A military volunteer and winemaker Sergiy Stakhovsky shares his lifestyle
Sergiy Stakhovsky is the best tennis player in Ukraine. Moreover he is a successful winemaker, who produces wine from grapes grown on local territories.
The Ukrainian decided to engage in winemaking at the end of 2015 - after being exposed to wine culture while competing for Vila Primrose ( Bordeaux,France). Sergiy rented 20 hectares of wineries in Zakarpattia and began to cultivate the existing grape varieties Merlot, Saperavi, Rose Traminer, Chardonnay, Riesling, Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon. For two years the team of Stakhovsky Wines was planting vines, putting pillars, cleaning the parcels and replanting plots. In 2018 the first harvest was send for maturation in French oak barrels.
Now Sergiy is a volunteer in a National Guard of Ukraine’ brigade. We met him in the center of Kyiv between the missions.
What will you do first after winning?
S. I’ll drink some wine
Before the war, you traveled a lot, how many countries did you visit and which city inspires you the most?
S. Well yes, travelling was a part of life, but Ukraine inspires me the most.
Are you a person who keeps all your life in one suitcase or vice versa?
S. I am a person who keeps everything to myself.
Which 3 things are always in your backpack?
S. Laptop, book (now it’s a book about the history of the creation of the Ukrainian state) and a pen.
You are a practical person, what criteria for choosing a backpack are important to you?
S. I travel a lot, drive, therefore reliability, it must be able to withstand various conditions. Also it has to be comfortable. And the third is quantity of pockets.
What would you have wished yourself 10 years ago?
S. To be smarter. We always think that we are the most intelligent right now, but it’s very difficult to listen to people who are close to us.
What are your plans for the future?
S. Build a winery, we hope it will come true. Location - near the city of Berehove, in Zakarpattia. We grow Merlot, Cabernet and Saperavi grapes there.