Moldovan wine
Encyclopedia
With a production of 124,200 ton
s of wine
(as of 2009), Moldova
has a well established wine
industry. It has a vineyard area of 148500 hectares (366,951.2 acre) of which 107800 hectares (266,379.4 acre) are used for commercial production. The remaining 40700 hectares (100,571.8 acre) are vineyards planted in villages around the houses used to make home-made wine, or "vin de casa". Many families have their own recipes and strands of grape
s that have been passed down through the generations.
In 2009, Moldova
was the twenty-second largest wine producing country in the world. Most of the country's commercial wine production is for export.
s of Vitis teutonica vine leaves near the Naslavcia village in the north of Moldova indicate that grapes grew here approximately 6 to 25 million years ago. The size of grape seed imprints found near the Varvarovca village, which date back to 2800 BC, prove that at that time the grapes were already being cultivated. The grapegrowing
and winemaking
in the area between the Nistru and Prut
rivers, which began 4000–5000 years ago, had periods of rises and falls but has survived through all the changing social and economic conditions.
By the end of the 3rd century BC, trading links were established between the local population and the Greeks
and from 107 AD with the Romans
, a fact which strongly influenced the intense development of the grapegrowing and winemaking.
After the formation of the Moldovan feudal state
in the 14th century, grapegrowing began to develop and flourished in the 15th century during the kingdom of Stephen the Great
, who promoted the import of high quality varieties and the improvement of the quality of wine, which was one of the chief exports of Moldova throughout the medieval period, especially to Poland
, Ukraine
and Russia
.
During the 300 years of Ottoman
rule, Moldova saw a big decline in grapegrowing, as winemaking was forbidden by law. After the Treaty of Bucharest in 1812, when the region became a province of the Russian Empire
, the wine industry flourished again. The main varieties were the traditional ones: Rara Neagră
, Plavai, Galbena, Zghiharda, Batuta Neagră
, Fetească Albă
, Fetească Neagră
, Tămâioasa
, Cabasia and many other local, Hungarian, Bulgarian
, Greek
, and Turkish varieties. In this period, the grape growers gained governmental support and by 1837 the vineyard area in Bessarabia
reached 14,000 hectares, and the wine production reached 12 million litres.
The second half of the 19th century saw an intensive planting of newly introduced French
varieties, such as Pinot Blanc
, Pinot Noir
, Pinot Gris
, Aligote
, Cabernet Sauvignon
, Sauvignon Blanc
, Gamay
, Muscat Blanc. It was at this time that wines like Negru de Purcari
and Romanesti
, which have made Moldova famous as a fine wine producer, began to be produced.
After the phylloxera
damage at the end of the 19th century, it was only in 1906 that the vineyards began to recover with grafted planting material. By 1914 Bessarabia had the biggest vineyard area in the Russian Empire.
Both World Wars damaged the Moldovan vineyards and the wine industry considerably. The re-establishment of Moldovan vineyards began during Soviet
years, in the 1950s. Over 150,000 hectares were planted in 10 years, and by 1960 the total vineyard area had reached 220,000 hectares.
In 2006, a diplomatic conflict with Russia
resulted in the 2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines
, damaging the wine industry of Moldova considerably, as Russia remains the largest importer of Moldovan wines by far.
four regions for wine growing are to be found:
The most important region - the Southern area
- is suitable for red sweet and semi-sweet wines. White wines have a high content of alcohol. Micro-regions like Taraclia
, Ciumai, Comrat
, Ceadir-Lunga
, Baurci
, Cazaiac, Tomai
, Cimislia
etc. are also in the southern region.
Moldovan viticulture is characterized by a large variety of grapes:
, Sauvignon Blanc
, Aligoté
, Pinot Gris
, Pinot Blanc
, Riesling
, Traminer, Muscat
, Silvaner
, Müller-Thurgau
, Rkatsiteli
.
Red varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon
, Merlot
, Pinot Noir
, Malbec
, Saperavi
, Gamay
.
Recently Syrah, Cabernet Franc
, Petit Verdot
, Carignan, Montepulciano
, Sémillon
, Ugni Blanc, and Tempranillo
were conditionally registered for trial.
- represents the name, patented in the Republic of Moldova
, of the country's brandy, produced in conformity with the classic technology of cognac
production.
The Moldovan wine collection "Mileştii Mici
", with almost 2 million bottles, is the largest wine collection in the world, according to the Guinness Book. It stretches for 250 km, of which only 120 km are currently in use.
The Cricova winery also has an extensive network of underground tunnels that stretch for 120 km.
, Vinaria Bostavan, Chateau Vartely, DK-Intertrade, Dionysos-Mereni, Lion-Gri, and Vinaria Purcari
.
Together, the wineries export more than one third of all Moldovan wine. The member wineries are united by their desire to raise Moldova’s profile as a major European wine producing country. To accomplish this goal, the members work together to promote their wines on the international market through joint marketing initiatives and to educate the international wine trade and press about Moldova.
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
(as of 2009), Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
has a well established wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
industry. It has a vineyard area of 148500 hectares (366,951.2 acre) of which 107800 hectares (266,379.4 acre) are used for commercial production. The remaining 40700 hectares (100,571.8 acre) are vineyards planted in villages around the houses used to make home-made wine, or "vin de casa". Many families have their own recipes and strands of grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s that have been passed down through the generations.
In 2009, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
was the twenty-second largest wine producing country in the world. Most of the country's commercial wine production is for export.
History
FossilFossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of Vitis teutonica vine leaves near the Naslavcia village in the north of Moldova indicate that grapes grew here approximately 6 to 25 million years ago. The size of grape seed imprints found near the Varvarovca village, which date back to 2800 BC, prove that at that time the grapes were already being cultivated. The grapegrowing
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
and winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
in the area between the Nistru and Prut
Prut
The Prut is a long river in Eastern Europe. In part of its course it forms the border between Romania and Moldova.-Overview:...
rivers, which began 4000–5000 years ago, had periods of rises and falls but has survived through all the changing social and economic conditions.
By the end of the 3rd century BC, trading links were established between the local population and the Greeks
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and from 107 AD with the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, a fact which strongly influenced the intense development of the grapegrowing and winemaking.
After the formation of the Moldovan feudal state
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
in the 14th century, grapegrowing began to develop and flourished in the 15th century during the kingdom of Stephen the Great
Stephen III of Moldavia
Stephen III of Moldavia was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 and the most prominent representative of the House of Mușat.During his reign, he strengthened Moldavia and maintained its independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and the...
, who promoted the import of high quality varieties and the improvement of the quality of wine, which was one of the chief exports of Moldova throughout the medieval period, especially to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
During the 300 years of Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule, Moldova saw a big decline in grapegrowing, as winemaking was forbidden by law. After the Treaty of Bucharest in 1812, when the region became a province of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, the wine industry flourished again. The main varieties were the traditional ones: Rara Neagră
Rara neagra
Rara Neagră is an indigenous Moldovan dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. The name translates as The loose black . It is a late-ripening variety that gives red wines which are typically dark colored, rich in acid and may exhibit a pronounced fruity character...
, Plavai, Galbena, Zghiharda, Batuta Neagră
Batuta Neagra
Bǎtuta Neagră is a Moldovan red grape variety.Mainly planted in Moldova from 1983.its sinonimity with Kabassiya variety is under discution....
, Fetească Albă
Feteasca alba
Fetească Albă is a Romanian - Moldovan white grape variety, mainly cultivated in Moldova and Romanian regions of Moldavia and Transylvania, as well as in the Hungarian wine region of Eger.In Moldova, it uses the biggest area planted among local varieties -...
, Fetească Neagră
Feteasca Neagra
Fetească Neagră ; ) is an old pre-phylloxeric variety of Romanian - Moldovan grape, cultivated mainly in several areas in the Romanian regions of Moldavia and Muntenia and also in the Republic of Moldova....
, Tămâioasa
Tamâioasa Româneasca
Tămâioasă Românească is a Romanian - Moldovan grape variety used for the production of aromatic wines, Tămâioasă are natural sweet or semi-sweet wines, with alcohol content of 12%-12.5%....
, Cabasia and many other local, Hungarian, Bulgarian
Bulgarian wine
Grape growing and wine production have a long history in Bulgaria, dating back to the times of the Thracians. Wine is, together with beer and grape rakia, among the most popular alcoholic beverages in the country.-Viticultural regions:...
, Greek
Greek wine
Greece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. The earliest evidence of Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago where wine was produced on a household or communal basis. In ancient times, as trade in wine became extensive, it was transported from end to end of the...
, and Turkish varieties. In this period, the grape growers gained governmental support and by 1837 the vineyard area in Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
reached 14,000 hectares, and the wine production reached 12 million litres.
The second half of the 19th century saw an intensive planting of newly introduced French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
varieties, such as Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
, Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
, Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
, Aligote
Aligoté
Aligoté is a white grape used to make dry white wines in the Burgundy region of France, and which also has significant plantings in much of Eastern Europe including Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria. With , it was the 22nd most planted vine variety in the world in 2004...
, Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
, Gamay
Gamay
Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...
, Muscat Blanc. It was at this time that wines like Negru de Purcari
Negru de Purcari
Negru de Purcari is a quality red dry Moldovan wine, produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Rara Neagră and Saperavi grapes. The wine has a dark ruby, saturated color.-Areas of production:...
and Romanesti
Romanesti
Romanesti may refer to:*Româneşti, several places in Romania*Romaneşti, a village in Roşiile Commune, Vâlcea County, Romania*Romăneşti, a commune in Străşeni district, Moldova...
, which have made Moldova famous as a fine wine producer, began to be produced.
After the phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
damage at the end of the 19th century, it was only in 1906 that the vineyards began to recover with grafted planting material. By 1914 Bessarabia had the biggest vineyard area in the Russian Empire.
Both World Wars damaged the Moldovan vineyards and the wine industry considerably. The re-establishment of Moldovan vineyards began during Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
years, in the 1950s. Over 150,000 hectares were planted in 10 years, and by 1960 the total vineyard area had reached 220,000 hectares.
In 2006, a diplomatic conflict with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
resulted in the 2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines
2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines
The 2006 Russian import ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines began in late March 2006 and created a diplomatic conflict between the Republic of Moldova and Georgia on the one hand and Russia on the other...
, damaging the wine industry of Moldova considerably, as Russia remains the largest importer of Moldovan wines by far.
Geography
The Republic of Moldova has 130000 acres (526.1 km²) of vineyards, of which 120,000 are fertile. More than 90% are in private ownership. The annual crop of grapes is about 400-500 tons.Wine growing regions in Moldova
In MoldovaMoldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
four regions for wine growing are to be found:
- Balti (northern zone)
- Codru (central zone)
- Nistreana (south-eastern zone) which includes the famous Purcari regionPurcari (winery)Purcari is a Moldovan wine producer from Purcari, located in the Moldovan Nistreana Wine Region.-History:After Bessarabia was joined to Russia, a decree of the land's authorities, issued in 1827, created the first specialized winemaking company in Purcari...
. - ComratComrat Wine RegionComrat - also very common is the spelling Komrat. The Cyrillic spelling is used very often as well - as for example on buses and timetables etc.: Комрат .-Location:...
(southern zone)
The most important region - the Southern area
Cahul Wine Region
Cahul is a wine region in Moldova. The southern wine zone of Moldova includes the territories of the Bugeac Plain and Moldova’s south. These regions have similar drought affect, but differ in their soils and climate conditions. The conditions in the southern zone favor the production of red and...
- is suitable for red sweet and semi-sweet wines. White wines have a high content of alcohol. Micro-regions like Taraclia
Taraclia
Taraclia is a city in south-eastern Moldova. It is the capital of Taraclia District. 28,293 of its 43,154 inhabitants are ethnic Bulgarians.The Taraclia State University, co-funded by Bulgaria and Moldova, was established in 2004...
, Ciumai, Comrat
Comrat
Comrat is a city in Moldova and the capital of the autonomous region of Gagauzia. It is located at , in the south of the country, on the Ialpug River. In 2004, Comrat's population was 23,429, of which the vast majority are Gagauzians.The name is of Turkic and Nogai origin...
, Ceadir-Lunga
Ceadîr-Lunga
Ceadîr-Lunga is a city in Gagauzia, Moldova. The city's population is 19,401, of which 14,294 Gagauzians, 1,552 Russians, 1,510 Bulgarians, 734 Moldovans, 951 Ukrainians, 166 Gypsies, 8 Poles, 7 Jews, and 179 other/undeclared. It is twinned with Serpukhov, Russia....
, Baurci
Baurci
Baurci is a commune and village in Moldova, located in the autonomous territorial unit Gagauzia, west of the city of Ceadâr-Lunga. This is the third largest village in Gagauzia, after Congaz and Copceac...
, Cazaiac, Tomai
Tomai
Tomai may refer to several places in Moldova:*Tomai, a commune in Gagauzia*Tomai, a commune in Leova district...
, Cimislia
Cimislia
Cimişlia is a city in the southern part of Moldova, on the banks of the Cogîlnic River. Cimişlia has a population of 12,800 according to a 2006 census. It is the administrative center of Cimişlia District...
etc. are also in the southern region.
Grape varieties
| Varieties | Share |
| European | 67% |
| Caucasian | 15% |
| Domestic | 6% |
| Non - Vitis vinifera | 13% |
Local varieties
Only a few local varieties can still be found in Moldova today:- Fetească albăFeteasca albaFetească Albă is a Romanian - Moldovan white grape variety, mainly cultivated in Moldova and Romanian regions of Moldavia and Transylvania, as well as in the Hungarian wine region of Eger.In Moldova, it uses the biggest area planted among local varieties -...
: Indigenous white variety. Makes crisp, fresh white wines with fine floral aromas; - Fetească regalăFeteasca RegalaFetească Regală is a variety of Romanian - Moldovan white grape variety, created in the 1930s, in Mureş County. It is a crossing of Grasă and Fetească albă.This variety is cultivated mainly in Romanian regions of Moldavia and Transylvania, and in Moldova....
: White variety, a natural cross between Fetească albă and FurmintFurmintFurmint is a variety of wine grape from the Pontian Balcanica branch of Vitis vinifera, used for white wines. The name Furmint is taken from the word "froment" for the wheat-gold color of the wine it produces. While it is possible that it the grape is native to Hungary, the grape was likely...
; - Rara neagrăRara neagraRara Neagră is an indigenous Moldovan dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. The name translates as The loose black . It is a late-ripening variety that gives red wines which are typically dark colored, rich in acid and may exhibit a pronounced fruity character...
: Red variety traditionally used mostly for blending with other varieties, e.g. the famous Negru de PurcariNegru de PurcariNegru de Purcari is a quality red dry Moldovan wine, produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Rara Neagră and Saperavi grapes. The wine has a dark ruby, saturated color.-Areas of production:...
. Responsible for the fame of the PurcariPurcariPurcari is a commune in the Ştefan Vodă district of Moldova. It is composed of two villages, Purcari and Viişoara.-See also:* Purcari wine region* Purcari...
wines in the 18th century, before Cabernet SauvignonCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
was introduced. Total area planted - 170 hectares mostly in the Purcari region. Makes dark colored, full bodied red wines with fine red fruit aromas. - Fetească neagrăFeteasca NeagraFetească Neagră ; ) is an old pre-phylloxeric variety of Romanian - Moldovan grape, cultivated mainly in several areas in the Romanian regions of Moldavia and Muntenia and also in the Republic of Moldova....
: Red grape variety; - Plavai: White variety, popular in the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. Now very rare, almost disappeared.
Introduced varieties
White varieties: ChardonnayChardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
, Aligoté
Aligoté
Aligoté is a white grape used to make dry white wines in the Burgundy region of France, and which also has significant plantings in much of Eastern Europe including Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria. With , it was the 22nd most planted vine variety in the world in 2004...
, Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
, Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
, Riesling
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
, Traminer, Muscat
Muscat (grape and wine)
The Muscat variety of grapes of the species Vitis vinifera is widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes. Their color ranges from white to near black. Muscat almost always has a pronounced sweet floral aroma. Muscat grapes are grown around the world...
, Silvaner
Silvaner
Sylvaner or Silvaner is a variety of white wine grape grown primarily in Alsace and Germany, where its official name is Grüner Silvaner. In Germany it is best known as a component of Liebfraumilch and production boomed in the 1970s to the detriment of quality, but it has long enjoyed a better...
, Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau is a variety of white grape which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine Royale. It is used to make white wine in Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, Hungary, England, in Australia, Czech Republic, Slovakia,...
, Rkatsiteli
Rkatsiteli
Rkatsiteli is a kind of grape used to produce white wine.-History:This ancient vinifera originates in Georgia and is one of the oldest grape varieties...
.
Red varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
, Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
, Saperavi
Saperavi
Saperavi is an acidic, teinturier-type grape variety native to Georgia, where it is used to make many of the region's distinctive wines, along with the Alexandreuli and Rkastiteli varieties. Leaves are 3-lobed, large, and roundish...
, Gamay
Gamay
Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...
.
Recently Syrah, Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
, Petit Verdot
Petit verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
, Carignan, Montepulciano
Montepulciano
Montepulciano is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and comune in the province of Siena in southern Tuscany, in Italy. Montepulciano, with an elevation of 605 m, sits on a high limestone ridge. By car it is 13 km E of Pienza; 70 km SE of Siena, 124 km SE of Florence, and...
, Sémillon
Sémillon
Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...
, Ugni Blanc, and Tempranillo
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano , a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks...
were conditionally registered for trial.
Divin
DivinDivín
Divín is a village and municipality in the Lučenec District in the Banská Bystrica Region of Slovakia.-History:In historical records, the village was first mentioned in 1329 as a parish and a castle...
- represents the name, patented in the Republic of Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, of the country's brandy, produced in conformity with the classic technology of cognac
Cognac
Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...
production.
Cellars
Milestii Mici (winery)
Milestii Mici is a Moldovan wine producer located in the commune of Mileştii Mici.-Cellars:The State Enterprise Quality Wines Industrial Complex "Milestii Mici" was founded in 1969 to store, preserve and mature high-quality wines....
", with almost 2 million bottles, is the largest wine collection in the world, according to the Guinness Book. It stretches for 250 km, of which only 120 km are currently in use.
The Cricova winery also has an extensive network of underground tunnels that stretch for 120 km.
Wine industry
The Moldova Wine Guild is a non-profit association established in August 2007 by several of Moldova’s leading private wineries, i.e. Acorex Wine HoldingAcorex (winery)
- History :The Acorex company started its activity in 1989 as an exporter of Moldavian wines. Back in those times the company was carrying out only trade operations selling wines produced by Moldovan wine factories. By that time, only Moldovan wine producers could provide a permanent high quality...
, Vinaria Bostavan, Chateau Vartely, DK-Intertrade, Dionysos-Mereni, Lion-Gri, and Vinaria Purcari
Purcari (winery)
Purcari is a Moldovan wine producer from Purcari, located in the Moldovan Nistreana Wine Region.-History:After Bessarabia was joined to Russia, a decree of the land's authorities, issued in 1827, created the first specialized winemaking company in Purcari...
.
Together, the wineries export more than one third of all Moldovan wine. The member wineries are united by their desire to raise Moldova’s profile as a major European wine producing country. To accomplish this goal, the members work together to promote their wines on the international market through joint marketing initiatives and to educate the international wine trade and press about Moldova.