This is what good wine from the Copceac grape tastes like

The Copceac grape is a very rare Moldovan wine. Copceac produces vibrant, violet-red, slightly floral red wines with a medium body, in which notes of elderberries, blueberries, cherries, and dried bell peppers are discernible.

Check out our wine made from Copceac grapes

Copceac is a very little-known Moldovan grape variety. In the 1960s and 1970s, Copceac was considered a valuable grape for winemaking. At that time, it was planted in southern Moldova and the Odessa region of Ukraine. But since then, it has fallen into oblivion and almost completely disappeared from the vineyards of the region.

It is a small miracle that wine is being made from Copceac again. In the collection of the National Institute of Grapevine and Wine in Moldova, only a single Copceac vine miraculously survived a fire – and with that vine began the revival of the variety. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

The wine was revived a few years ago thanks to the efforts of Gheorghe Gaberi, who is committed to reviving old Moldovan grape varieties, together with winemaker Andrei Novak, who has also built a considerable reputation for reviving forgotten Moldovan grape varieties. He makes wine from, for example, Alb de Onitcan and Floricica. He is currently (still) the only winemaker to produce a 100% Copceac wine.

In Moldova, Copceac is compared to Rara Neagră, to which it is, incidentally, not related. The skins of Copceac are slightly thicker than those of Rara Neagră, giving the wine a deeper color. The grapes are also slightly larger. Copceac is frost-resistant, can withstand temperatures down to -23°C, and has average resistance to major diseases. This makes it interesting for winemakers who work in a continental climate.

The expectation is that the Copceac will gain in popularity in the coming decades and become a formidable competitor for the Rara Neagră.

We currently have one wine made from the Copceac grape in our range. You can view our Copceac wine here.