The Republic of Moldova is a country with a strong wine heritage. It is said that the presence of vines here can be traced back to the Cenozoic era, around 70 million years ago.

Join me in discovering some fascinating things to know about wine from Moldova.

Wine regions in Moldova

Main grape varieties in Moldova

Interesting facts about wine in Moldova

Bonus: My top 3 wines from Moldova 

Wine Regions in Moldova

There are 4 wine regions in the country and they are classified as PGI (Protected Geographic Indication). Due to the diversity of climate, soil, and topography in Moldova, each region is well-suited to producing wine in several styles. Nevertheless, each region shines brightly for the production of a particular style.

1. Codru 

This region is at the heart of Moldova and it borders with Romania to the West and Ukraine to the East. It has a continental climate with mild, short winters and long warm summers. 

This area has many hills, valleys and cliffs and predominantly has a black soil called chernozem. This region is well known for the production of high-quality sparkling and white wines. Around 63% of the region is covered with white grape varieties.

See below a chart that indicates the number of hectares of each variety.

2. Ștefan Vodă 

This region is located south of Codru (in the southeast of Moldova) and borders Ukraine. Over the years it has earned a reputation for its red wines. This area receives plenty of sunshine, usually around 310 to 320 sunny days a year. Ștefan Vodă has a variation of altitude and aspect. It also receives the influence from 3 rivers, Dniester, Botna and Cogâlnic, along with their tributaries. Loam and clay soils are predominant in this area; their richness in iron enables the production of good-quality wine in the region. Black grape varieties cover around 57% of the area while grape varieties account for 43% of the space.

3 . Valul Lui Traian 

This wine region is located in the southern part of Moldova, bordering Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east. It has a continental climate moderated by the black sea. Overall, the region has a 60% proportion of red grape plantings. Valul Lui Traian has 3 sub-regions, each with a specific climate, soil and diversity of landscape like plain lands, river terraces or forests. It also has a diversity of aspects and it is influenced by 3 rivers, Prut, Lalpug and Cahul. It has a geological structure dating from the tertiary era, presenting layers of clay, sand and marine sediments. We can find a diverse range of styles of wine here, including white, red, and rosé, as well as sparkling and liqueur wines. In particular, liqueur wines shine in the micro-zones of Trifești, Ciumai and Plopi.

4. Divin

This PGI is specific for wine spirits and covers the whole country of Moldova. A wine spirit is a beverage produced by the distillation of wine (for example, French Cognac). The rules of the Divin PGI require that the spirits produced here are aged for at least 3 years in oak. 

Based on the ageing time, wine spirits can be classified into 4 categories:

• V.S. (Very Special) – requires a minimum ageing of 3 years 
• V.S.O.P. (Very Super Old Pale) – minimum ageing of 5 years 
• X.O. (Extra Old) – minimum ageing of 7 years