Moldovan wine
2866516
225180747
2008-07-12T09:10:31Z
Serhio
569400
{{Culture of Moldova}}
'''[[Moldova]]''' has a well established [[wine]] industry. It has a vineyard area of {{convert|147000|ha}}, of which {{convert|102500|ha|abbr=on}} are used for commercial production. Most of the country's wine production is for export. Many families have their own recipes and strands of [[grape]]s that have been passed down through the generations.
==History==
[[Image:Moldova biggest wine cellars.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Milestii Mici - the world's biggest wine cellars]]
[[Fossil]]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 [[Before Christ|BC]], prove that at that time the grapes were already being cultivated. The [[Viticulture|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 end of the 3rd century BC, trading links were established between the local population and the [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] and from 107 [[AD]] with the [[Roman Empire|Romans]], a fact which strongly influenced the intense development of the grapegrowing and winemaking{{Fact|date=May 2008}}.
After the formation of the [[Moldavia|Moldovan feudal state]] in the 14th century, the grapegrowing began to develop and flourished in the 15th century during the kingdom of [[Stephen III of Moldavia|Stephen the Great]], who promoted the import of planting material 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 Empire|Ottoman]] rule, Moldova saw a big decline in grapegrowing, as winemaking was forbidden by law. After the [[Treaty of Bucharest (1812)|Treaty of Bucharest 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|Feteasca Albă]], [[Feteasca Neagră]], Tămâioasa, Cabasia and many others of local, [[Hungarian wine|Hungarian]], [[Bulgarian wine|Bulgarian]], [[Greek wine|Greek]], and Turkish varieties. In this period, the grape growers gained governmental support and by 1837 the vineyard area in [[Bessarabia]] (the territory of today’s Moldova plus the [[Black Sea]] coast) has reached 14,000 hectares, and the wine production has reached 12 million litres <!-- Per year? -->.
[[Image:Riesling Cretoaia.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Most of the vineyards in Moldova are located on south facing slopes]]
The second half of the 19th century has seen an intensive planting of newly introduced [[France|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 had damaged the Moldovan vineyards and the wine industry considerably. The re-establishment of Moldovan vineyards began during [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] years, in the 50’s. 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{{Fact|date=May 2008}}.
==Geography==
[[Image:MoldovanWine.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A couple of Moldovan wine bottles from cellars]]
The Republic of Moldova has 130,000 acres 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 producers==
{{main|Moldovan wine producers}}
[[Image:Lion Gri.jpg|thumb|100px|Chateau Lion Gri]]
Moldova was one of the first countries that launched the production of red sparkling wines. Currently this drink has got muscatel and rose petal aroma, competing successfully on the world market.
There are 142 processing grapes enterprises in Moldova; mostly they are limited partnerships. The wine industry processes about 400 thousand tones of grapes each year. Today, there are 75 bottling lines at 63 enterprises. Moldova also has bottling units in 4 cities of Russia and 3 cities of [[Ukraine]].
*[[Cricova (winery)|Cricova]]
*[[Purcari (winery)|Vinaria Purcari]]
*[[Milestii Mici (winery)|Milestii Mici]]
*[[Acorex (winery)|Acorex Wine Holding]]
*[[Kvint]] - wine and [[brandy]];
''(see the [[Moldovan wine producers|main article]] for a more detailed list)''
==Wine growing regions in Moldova==
In [[Moldova]] four regions for wine growing are to be found:
* [[Balti Wine Region|Balti]] (northern zone)
* [[Codru Wine Region|Codru]] (central zone)
* [[Nistreana Wine Region|Nistreana]] (south-eastern zone) which includes the famous [[Purcari (winery)|Purcari region]].
* [[Cahul Wine Region|Cahul]] (southern zone)
The most important region - [[Cahul Wine 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.
==Grape varieties==
[[Image:Pinot Noir Moldova.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Pinot Noir grows well on the Moldovan hills]]
Moldovan viticulture is characterized by a large variety of grapes, 70% of which are from [[Europe]].
See bellow the structure of vineyards by their varieties<ref>[http://www.vinmoldova.md/eng/section/37/ Grape sorts cultivated]</ref>:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Sort|| Usage
|-
| European sorts || 70%
|-
| Caucasian sorts || 14%
|-
| Domestic sorts || 16%
|}
The most popular white varieties are [[Aligote]], [[Muscat]] (blanc, Ottonel), [[Pinot]] (blanc, gris), [[Chardonnay]], [[Sauvignon]], Feteasca (Leanca), Traminer (blanc, rose), [[Riesling]] (Italian, of Rhine), and [[Silvaner]].
Red varieties include [[Cabernet Sauvignon]], [[Merlot]], [[Pinot Noir]] and [[Malbec]].
===Local varieties===
[[Image:RaraNeagra.jpg|thumb|right|170px|Rara Neagra grapes in a Purcari region vineyard]]
Only a few local varieties can still be found in Moldova today:
*[[Plavay]]: Popular in the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. Now very rare;
*[[Fetească albă]]: White indigenous white variety. Makes crisp, fresh white wines with fine floral aromas;
*[[Fetească neagră]]: Red grape variety;
*[[Fetească regală]]: White. A natural cross between Fetească albă and [[Furmint]];
*[[Rara neagră]]: Used mostly for blending with other varieties, e.g. the famous [[Negru de Purcari]]. Responsible for the fame of the [[Purcari]] wines in the 18th century, before [[Cabernet Sauvignon]] was introduced. Total area planted - 170 hectares mostly in the [[Purcari region]]. Makes dark colored, full bodied red wines with fine red fruit aromas.
===Introduced varieties===
White varieties: [[Chardonnay]], [[Sauvignon Blanc]], [[Aligoté]], [[Pinot Gris]], [[Pinot Blanc]], [[Riesling]], [[Traminer]], [[Muscat]], [[Silvaner]], [[Müller-Thurgau]], [[Rkatsiteli]].
Red varieties: [[Cabernet Sauvignon]], [[Merlot]], [[Pinot Noir]], [[Malbec]], [[Saperavi]], [[Gamay]].
In 2006 [[Syrah]], [[Cabernet Franc]] and [[Petit Verdot]] were conditionally registered for trial.
==Divin==
[[Divin]] - represents the name, patented in the [[Moldova|Republic of Moldova]], of the country's brandy, produced in conformity with the classic technology of [[cognac]] production.
==Cellars==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Milestii Mici Logo.jpg|right|100px]] -->
The Moldovan wine collection "[[Milestii Mici (winery)|Mileştii Mici]]", with 1.5 million bottles, is the largest wine collection in Europe, according to the [[Guinness Book]]. It stretches for 200 km, of which only 50 km are currently in use.
== See also ==
*[[Moldovan wine producers]]
== References ==
<references/>
1. ЭНЦИКЛОПЕДИЯ Виноградарства, Кишинёв, Главная редакция Молдавской Советской Энциклопедии, 1986
== External links ==
*[http://www.vinmoldova.md/eng/ www.vinmoldova.md - All about Moldavian wines];
*[http://en.vinclub.md/ www.vinclub.md - the site of the only Moldovan wine magazine - VINCLUB];
*[http://www.winemoldova.com/ www.winemoldova.com - contains information on Moldovan wineries, the history of winemaking in Moldova, wine industry news and some outdated statistics].
*[http://www3.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Moldova/documents/Wine%20Industry.pdf Moldovan wine industry review]
{{Wines}}
{{Wine by country|Moldova}}
[[Category:Wines by country|Moldova]]
[[Category:Moldovan culture]]
[[Category:Moldovan wine]]
[[bg:Лозарство Молдова]]
[[de:Weinbau in Moldawien]]
[[fr:Vignoble de Moldavie]]
[[io:Vit-kulturo Moldova]]
[[it:Viticoltura in Moldova]]
[[nl:Wijnbouw in Republiek Moldavië]]
[[ru:Молдавские вина]]
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