Beamsville winery with Ukraine roots steps up to send supplies overseas
Many of us are looking for ways to support Ukraine and those affected by its war. One winery here in Ontario with Ukrainian roots - Rosewood Estates Winery and Meadery - is spearheading a huge effort to help.
My family, my wife, our winemaker's wife - we are all Ukrainian. We all have family in Ukraine and most of us in the Ukrainian community are not sleeping," says William Roman, general manager of Rosewood. It's the worst and hardest thing I've ever gone through."
He describes a visceral need to act.
There's this burst of energy that comes out as a natural extension of my soul," says Roman.
On Feb. 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Roman got a call from St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church saying they had room on a plane to send goods to Ukraine to support those in need. So he immediately began collecting donations.
I thought, I have trucks. I have people. I have cardboard and tape. I know how to do this," says Roman. By the next day, I had enough donations to fill my 20-foot truck."
And it has been non-stop ever since, receiving donations and driving them to collection sites. By March 4, Roman had collected and delivered three truckloads of goods.
The Ukrainian community is a very tight-knit community. And we're strong," says Roman. And the world is starting to realize that."
Roman says he received a call on March 3 that a private doner purchased 10 pallets worth of space on a plane. And they need to fill that space with medical supplies. So he is requesting that people prioritize medical supply donations and drop them off at the winery (see the list accompanying this article).
Rosewood is also accepting sleeping bags, sleeping pads, thermal blankets and warm socks. Later, the winery will accept hygiene items, clothing and non-perishable food.
There's also a big need for funds immediately," says Roman. So those who want to donate cash can do so through two trusted, registered Ukrainian charities in Canada - the Canada-Ukraine Foundations and Help Us Help."
Roman still runs the winery while he conducts support efforts.
Rosewood was founded by his parents Eugene and Renata Roman in 2002. Eugene's father R.W. Roman was a passionate beekeeper and mead maker in West Ukraine - mead is honey wine. When he moved to Canada, he continued to keep bees with his son, Eugene.
Though R.W. dreamed of producing mead in Canada, he was not able to secure an Ontario honey winery license and abandoned the pursuit. But he continued to keep bees with his family. Years later, Eugene and Renata purchased the Beamsville property 18 years after honeymooning in Niagara-on-the-Lake and falling in love with the region. On their honeymoon, Eugene promised Renata they would open a winery together one day. And he made good on that promise. They founded Rosewood Estates Winery and Meadery in 2003. And in doing so, Eugene carried through with his father's dream of making honey wine here, too.
Today, Rosewood makes red, white and rose table wines from grapes grown on the estate, as well as mead, honey, and beeswax candles - the latter of which flows from 90 consecutive years beekeeping experience through three generations.
If you're a wine lover looking to help the Ukrainian war effort, consider visiting Rosewood Estates Winery and Meadery, bringing some donations and picking up a bottle or two to take home. The winery is at 4352 Mountainview Rd., Beamsville. More details at rosewoodwine.com.
Medical Donations Requested
Combat application tourniquets
Tamponade gauze
Soft gauze
Dressings
Medical scissors and tape
Sterile wipes
Crystalloids/colloids
Pill-packs: over-the-counter anti-inflammatory (ALEVE), antibiotics, pain medication
PPE - gloves, masks, eye protection