Recently we wrote that the RDS group created a unique “Gourmet Routes†project, including a gastronomic map and guide. We are interested in discovering which locations of the nothern part of the Odessa region entered this year's guide.
Craft-style and tasty — that is how you can briefly describe Ukrainian farms and small food and drink producers.
The “Gourmet Routes. 100 Craft Locations of Ukraine†guide lists 100 local craft companies producing wine, cheese, honey, beer, meat, vegetables, fruits, snails, and oysters. At each of the locations, a traveller can get a tour and a tasting session, meet the farmers, and see how organic products are made.Â
And the gastro map of Odessa region craft producers will help gourmet tourists to familiarize themselves with foods and drinks right where they are produced, and the producers — to find admirers for their products.
Odessa region. North
Kozy Ta Matrosy’
Mykolaivka village
Children will like this cosy farm, as they will see an entire zoo here: goats, pigs, chicken, and peacocks. Guided tours to greenhouses where organic vegetables grow are offered. Visitors may use local glampings.
Maryan and Natalia Shevchenko’ winery
Biliayivka village
And another important popular location of the city is the Marian and Natalia Shevchenko Family Winery, which has become a kind of legend and iconic place in winemaking circles. After all, in 2016, the President of Ukraine signed the Law on the abolition of the license fee for winemakers.
The family of wine-makers is famous for their wines not merely in Odesa region, but also beyond the borders of Ukraine. They produce home-made wine from European varieties of grapes. The hosts are very friendly and happy to guide tours and offer wine tastings for visitors.
Lichtenfeld
Kudriavka village
Odessa, sea, wine, and cheese! Oleksandr Dobrozhanskyi uses only fresh milk, ferment, calf pepsin and salt to make cheese — there are no other ingredients.
Vynkhol Oksamytne’ (‘Villa Tinta’ TM)
Oksamytove village
Grape and wine farm of ‘Vynhol Oksamytne’ was founded in 1998 in Oksamytne village of Bolhrad rayon in Odesa oblast. 120 years ago, on this same spot, there was wine chateaux of Count Davydov. The wines are now made of the grapes growing on the shore of Lake Yalpuh in Danube Bessarabia.
V.Petrov winery
Strumok village
Owners of the estate are the Petrov family who learnt from wine-makers in France, Italy, Spain, and even New Zealand. They position their products as Ukraine’s first organic wine. The Petrovs explain the high quality of wine by the location of the vineyards: Strumok village is on the same geographical parallel with the French province of Bordeaux. Tasting includes white and red dry, semi-sweet and sweet wines.
Naturalna Oilya dlia Vsiyei Rodyny (‘Natural vegatable oil for entire family’)
Chornomorsk
In Chornomorsk, you can taste true vegetable oil. Though they use a special recipe to make it, so it is a 100% craft product. Besides, there are so many types of the oil: flax-seed, sesame, pumpkin-seed, hemp, cedar, coconut, etc. There are also a lot of byproducts to try.
Brynzarnya’ hotel
Prymorske village
Owners of ‘Brynzarnia’ are members of the international Slow Food movement opposing the Fast Food concept. They are convinced that only pollution-free rural produce should be used in cooking, and a dinner is more than absorbing calories, it is a true ritual. The specialty here is a delicious goat cheese made of high-quality milk produced by the local herd.
