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ProWein 2023: Moldova, the ‘Small Country With a Big Heart’, Goes Green

Düsseldorf, March 21st 2023: Over the last year, Moldova, with a population of 2m, has opened its doors to over 600,000 refugees from its neighbour, Ukraine. This generosity has earned this former Soviet republic, the description of ‘the small country with the big heart’.

Now, the Moldovan wine industry has unveiled plans for an ambitious programme of sustainable development, as key stakeholders seek $500 million of investment in new vineyards, increased capacity, and technological innovation over the next five years. Sustainable development is high on the industry’s list of priorities, in addition to increasing the value of bottled wine exports. 

This bold vision was mapped out during the 2023 edition of ProWein, where Robert Joseph led a panel discussion entitled “Wine of Moldova – 10 Revolutionary Years of Building a National Wine Brand.” A lively debate appraised how “a small, dynamic winemaking country as Moldova can compete with global giants.” Elizaveta Breahna, Interim Director of National Office of Wine; Caroline Gilby MW, a long-time expert on the wines of the region, Poland’s first Master of Wine; Wojciech Bońkowski, and Diana Lazar, representative of a USAID NGO Moldova project, all took part in the panel discussion. They analysed Moldova’s efforts to increase its international cachet, including the relative merits of prioritising indigenous grape varieties over international varieties and – Joseph’s preference – blends of the two. One of the industry’s key goals is to become a world-class tourism destination, with a 50% increase in wineries offering hospitality.  

Wojciech Bońkowski comments: “Moldova’s wine industry has changed out of all recognition over the past decade.  ’10 Revolutionary Years of Building a National Wine Brand’ isn’t simply a slogan – it neatly encapsulates the incredible transformation of the nation’s once ailing vineyards and wineries.  Despite the trade embargo imposed by the Russian Federation several years ago, the wine industry has played a significant role in the country’s economy, contributing around 3% of GDP and 8% of total exports and to the livelihood of over 50 thousand families in the rural areas.” 

Caroline Gilby MW highlighted the devastating impact of the Russian embargo on Moldova’s wine industry. According to Gilby MW: “Today, Moldovan winemakers have embraced the challenge of meeting the requirements of Western markets and have made impressive progress. They came together, and changed the country’s wine landscape.”

As a national brand, Wine of Moldova is committed to repositioning the former Soviet Republic as Eastern Europe’s leading exporter of premium wines. The country now leads the way in attracting global investment; Moldovan wines have won 5,014 international awards over the past decade. To quote Robert Joseph, “Moldova’s unique story, diverse grape collection, and ideal growing conditions put it in an excellent position to prioritize sustainable winemaking with a new generation of ambitious winemakers.” 

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41 wineries will represent Wine of Moldova at the prestigious ProWein exhibition

The country’s wine brand Wine of Moldova/Vinul Moldovei will be represented by 41 wineries at the world’s most important international wine exhibition ProWein, which will take place from March 19-21 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The event gathers tens of thousands of business people, and thousands of stands of producers and wine regions to exhibit wine products and report on the news and development trends of the global wine market.

This year, for the first time, the wine industry of the Republic of Moldova will have the largest country stand in recent years, of about 200 square meters, and a record number of winemakers, to host connoisseurs and international experts in the field and celebrate together “10 years of Moldovan Wine Revolution” by launching the international campaign #10yearsofwinerevolution. The generic of the campaign was inspired by the title of the article appraising the progress of Moldavian Wine, written by the most influential personality of the wine world, Jancis Robinson.

The national stand will bear the national symbol “Wine of Moldova” and will be a platform for business meetings, presentations of the remarkable progress of the industry, but also tastings and initiation of partnerships.

As part of the official Prowein Forum, organized on March 20, a round table dedicated to Wine of Moldova will be held, moderated by the well-known wine critic Robert Joseph (Great Britain), with the participation of the Master of Wine, sommeliers, journalists, importers and partners of the wine industry. Moldovan winemakers will be supported at the event by the state secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Wine Industry, Sergiu Gherciu, His Excellency, the ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in Germany, Aureliu Ciocoi, as well as representatives of the National Office of Vine and Wine (ONVV) and the Competitiveness Project and USAID’s Rural Resilience.

“Every year, the quality and competitiveness of Wine of Moldova increase. The Republic of Moldova is the 20th largest wine exporter in the world, with its wines being exported to approximately 70 countries around the world. Our goal is to increase the export share of bottled wines, but also to diversify and strengthen our position on high-value export markets”, stated Elizaveta Breahnă, the interim director of ONVV.

“The reforms implemented by the wine industry are confirmed by the thousands of medals, the hundreds of international articles, the reconversion of the sector through the emergence of new small wineries, transitional wineries, new generation wineries and wine export champions. The Wine of Moldova band has become a true symbol of national pride, a point of tourist attraction and an element of social cohesion”, emphasized Diana Lazăr, director of the wine industry and tourism, USAID Moldova’s Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Project.

We remind you that Wine of Moldova was launched in December 2013, as a result of an extensive structural reform of the wine industry focused on quality and added value, and oriented towards modernization and development in accordance with European Union standards. The wine reform, as well as the last ten years of progress, was made possible with the support of the wine industry’s strategic partner, the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

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Moldovan wine – sponsor of the prestigious contest “The best sommelier in the world”

Paris, France (February, 2023) – Moldovan wine will participate as a sponsor of the “Best Sommelier of the World” event, organized by the International Sommelier Association (ASI). During the competition, the most renowned sommeliers from different corners of the world will compete for the prestigious title of “Best Sommelier of the World”. The event will take place from 7-12 February in Paris, France, thanks to financial support from USAID.

It is one of the most prestigious competitions in the industry and provides a platform to showcase the highest quality wines from around the world. The participation of Moldovan wine in this event is a recognition of the quality of wines produced in our country and an opportunity to expand its presence on the international wine market.

In this year’s edition, 12 companies from Moldova will participate, exhibiting 21 local wines. “It is a great opportunity to present our wines to an audience with a deep and extensive knowledge of wines, such as sommeliers. We believe that this event is an excellent platform to promote our wines and the image of the Republic of Moldova as an important player among quality wine producing countries. This is also one of the main objectives of the NPVO”, said Elizaveta Breahnă, acting director of the National Office of Wine and Vine.
“We stand by Moldova Wine to provide support in this important partnership. ‘World’s Best Sommelier’ gives us a unique opportunity to exhibit to an international and elevated audience. We aim for this event to have a positive impact on the recognition of Moldovan wines on the international market”, underlined Diana Lazar, Director of Tourism Industry and Wine Sector, USAID Moldova Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Project.
Moldovan wine representatives will also be present at the “Journey around the vines” event, organised by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, with the support of the Moldovan Embassy in France. The tasting is dedicated to wine industry professionals and journalists. Her Excellency Corina Calugăru, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to the French Republic, will be present at the event.
Moldovan Wine will host wine tastings of the local varieties Feteasca Albă, Feteasca Neagră, Feteasca Regală and Rara Neagră during the events. Participants will learn about wine producers, geographical indication regions, the variety of vine varieties grown in Moldova. The representatives of Moldovan Wine will also encourage participants to visit our country for authentic wine experiences and unique wine tourism itineraries.

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Moldovan wines will be presented at the “Journey around the vines” events in Paris

Paris, France (February, 2023) – Moldovan wine is holding a “Journey around the vines” event in Paris (France) on 9 February. The event is organised by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (ONVV) and the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in France, with financial support from USAID Moldova. The tasting is dedicated to wine industry professionals and journalists.

Her Excellency Corina Călugăru, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to France, will also participate in the event.

The “Journey around the vines” will present the wines of several local producers from our country, including Purcari Winery, Timbrus, Vinăria din Vale, Divus Winery, Casa Vinicolă Luca and Sălcuța Winery.

Representatives of Moldovan Wine will be present at “Journey around the vines”, where they will tell about wine producers, regions with geographical indication, variety of vine varieties grown in the Republic of Moldova. During the event, participants will be encouraged to visit our country for authentic wine experiences.

This is the programme of the event:

19:00-19:05 Speech by the Director General of the OIV, Pau Roca
19:05-19:10 Speech of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to the French Republic, Corina Călugăru
19:10-19:50 Presentation of the Moldovan wine industry by the representatives of the ONVV

The event will take place in the Salles des Acts (OIV) on 9 February 2023, starting at 19:00, at 47 Rue Monge, Dijon (Paris).

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Moldovan wine conquers with its flavor the public of every event it is present at.

Moldovan wine conquers with its flavor the public of every event it is present at. This time, indigenous producers had the opportunity to showcase their wines to importers, distributors, sommeliers and media representatives in the recent Blue of the Danube event in London Go.

Its purpose was to introduce to London specialists wines from indigenous grape varieties from Central and Eastern Europe. More than 50 producers from 8 countries were present at the tasting, with almost 200 visitors i, including several renowned experts in the field, how it would be Lenka Sedlackova MW of Brancroft Wines, Beans Boughton MW of Alliance Wines, Peter McCombie MW renowned wine writer, Sylvia Wu editor of Decanter, alongside shoppers and sommeliers from across London .

Rare Black Academy wines produced by Purcari Winery, Black Girl produced by Asconi and Cabernet Sauvignon & Black Girl of Fautor Winery were offered for tasting by guests during a matsreclass guided by sommelier Caroli not Gilby.

Among the participants supported by ONVV include the companies Radacini , Radacini , NOVAK Winery , Combinatul de Vinuri “CRICOVA” S.A.

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Moldovan producers returned victorious from Canada.

Moldovan producers returned victorious from Canada. This year 64 wines from 26 companies participated, thanks to the financial support of the National Wine and Wine Office, in the Selections Mondials des Vins Canada. The winemakers took home 39 medals, including 3 Grand Or Awards, 29 gold medals and 7 silver medals.

The Grand Or Awards are back to the following wines:

Moscato Dolce Sparkling Wine/ Apriori Wine

The Governor’s First Lady Rose/ Castel Mimi

Aurore Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon/ Fautor Winery

The wines were awarded with gold medals:

Empirico White & Pinot Grey White Dry/ Apriori Wine

Rosato Dolce Sparkling Wine/ Apriori Wine

Maestro Wine Secret Blend Red Semidry/ Apriori Wine

Hysteria / Castel Mimi

The Governor’s Blend/ Castel Mimi

Illustro Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot / Fautor Winery

Early bird / Fautor Winery

Ice Wine Traminer-Muscat Ottonel / Fautor Winery

Glera Brut / Aurelius Winery

Black Feteasca / NOVAK Winery

Individual Black Rare Black Feteasca / Chateau Vartely Winery

Barbaro/Fautor Winery

Illustro Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot / Fautor Winery

Rose/Rose is the best way to go. . Milestii Mici

Ligueur white wine “Ialoveni” Armonios/ Vinăria Ialoveni

Ligueur white wine “Ialoveni” Desert/ Vinăria Ialoveni

Cabernet – Sauvignon, Merlot, Saperavi/ Chateau Cojusna

Selection Vladlen Uzhakov, Feteasca Neagra/ Vinum.md

Black Rare By Purcari / Timbrus Purcari Estate

Saperavi de Purcari / Timbrus Purcari Estate

Grape Angel Chardonnay – Dawn Feast / Imperial Vin Group SRL

Golden Grape Red Dry Wine/ Imperial Vin Group SRL

Cuvée Prestige / Combinatul de Vinuri “CRICOVA” S.A.

Black Feteasca / Combinatul de Vinuri “CRICOVA” S.A.

Pinot Grigio / Combinatul de Vinuri “CRICOVA” S.A.

Cabernet Sauvignon & Feteasca Neagra/ Domeniile Davidescu

Generations of Superavi / Domeniile Davidescu

Pinot Grigio Select/ Salcuta

Rubinus Rarity/Rarity Carlevana

Silver medals returned to the wines:

Maestro Cuvee Blanc Sparkling Wine Brut / Apriori Wine

Maestro Wine Secret Blend Red Semidry/ Apriori Wine

Moonlight / Castel Mimi

Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc/ Fautor Winery

Viorica Totem / Chateau Vartely Winery

Rare Black Saperavi / Black Leather Domeniile Davidescu

White by Rare Meringue / Carlevana

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Wine of Moldova Contest 2022!

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National Wine Day 2022 Aftermovie

Let’s remember the beautiful emotions and quality wines presented during the emblematic event – National Wine Day 2022!

See you again in 2023!

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National Wine Day 2022

My wine brings peace, hate turns in love – is the slogan of the National Wine Day 2022!

The National Wine Day has become an emblematic event for the Republic of Moldova and after a two-year break, it returns with the 21st edition. On the 1st and 2nd of October 2022, the Great National Assembly Square will turn into a wine town and gather over 80 wineries from the whole country.

The program of the event starts on October 1, at 11:00, with the official inauguration ceremony during which the following will be handed out:

…Grand Prize “for special merits in the manufacture of high-quality wines, perpetuation of traditions and excellent quality of local wines, promotion of the image of the Republic of Moldova as a wine-growing country on the international arena”.
…Medal “Petru Ungureanu ” and the title “The most skilled oenologist of the year”.
…The Nicolae GUZUN medal and the title “Winemaker of the year”.

In the evening from 18:00 you will be part of a big day show supported by DJ TERRA BLVCK, Pasha Parfeni, Zdob and Zdub with the Advahov Brothers.

Traditionally, the National Wine Day is the right occasion to celebrate the legends and wine heritage, the successes of Moldavian Wine, to reward the best and to get to know the wine people.

On the 2nd day you will have a wide cultural and educational program, but also a diverse artistic program supported by DJ TERRA BLVCK, the Ștefan Vodă Ensemble, the Osoianu Sisters and the Vali Boghean Band.

During the two days visitors will be able to participate in various cultural activities:

Activities at the “Peasant Court”, where folk craftsmen will offer master classes in pottery, wood carving, carpet weaving, etc.

Within the “Wine School” workshops will be organized dedicated to wine and divine tastings, complemented by training on the responsible consumption of wine.

The wineries in the country will have their doors open for tourists willing to discover the oeno-gastronomic offers and the cultural-artistic treasure of the region.

Come and celebrate together the remarkable result of the work and dedication of over 80 local wine producers

More details on wineday.wineofmoldova.com/en

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#Revincudrag: Plan your route and visits to the country’s wineries! ONVV offers you the first Wine Tourism Guide of Moldova

We hope that soon we will be able to take off and say “ReVin cu drag” (“Happy ReWINEds”) every time we discover the country’s wines, but also the destinations where they are grown, created, carefully preserved and offered to dearest guests: underground wine galleries, cellars that house famous wine collections, wine chateaux, family wineries, local restaurants with traditional and reinterpreted cuisine. But until then we can already plan in detail each of our future adventures, matched with sensory experiences.

We have hundreds of reasons to follow the #Revincudrag call and visit the beloved wineries that have brought us worldwide fame. And in order for the returns to be full of beautiful impressions and emotions, the routes – more colorful, and the planning – more effective, the National Office for Vine and Wine (ONVV) launches the first Wine Tourism Guide of Moldova.

The guide is part of an extensive information campaign about the wine tourism potential of the country and about the wine destinations, with the “ReVin cu drag” slogan, which will be carried out during the summer season. Accompanied by the #Revincudrag dedicated hashtag, the campaign aims to popularize wine tourism nationwide, to attract to the wine cellars and wineries that offer tourist services as many visitors as possible. Thus, in the next period, the potential visitors will find out details about the country’s wineries, about the small family wine businesses, but also about the wine cellars that are going to open their doors this year.

The initiative of the National Office for Vine and Wine takes place in the context in which, due to the ever-increasing quality of Wine of Moldova, dedicated events and centuries-old winemaking traditions, the wine sector has managed to place our country on the world’s tourist map. At the same time, being the largest generator of jobs in rural areas, the industry has been hit hard by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Gheorghe Arpentin, Director, National Office for Vine and Wine: “The National Office for Vine and Wine is a promoter of Moldova as an important destination for wine tourism, and popularizes our wine tourism hospitality, both locally and internationally. In the context of the pandemic, which affects the global wine community, we must unify our efforts to convey even more clearly the message that our country offers not only quality wines, but also unique authentic wine tourism experiences. The ‘ReVin cu drag’ campaign aims to make the wineries from all over the country their touristic offers, but also the wines they produce – known to the world. Thus, we aim to increase the number of local tourists, especially in the summer, when more and more people will want to travel safely, discover new places and get to know the Wine of Moldova. We anticipated the needs of tourists and launched the first Wine Tourism Guide of Moldova – a detailed map of wineries in the country, which includes useful information and advice for those who are already making plans to travel in Moldova.”

The Wine Tourism Guide includes the description, history, offers and travel packages of wineries in the country. Moreover, here you can find the access maps to the wine cellars, the route distances, but also the estimated time needed to reach the destination. Developed in the form of a travel book, the guide is available online, free of charge, on the Wine of Moldova Facebook page starting May 14th and can be downloaded to mobile devices for the users’ convenience.

Start your tourist discoveries now! Browse the Wine Tourism Guide of Moldova, travel virtually to all wineries, find out their legends, know the tourist offer, and when the pandemic period ends, follow the #Revincudrag call and have many Happy ReWINEds!