Moldova is the largest wine-growing region in Romania and one of the largest in Europe. The nine vineyards and the eight independent wine-growing centres occupy the predominantly hilly-hilly area between the Subcarpathians of Moldavia, the curving Carpathians, the Prut valley and the lower Siret valley. Moldova’s vineyards produce a wide range of wine products, from still and sparkling wines to ageing wines.

Main varieties

White: Aligoté, Grey bib, Chardonnay, Cramposie, Cramposie selectionata, Feteasca alba, Feteasca regala, Francuse, Galbena de Odobesti, Grasa de Cotnari, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot gris, Plavaie, Riesling de Rhin, Riesling italiano, Rkatiteli, Sauvignon, Sarba, Tamaioasa romaneasca, Traminer blanc, Traminer rose, Zghihara de Husi and new varieties : Aromat de Iasi, Golia, Miorita, Ozana, Raluca, Unirea, Donaris

Reds: Busuioaca de Bohotin

Black: Black beetle, Burgundy, Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Blackcurrant, Merlot, Pinot noir, Syrah and new varieties: Arcas, Balada, Codana, Aromatic Black

Geographical indications

• D.O.P. Iasi
• PDO Husi (sden Vutcani)
• D.O.P. Bohotin
• D.O.P. Cotnari
• PDO Dealu Bujorului
• D.O.P. Panciu
• D.O.P. Odobesti
• D.O.P. Cotesti
• D.O.P. Iana
• I.G.P. Hills of Moldova
• I.G.P. Vrancei Hills

History

The great Roman historiographer and cartographer, Dimitrie Cantemir, referring to viticulture and wine, wrote in his "Descriptio Moldaviae" [2]: "all the other riches of the land are surpassed by the choice vineyards, spread over a long strip between Cotnari and the Danube." Or "These vineyards are not only of use to the natives of the country for their needs, but the low price attracts here Russian, Lesi and even Hungarian merchants, who bring to them in the country year after year, more wine." The Cotnari assortment is notorious, consisting of Cotnari fat, White feteasca, Tamaioasa romaneasca and Francuse, which, in good years, is produced from botrytised grapes and rivals any high-class sweet wine in the world. At international exhibitions and competitions in Vienna (1873), Budapest (1884), Paris (1889), Cotnari wines won numerous diplomas, medals and other distinctions. Marco Bandinus wrote in 1646: "Husul, an ancient settlement of Moldavian vineyards, produces a tasty, aromatic and much sought-after wine".

Terroir

Relief: eastern subcarpathian hills, depressions, plateaus, along the Prut and Siret rivers; Pante line, sunny; Exhibition:: N-V, S, S-E; Altitude: 100-500 m; G [1]: argic, cambic, gleic and vertic cernozome, luvosol, alluviosol, stagnosol, rarely solonet; Multiannual average temperature: 9,0-9,5oC; Precipitation: 380-550 mm multi-year average; Over 30 tropical days annual; winters cold and cool (31-50 days annually). 2000-2100 hours of sunshine annually. Climate extremes are due to cryvates (bringing temperatures below -20oC), affecting unburied vineyards, sometimes late frosts lasting several consecutive days, hail, heavy rains causing flooding by overflowing streams. In the early spring and late fall months it leaves the morningceata fine, non-persistent, microclimates characterized as rather dry. Autumns are long, warm and sunny, characteristics that often favour the appearance of noble rot on grapes.

Sources:

1. Toti, M.; Dumitru, Sorina; Vlad, V.; Eftene, Alina – Soil atlas of Romanian vineyard (2017), Ed. Terra Nostra, Iasi
2. https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descriptio_Moldaviae
3. www.onvpv.ro