the Dypservis Directorate of the GDIP. The two presenters showed the guests a special ‘Wine & Food Pairing’ menu — unique combinations of contemporary Ukrainian dishes with Ukraine’s ambassador wines, demonstrating the harmonious blend of national cuisine and Ukrainian winemaking.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony, recognizing 21 wines as official ambassador wines of Ukraine for 2026; these wines will represent modern Ukrainian winemaking and Ukraine on the international stage, notably at La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux (France) — one of the world’s leading centres of wine culture.
