In the words of entrepreneur Alla Shcherbyna: ‘Don’t be afraid to collaborate with different organizations. Take part in training programs and forums for self-development and progress!’

Alla Shcherbyna is a craft winemaker specializing in ordinary wines from the Chyhyryn region. Her journey began in 2012 with the planting of her first raspberry seedlings and has since earned her recognition, including two gold medals for her wines in 2023 and 2024. Each product release represents the culmination of years of dedication, expertise, and a deep passion for natural winemaking. About inspiring winemaking business — read In Alla Sherbyna’s story.

‘My story is both ordinary and extraordinary. Our great-grandparents had vineyards. My great-grandfather made wine and kept a wine cellar. In 2010, my husband and I received a wedding gift from our parents — a plot of land and a small country house. From that moment, we began searching for our path. We wanted to do something that was both interesting and profitable. My sister offered us some raspberry seedlings to see if we might be interested. In 2012, we planted raspberries and really liked it. One year, however, we had a rainy summer, and our harvest spoiled very quickly — it couldn’t reach the end consumer. We harvested raspberries, but they lost their marketable appearance almost immediately. That’s when the idea of making wine came to us.

Currently, we are a micro-winery, as we produce up to 10 decaliters of wine. When it comes to selling our wine, we’re not aiming for the mass market. Instead, we focus on ‘green estates’, online sales, and small shops. Our goal is to maintain a sense of exclusivity and craftsmanship. We are already positioning ourselves this way and hope that our wine will become a true hallmark of Chyhyryn region. We received our first gold medal at the Wine Spirit Awards for our raspberry wine from the 2023 harvest. In 2024, we introduced the world to our blackcurrant wine, which also received recognition.

Our small dream was a wood chipper. It just so happened that with small steps and small dreams, we are building our big project. If we look at the areas where we live, unfortunately, there’s a trend of people moving from hamlets and villages to larger towns and cities. As a result, in these villages, land becomes available where crops, fruits, or vegetables could be cultivated. However, these plots often become overgrown with brush. When we assessed the amount of work required to clear these areas, we realized that the land needed to be freed from trees. Thanks to the support program from UN Women Ukraine, UN Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), and the Rural Women’s Business Network, we were able to obtain this equipment. For our needs, we specifically chose a wood chipper made by a Ukrainian manufacturer! With it, we’re clearing land that can later be used for planting trees and orchards. Right now, we have many options for what we can produce: candied fruits, teas, and fruit leathers. The future primary processing workshop is our opportunity for scaling up.

I am deeply grateful to UN Women Ukraine, WPHF, and other organizations that provide such opportunities. I know many people involved in craft production and business, and I want to share this message with them and other producers: don’t be afraid to collaborate with different organizations! Take part in training programs and forums for self-development and progress!

Perhaps our biggest dream is to open a café right here on this property. Chyhyryn is a tourist region. We believe in victory—we print parts for victory (Alla Shcherbyna’s family, on their own initiative, prints parts using a 3D printer at the request of the military — Editor’s note), we donate for victory, we work for victory, and we believe that tourists will come to visit us.

We have a place where they can stay, and we have the opportunity to create a winery that could welcome tourists, friends, acquaintances, and locals. Our vision is to revive the culture of craft winemaking and wine appreciation!’.

Read the full story: https://www.shemade.marieclaire.ua/en/portfolio/alla-shcherbyna-ordinary-wines-from-the-raspberry-capital-of-ukraine/

The project 'She Made: discovery & recovery of Ukraine' was created by Marie Claire Business Ukraine and UN Women Ukraine funded by The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). WPHF mobilizes critical support for local and grassroots civil society organizations working on women, peace and security and humanitarian action. WPHF is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism supporting quality interventions designed to enhance the capacity of women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities.

This publication is produced with funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), however, the views expressed and content included does not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

Photos: UN Women Ukraine/Nadiia Berska