Shtifko Wine Manufactory, Kliucharky
A family winery near Mukachevo
Shtyfko Wine Manufactory is a family winery in the village of Kliucharky near Mukachevo, founded in 2018 at the family homestead. It is named after the winemaker's great-grandfather, from whom the family traces its roots. The owner, Oleksandr-Vasyl Harnovdii, is a physicist and financier by training and a winemaker by vocation. He heads the Association of Grape Growers, Winemakers and Distillers of Zakarpattia and was among those who initiated the registration of the "Wines of the Silver Land" geographical indication, meant to protect and promote the region's wines.
Shtyfko's rule is simple and firm — dry wines only, with no sweetening, so that the variety and the Transcarpathian soil speak in the glass.
Why go: a tasting with the winemaker
The main reason to come is a tasting with the winemaker himself. It combines notes on the varieties and food pairings with the story of how winemaking is reviving around Mukachevo. The winery has a small cellar where bottles rest in niches along brick walls, and a tasting area for guests at the homestead among barrels and vines. Gastronomic tours of Zakarpattia stop here too.
The format, venue and price depend on the size of the group, so book in advance by phone. The winery also delivers — handy if you want to enjoy the wines again at home.
What to try and buy
- Furmint — a dry white that won gold at the Chervene Vyno 2021 competition in Mukachevo;
- Chardonnay (silver) and Muscat Ottonel (bronze) at the 2021 competition of the Union of Hungarian Winemakers of Zakarpattia;
- Müller-Thurgau, Burgunder, Leanka, Traminer, Solaris, Bianca — light, aromatic whites;
- reds: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The winemaker experiments with new varieties, revives local ones and plans to expand his own vineyard. Shtyfko wines are also sold in specialist wine shops, but buying from the winemaker is a special pleasure: he'll tell you which plot the grapes came from and why the wine tastes the way it does.
Grape growing on the slopes around Mukachevo goes back centuries: Hungarian, Slovak and Rusyn families have made wine here for generations, and every winter the town hosts the Chervene Vyno competition and festival, where craft winemakers show their best bottles. Shtyfko is one of the small family wineries bringing European quality back to this tradition.
Practical information
- Where: Kliucharky, Mukachevo district (the exact meeting point is given when you book; the winery's profile lists Mukachevo for contact).
- Getting there: Kliucharky lies a few kilometres south-west of Mukachevo — 10–15 minutes by car or taxi from the centre. The village has a railway halt on the line from Mukachevo.
- Tastings: by prior booking only; price on request.
- Phone: +38 050 317 94 52, e-mail [email protected].
- Social media: Instagram shtufko, Facebook Shtifko.
Website and social media: instagram.com · facebook.com
Photos: instagram.com; vidviday.ua.
