Moldovan wine: Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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For many years viticulture and winemaking in Moldova were the general occupation of the population. Evidence of this is in historical memorials and documents, folklore, and the Moldovan spoken language. The historic development of the territory has been inseparably linked with the development of winemaking, and includes several periods. |
For many years viticulture and winemaking in [[Moldova]] were the general occupation of the population. Evidence of this is in historical memorials and documents, folklore, and the Moldovan spoken language. The historic development of the territory has been inseparably linked with the development of winemaking, and includes several periods. |
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* '''Prehistoric period''' |
* '''Prehistoric period''' |
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Revision as of 07:06, 26 September 2005
History
For many years viticulture and winemaking in Moldova were the general occupation of the population. Evidence of this is in historical memorials and documents, folklore, and the Moldovan spoken language. The historic development of the territory has been inseparably linked with the development of winemaking, and includes several periods.
* Prehistoric period
Moldova was the most ancient wine producer. Wild vineyards were well known on land territory since eneolit times, 7,000 years ago.
A winemaking culture existed in the period of Tripoly. On earthenware crockery shards ( 2,700 - 3,000 B.C.) two clear marks of vine grains were found, and one belonged to cultural sort.
Ancient occupations on this territory were wine producing or vine processing.
* Antique period
About 2,500 years ago Greek colonists acquainted the local population with the culture of wine-making. There is evidence for this from an archeological dig on the land territory. Winemaking was a key industry of the ancient Greek economy. Then began the "industrial" (concerning these times), wine production for home consumption and for changing into other products.
There was a new impulse in the evolution of winemaking during the time of prosperity of the Roman Empire, when the Moldovan territory of today was occupied by the Romans. This has a great influence and is confirmed by the extant terminology.
* Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages a peculiar wine cult was established among the Moldovan boyars. It provided an additional impulse in wine-making development: large areas were taken for vines, winemaking technology improved, and the cellar household developed. There was a special establishment at the ruler’s court which oversaw vines and winemakers. The first cup-bearer (Paharnic) answered for wine quality.
From the XIV century wine export to Poland and Muscovy was well in hand. There was no stop to wine export during Turkish rule (XV – XVIII). Wine was supplied to Ukraine. From this period Moldovan history as a permanent wine and wine materials exporter began. The rise of Christianity also promoted the development of winemaking. Wine was used in devotions and day-to-day existence. The Church made great demands for wine as stated in the church "Missal", which was published in 1699 (cloister in Moscow today orders Purcarian wines).
Unfortunately the volume in which wine was produced is not known, but it was the object of exchange and trade, and brought the principality a great income.
* Later and latest time
A new stage in winemaking began after the annexation of Moldova to Russia in 1812, when the Russian nobility began to "acquire vine estates" and imported modern vine sorts from France. This testifies to the developing dynamics of the winemaking branch (Moldova took first place in wine producing in Russia (50%). If there were 13,000 dessiatinas of vine and these produced 1 million pails of wine in 1837, then in 1900 there were about 74,000 dessiatinas, which produced 15 million. 10 million went for export, including to France, which in those times suffered a shortage of wine through a loss of vines.
Then winemaking microzones clarified themselves, which gave wines conciliated beyond the bounds of Moldova. For example, the Purcarian microzone in the Bender district was well-known for red wines the century before last. The high quality of the wines was noted by a gold medal at the International Parisian Exhibition in 1878. The royal family bought it to their throne through the Appanage department. As early as the XIX century the wine Negru de Purcari was supplied to the United Kingdom. At the end of the century the royal family founded its own winery, Romaneshti, in honor of the Romanov family. The wine quality is well-known. Romaneshti was given to the throne of the Russian Empire, and to many other European Empire thrones.
In the beginning of the XIX century, P.K. Kazimir, who was the best of the Bessarabian wine-makers, visited France and brought French vineyards. At his estate near the village Mileshti Michi he founded new vine plantations. On the estate territory the coquina mine was deserted, which was used as estate cellars.
On the initiative of the governor-general of Novorossiysk, Earl M.S. Vorontsov, colonists invited by the tsarist government began to cultivate "Geto desert" or "Budjac steppe". Brothers Covaliotty wineries, which had good equipment, produced wines which took two gold medals in the Bessarabian agricultural exhibition in 1903. Their two-tier cellars on 30 thousand pails are preserved until our days. Vine culture was so high that in 1914 a vine show was organized here.
With Vorontsov's assistance a college was opened in Stavcheni in 1842. It was the first educational institution in the winemaking sphere in Moldova on the base of a botanical garden. College professors stood at the beginning of Crimean "Magarach".
Neither revolution nor war could destroy the traditions and vine culture. Just as in 1950 the wineries began to be restored, in 1960 the mines and cellars were recalled. Adits and cellars were united, extended, strengthened. Today Cricova, Milestii Mici, and Branesti are the biggest wine depositories in Republic. These are whole cities with streets spreading over thousands of kilometers, where sparkling wines lie and more than 30 thousands tons vintage vine materials and more than 2 millions collection bottles are kept.
Production of semidry and semisweet wines in Moldova began at the beginning of the 1960s. Trying to satisfy demand for its nearest neighbors, the Ministry of Industry of the USSR demanded the development and introduction of new wine grades. These wines rapidly captured the minds and purses of the mass of Soviet consumers, and demand for the wines has been great to the present day. Successful is appropriate, as they differ by the moderate content of alcohol and sugar that give the wines a lightness and freshness. And the fruit shades in their aroma have different nuances.
Thus Moldovan winemaking took a new developmental impulse from 1960 to 1980 of the XX century. At that time vine plantations and production assortment branched out. Moldova became the general wine supplier to the USSR market. Every second wine bottle and every third champagne bottle were produced in Moldova from Moldovan vine materials.
In the period of wine-making prosperity, the territory under vineyard consisted of 220 thousand hectares, yielding about 1,140 thousand tons of vine, and producing about 42 million deciliters of wine. At the same time there was a separation of viticulture from winemaking, and also primary winemaking (vine processing) from secondary (tillage, keeping custody, tenacity and bottling). That became pledge of mass production.
In the middle of the 80s of last century Moldovan wine-making was hard hit by "Prohibition", when tens of hectares of vineyard were grubbed up, and in the context of the struggle with alcoholism destroyed valuable wine. This national tragedy caused not only cultural but economic damage. Production areas decreased three times.
Beginning from 90s, the revival and quality development of winemaking industry in Moldova become the main factor of successful economy developing.
Winemaking companies began to develop rapidly. A union of primary and secondary winemaking occurred. This is a quality pledge of final product. At the current time a union of winemaking and viticulture is taking place.
Today companies of the winemaking industry invest not only in modern technologies, but also in vine planting, providing stability and a high-level of wine quality.
Current state of the Moldovan winemaking industry
The winemaking sector is one of the most important in Moldova, a traditional wine producer for many years. 25% of the country’s exports and 9% of its gross output pertain to winemaking. This sector includes 25% of industrial working resources. Moldovan vineyards occupy 2.3% of the world’s territory planted with vineyards. About 147 thousand hectares and 7.4% of all Moldovan agricultural lands are set for plantations. In 2001 Moldova was ninth place in the world in wine export volume, exporting more than 90% of its wine production.
More than 120 companies in Moldova export wine, with sales of USD 171 million in 2002. The export volume in money and cost rises 15% annually on average. This speaks to the development of the sector and improvement in product quality.
The main export market for Moldovan wine is the traditional market of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), although in recent years there has been a tendency for export markets to diversify. 90% of Moldovan wine product sales are realized in the CIS. From 90% of Moldovan winemaking production sold in CIS-countries 81% is exported to Russia, which is about 19 million deciliters with cost of USD 135 million.
This can be explained as follows: the Russian material base and productive capacity do not allow for adequate wine production to satisfy consumer demand. Also several large Russian companies invest their money in Moldovan winemaking industry, thus providing a stable wine market in Russia.
The second largest export volume of wine by country goes to Byelorussia, with a volume of 2.5 million deciliters (USD 14 million). Ukraine is third by export volume. In 2002 the country was supplied with 1.16 million deciliters of wine (USD 11.5 million).
Other regions to which Moldovan product is exported are the USA, Canada, Germany, the UK and the countries of Eastern Europe (such as the Czech Republic and Poland).
The Moldovan winemaker’s art and consistency of quality have been confirmed by various prestigious awards from international competitions in Russia, Europe and America, such as the "Chardonnay of the World", the Bordeaux competition, "Muscat of World" (France), and international wine competitions (the UK and Germany) and many others.
Moldova’s reputation as a wine-producing country always provokes the interest of foreign investors considering opportunities for investment. It also interests those competing with Moldovan producers for market share, as well as potential foreign distributors of Moldovan wine products.
Strategic planning and the active participation of Moldovan companies in the largest international competitions, exhibitions and other projects allow a broadening of the export geography and an increase in the level of production quality.
The way of wine in the Republic of Moldova
The variety of wine-vineyard production in Moldova (grapes, must, juices, soft and alcoholic drinks, different wines, distillates, etc.) stimulates an intense interest on the part of Moldovan visitors. Moldova is known as a country with old traditions in grape-growing and wine production, which is why it attracts more and more attention from tourists, businessmen and wine-production specialists.One can add the culture of grape-growing to the richness and variety of the Moldovan landscape, the numerous museums of natural resources, picturesque churches and monasteries with their original architecture.
There are wine routes for tourists in Moldova, including the well-known old cellars, underground galleries, and wine collections of famous wine producers (Cricova, Milestii Mici, Cojusna, Peresecena and others). The tasting rooms of many of the wine-producing companies and scientific-educational centers of the country are really magnificent and beautiful (National College of Wine and Vineyards, National Institute of Wine and Vineyards).
In addition to this there are many interesting natural-geographical and historic-archeological objects in [[Moldova], which provide pleasant pastimes: hunting, fishing, excursions, etc.
The state program for the promotion of tourism on "the way of wine" in Moldova will be introduced through national festivals and wine exhibitions as well as by Moldovan participation in the foreign festivals and exhibitions. There information about our wine-producing potential will be distributed through the mass media, internet, diplomatic missions and transnational organizations. During this program albums and catalogues will be published and an advertising film about wine-making in Moldova will be issued.
It should be mentioned that in several cases the practice of wine tourism in Moldova has passed ahead of the theory. According to the prearranged data, more than 8,800 foreigners (including about 2,000 visitors observing visa conditions) visited Moldova with the goal of tourism last year. This fact provided an increase in winemaking industrial indexes for a quarter. If we add approximate data about visitors who have not used the services of tourist agencies, the number of the republic’s guests will increase to about 13,000 and more. And it should also be stated that no less than a half visited one of Moldova’s wine-producing industry objects.
At present there are nine tasting rooms in wine-making enterprises which receive the foreign guests. In addition there are cases of classic agrotourism in the Moldovan villages of Truseni, Butuceni, Sadova, Tzypovo and others, where a number of municipal homes offer their services to foreign guests.
Quality
Moldovan wine is organic and it’s old said a recent report that sampled everything from 73’s to 90's. A point to note is that any Moldovan wine bottled before 1991 is a product of the USSR.. The wines easily outpaced the best wines produced in France and Germany. Since this report things have changed a little as some fumigants are now used.