Shabo

In 1822 a group of vine-growers from the Swiss canton of Vaud were invited to settle on the sandy ground beside the Dniester estuary, and they brought their varieties and methods with them; Shabo has grown wine ever since. The sand matters: phylloxera cannot survive in it, so some old ungrafted vines persist. A wine culture centre on the estate runs cellar tours, tastings and a small museum of the Swiss settlement.

What's there

• The cellars - underground galleries used for ageing on the estate.
• The Swiss story - the 1822 settlement and the museum covering it.
• The sand vineyards - ground that phylloxera cannot live in.
• The estuary - the Dniester liman beside the vineyards.

When to go

May to October is the season, with harvest in September the most interesting time. Tours run to set times and should be booked. Winter tours run but the vineyards are bare.

What to expect

The tour is a commercial winery visit and quite polished. Tastings are charged separately and add up. The village outside the estate has little to see.

Nearby

Akkerman fortress is nearby, and Odesa is northeast.

Key facts