Wines of the Steppe: Pre-Sale Offer
🕐 Order Deadline: Monday, March 23rd at 10AM PST. Wines ship starting the week of Monday, April 6th. 📧 Simply email us your selections and we'll send you an invoice to complete your purchase. Email us at info@ancientwineguys.com with any questions regarding purchase, eligible states, details. Review our shipping policy here.
As we recently passed the four-year mark of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we’ve been reflecting on a historical thread that stretches back thousands of years, and which inspired our upcoming Ancient Wines Club release: Europe From East to West: Wines of the Steppe.
In this next club release, we're exploring the fascinating history, culture, and wines of the Black Sea and steppe regions around modern-day Ukraine and Georgia - one of the great crossroads of the ancient world and the site of thousands of years of winemaking traditions.
We are offering a unique pre-sale, open to all, of three of the four upcoming Ancient Wines Club wines, as well as three limited Special Offer wines.
Every Bottle Makes a Difference
Ukraine's winemaking history spans millennia, yet today its vineyards, cellars, and the families who tend them face an existential threat. Wineries and vineyards have been damaged, destroyed, or rendered unsafe due to mines and explosives and winemakers and their families have been displaced. An entire living tradition is fighting to survive and we believe that tradition is worth protecting.
Brave Selections' owner and importer Gayle Corrigan leads Rebuilding Cellars, a 501(c)(3) non-profit which supports Ukrainian wine industry professionals and wine industry families as they rebuild war-damaged facilities and sustain livelihoods lost during the ongoing conflict.
Wines in this offer also provide direct humanitarian support through Common Man for Ukraine, a non-profit providing aid to orphanages, displaced families, and trauma counseling for children who have lost a parent in the war.
Every purchase from Brave Selections directly benefits both of these non-profits. Ancient Wine Guys is proudly donating an additional 10% of its profits from these selections to Rebuilding Cellars to support the Ukrainian wine industry.
Club Wines
Three Selections from Ukraine & Georgia Featured in Our Upcoming Release - AVAILABLE FOR PRE-SALE
Featured Producer: Beykush Winery
2023 Beykush Winery "Artania" White Blend
Artania White is a diverse white blend that shows the immense potential of this coastal region to produce wines that can easily hold their own with the rest of Europe's finest. It's crisp and just a touch juicy, with ripe nectarine, lemon meringue, yellow apple, and Rainier cherry flavors. A modest 12% ABV alongside that breezy, coastal freshness keeps you coming back for a second (third?) glass without hesitation.
This is a wonderful, versatile wine you can chill down and serve at any event, food not required, and guarantee guests will be asking for more. Pair with a summer salad full of sunflower seeds, pear, and gorgonzola; a crispy pork schnitzel; or a classic Chicken Kyiv for a match made in heaven.
2022 Villa Tinta "Odesa Black"
Similar to a Georgian Saperavi, Odessa Black's parent variety, Alicante Bouschet, is a teinturier grape, meaning its juice itself is deeply colored, not just the skins. In the glass it shows an inky, black-as-a-moonless-night appearance with an intense bouquet of melted black figs, plum jam, boysenberry, raw leather, earth, and toasty pipe tobacco. Here the wine was crafted to retain an elegant balance between bold structure, depth, and pleasure.
Despite its dramatic appearance, it features a fairly modest 13% ABV, keeping it well within the realm of the dinner table. Let it breathe for 20–30 minutes before a meal of slow-roasted BBQ pork ribs, a rich Mexican mole poblano, Ukrainian krovyanka blood sausage (hear us out on this one!), or a classic earthy mushroom Bourguignon.
2018 Vinobiza "Q" Qvevri Saperavi
A textbook example of Georgian qvevri amphora-aged Saperavi showing all the compelling character we love about this ancient variety: soft blackberry and black cherry fruits, baking spices, cracked pepper, and summer plums, all tied together with a surprising freshness and refinement from extra cellar aging. Lovers of Côtes-du-Rhône blends, Argentine Malbec, or Spanish and Portuguese reds be warned, this one might just replace your favorite weeknight house red.
An excellent do-everything house red for those who crave old-school, bistro-style European reds. But don't overthink it, the "Q" Saperavi is also an excellent candidate for pizza and pasta nights! For a more traditional pairing, a hearty Georgian chakhokhbili chicken stew with its exotic spice character is just about perfect.
Special Offer Selections
Limited Quantity — Get Them While They Last
2023 Beykush Winery Telti Kuruk
The first Telti Kuruk we've ever tried, and we're hooked! It presents itself as a perfect dry mid-weight white with all the refined texture and aromatics of a well-crafted Albariño, white Rhône blend, or Oregon Pinot Gris. Packed with succulent white peach, floral melon, and golden apple flavors, the coastal influence is unmistakable: there's an electric saline and mineral character running through the wine that shows the immense potential southern Ukraine has to make beautiful, unique wines from this native variety.
Complex enough to contemplate on its own, and it evolves into even more generous aromas as it warms in the glass. Up against a meal, it loves something creamy and salty: chicken pot pie, poached whitefish in butter (with lemon, garlic, and capers of course), or a mountain of Ukrainian varenyky (dumplings) with potato and dill.
2019 Vinobiza Orange Kisi
A quintessential Georgian orange wine in a very approachable style, one that entices both seasoned orange wine fanatics and those trying it for the first time! In the glass: dried apricot, yellow peach skin, baked apples, chamomile, and light black tea–like grip, with gentle tannins and a savory but not overly dry finish. Softer and a touch rounder than some of the more aggressive, structured orange wines thanks to some extended cellar aging. Clean, easy-going, balanced, and unmistakably Georgian without being intense.
Best served lightly chilled (50–55°F), though it shows beautifully even at room temperature. Great with grilled vegetables or sauced roast chicken; traditionally excellent with a cheesy Georgian khachapuri or herb-forward Georgian dishes. This amber beauty also plays nicely with simple mezze or spiced chickpea dishes if you’re thinking appetizers!
2024 Villa Tinta "Odesa White" Sukholimansky
A bright spring day in a glass. Full of freshness and easily positioned as a crisp, everyday house white wine, the Sukholimansky grape shows off its lovable character of green apple skins, citrus zest, green melon, lemon blossom, and fresh picked herbs. A low 11.5% ABV and zero oak keeps it light on its feet, similar to a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, Italian Vermentino, or a crisp southern French Picpoul de Pinet. Absolutely delightful!
While this Sukholimansky is an ideal refreshing after-work sipper, our preference would be to chill it down, and toss it in a basket with a hunk of salty cheese (Gouda? Camembert? Manchego?), any green salad, and a baguette. Next, find a perfect picnic spot. However, if you’re still stuck waiting for the depths of winter to end, don’t fret, this would be an incredible pair with a creamy leek soup, or a Ukrainian green sorrel borscht!
Ready to Order?
Simply email us your selections at info@ancientwineguys.com and we'll reply with an invoice to complete your purchase. Order deadline is Monday, March 23rd at 10AM PST. Wines ship starting week of April 6th.
Email Your Order →Please include the wine names and quantities you'd like. We'll take care of the rest. Shipping restrictions may apply, please review our Shipping Policy or inquire at info@ancientwineguys.com for any questions.