Wine as a Diplomatic Tool in Ukraine's War with Russia

The meaning of Ukraine adopting EU-style wine regulations

Because Americans have no current or past experience with war on our soil, we are left to generally imagine what life might be like for Ukrainians or Israelis, for whom the violence of armed conflict occurs on their soil. It must be this absence of first-hand experience with armed conflict that makes this recent event in Ukraine seem so out of context:

Ukraine's parliament passes law implementing EU standards in viticulture, winemaking

Here’s the basics:

“Ukraine's parliament…has passed in the final reading a law to support developing viticulture and winemaking domestically…The goal of the law "On Grapes and Viticulture Products" is to implement the relevant European Union regulations regarding viticulture and winemaking, oenological practices, production of wine-infused products, and usage and protection of geographical indications of wine.”

On the one hand, this integration of Ukrainian wine law with EU standards appears like a non sequitur when weighed against the brutal war the Ukrainian people are engaged in: Really, wine law in the middle of a battle with Russia?

On the other hand, I think what we are seeing in this new law is wine used as a diplomatic tool.