Moldovan wine increasingly oriented towards the West

Moldavian wine is very unknown in the Netherlands. That is understandable but actually unjustified. Because Moldova is a real wine country. Wine has been made there for thousands of years. Previously, it mainly went to Moscow. Nowadays, Moldavian wineries prefer to look to the West. They try to make wines that mainly match our taste.

Moldovan wine history is already five thousand years old. Moldovan viticulture flourished during the famous reign of Stefan cel Mare in the 14th and 15th centuries. But Moldova reached its greatest peak in the 19th century. Winegrowers were actively supported by the government. Winegrowers made an international splash. Moldova's reputation as a producer of very refined wines was established. After years of the Soviet Union, not much of that remains. But Moldova is slowly but surely on the way back.

Grape varieties in Moldova

Many of the Moldovan vineyards are planted with well-known French grapes. Not many, but increasingly more, indigenous varieties are grown, such as Rara Neagră, Fetească Albă, Viorica, Floricica, Alb de Onițcani and Fetească Neagră. The Moldovan wine market is dominated by a few large-scale wineries. They work together in the Moldovan Wine Guild and sell their wines far beyond the country's borders.

The vineyards are located in a rolling landscape at the same latitude as Bordeaux. About a tenth of the country is covered with them. No other European country comes close to this high percentage. It was an idea of ​​the former Soviet Union. The Russians recognized the potential of Moldova as a wine country. They significantly expanded the number of vineyards and had gigantic wine cellars built. For the country's (poor) economy, wine growing is therefore one of the most important sectors.

A large part of Moldovan wine goes to Russia. Moldovan wine is still a household name there. The cellars of the Kremlin are apparently still full of prestigious Moldovan wines. During the communist era, quantity was more important than quality, but the party bosses in Moscow managed to arrange a few Moldavian exceptions for themselves. Moldavian wines are also in great demand in neighbouring countries Romania and Ukraine.

The future of Moldavian wine

Moldova has everything you could wish for as a wine country. The soil, an ideal climate, the cooling of the Black Sea and centuries of experience. But the country still struggles with poverty, bureaucracy and, above all, an unknown image. It is questionable whether there will be a breakthrough to Western Europe soon.

For a long time, Moldova seemed to lack a 'unique selling point'. The Moldavians can make excellent wines from French grapes. The large wineries from Chile, Australia and Argentina can do that too. That makes it difficult to compete. The increasing transport costs are now playing into the hands of the Moldavians. Moreover, it is more sustainable to get the wine from less far away. The lack of typical Moldavian indigenous grapes is compensated by winemakers who promote Viorica, Rara Neagra, Floricica and Alb de Onitiani. More and more Moldavian wineries are now able to sell their wines in Western European countries. Their wines are well received.