It had made a comeback, following Russia’s - illegal again - annexation of land in Crimea in 2014, resulting in the loss of almost a third of Ukraine's vineyards.
But since that Putin putsch, dry wine production had increased. By something like 7-9 per cent annually, leading to more than 100 million litres of wine produced from some 40,500 hectares of vines.
Since last February, Russian rockets have rained down on Ukraine, more worryingly the invading hordes have sown mines in the land, in among the vineyards. Observers reckon that 30 per cent of Ukraine's farmland, and vineyards, are riddled with mines.
Heidi Kuhn, founder of Roots of Peace, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the removal of landmines, said earlier this week: "Landmines are hidden killers waiting for the foot of a child or farmer.
“Land mines are an abomination, a cancer waiting in the earth. The only solution is removal. And from there, if we want a country's economy to grow, we have to replace those mines with things that will grow. Vineyards, fruit trees and crops that will help rebuild the economy."
In 2000, Kuhn played a prominent role in transforming Croatia’s minefields into vineyards, helping to re-establish vineyards in eight wine regions.
Roots for Peace has also been successful in Cambodia, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Iraq, Israel and Zimbabwe, replacing minefields with farmland.
Now it is preparing to begin a project in Ukraine. And if any Irish wine lover would like to help in some small way, they can donate to this non-profit organisation at https://rootsofpeace.org/donate-today