Moldova is a wonderful paradise. For thousands of years, grapes have been grown here and made wine, which has become a real symbol of the country.
Wine classification
Moldavian wines are the visiting card of the country. As you know, in countries that have long been engaged in winemaking such as Germany, Italy, France, Spain wine is called a drink that is obtained as a result of fermentation of grape berries. In Moldova, this drink is also obtained through the fermentation of apple juice.
The classification of wines in the republic is carried out according to economic, social and technological characteristics.
By the method of processing emit: blending, sepage and high-quality drinks.
A mixture of varietal wines in strict proportions leads to the formation of blending drinks. And the joint fermentation process of completely different varieties determines the production of seperate types of products. Absolutely all of these technologies are used by Moldovan winemakers.
Wine classification by color and aging
Moldavian wines are traditionally classified by color: red, pink and white. All of these species are produced in the country.
Moreover, drinks are distinguished by their quality characteristics, and by the timing of their exposure. This is an ordinary and high-quality product. Ordinary young wines are ordinary drinks. They are usually sold in the crop year. As for high-quality varieties, they are divided into mature (they are kept in the container for at least six months) and collection (they are kept for at least two and a half years).
According to the production technology, I distinguish between natural and special (produced using special techniques) drinks.
As you know, the MOU (International Wine Organization) is of the opinion that the product is simply required to maintain its historical names with respect to the territory where it is made. For example, champagne can only be called a drink that is produced in the province of Champagne in France.
For the sake of the international convention, Moldovan wines have alternative names, so as not to use protected brands. For instance:
- Sherry - Ialoveni film drink.
- Wine port wine - a heated drink with access to a minimum amount of oxygen Prometeu.
- Madera is a heat-treated wine with Luceafur oxygen access.
- Vermouth is a flavored drink of Mireazma Codrului.
- Sauternes - Nectar white dessert wine .
What are Moldovan wines famous for?
Absolutely all Moldavian wines have a great taste and have proven themselves at international exhibitions. They are popular far beyond the borders of the Republic. We will consider some of them.
Dry wines of Moldova are characterized by lightness, sophistication and originality. Moreover, often they are not inferior in quality to foreign drinks. Therefore, you should definitely try Moldovan wines, the price will please you. Some, strangely enough, consider them a cheaper replacement for drinks from Western countries. However, this is wrong and unfair. More affordable wine prices do not at all indicate their poor quality.
On the contrary, they would not have become so popular outside the country if they had poor characteristics. Let us recall the most popular drinks: Aligote “Onesti”, “Moldavian” wine, “Dnieper White”, “Floyara Wii”, “Romanesti”, “Traminer”, “Alb de Codru”, “Sylvaner”, “Negru de Purcari”, “Gratieschte”, “Sauvignon de Hincesti”, Cabaret “Chumai”.
Negro de Purcari
“Negru de Purcari” is considered one of the best dry red wines of Moldova, not inferior in quality to the more famous and expensive foreign brands. The name of the drink was received at the place of production, located on the right coast of the Dniester in the village of Purkary. For its manufacture, grapes grown in this district are used. It grows very well here, accumulating a large amount of sugar.
"Negru de Purcari" is a blended wine that is made from several varieties: cabernet-sauvignon, saperavi, rara nyagre. Moreover, cabernet in the drink is present up to sixty percent. Experts say that this is a great basis for the original wine. But sapreravi and rara nyagra give freshness and softness at the same time, contributing to a beautiful bouquet that has a light blackcurrant tone. The taste is velvety and tender. This wine has received international recognition. It is even delivered to the royal English court. The price of such wine from the 1987 harvest is more than seven thousand rubles.
White wines of Moldova
Some of the dry white wines of Moldova are made from the “fetaska” grape variety. The best of them have been repeatedly noted at international competitions: "Floara viy", "Floryaska". Since the variety "fetashka" ripens very quickly, the drinks made from it are also ripe. In the second year of aging, they acquire their best qualities, and by the fifth year, almost all of them lose. They become rather mediocre, having lost the fullness of the bouquet. Connoisseurs are well aware that the long aging of such wine on etiquette should alert, and it is in no way worth buying such a drink.
Cricova Cabernet
This is dry red wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a deep red color. The bouquet contains tones of vanilla, spices, notes of green pepper, soft cheese, oak, dried berries of black currant. The taste is very light and has a fruity hue with a long finish.
Such a drink should be served with fatty meat or venison dishes, chilled to eighteen degrees.
Real connoisseurs and gourmets prefer the Cricova Cabernet of the eighty-seventh year. Of course, such a drink is more expensive than other Moldavian wines, but the taste characteristics justify such a price. This wine has one minor drawback in the form of a slightly increased acidity, but similar is found in other collection wines of Moldova. Otherwise, this drink deserves only praise.
Taste characteristics of aligote
Wine - original, made in Moldova since ancient times. The best crops are harvested in the central zone. The color of the drink ranges from very light green to golden. The wine has a pleasant taste with the smell of wildflowers, violets. Moldavian aligote - a wine characterized by freshness and balance.
In general, Aligote grape drinks are distinguished by their lightness, freshness and harmonious taste. The price of wine ranges from six hundred rubles to twenty thousand, depending on the year of harvest and the origin of the grapes. The drink is usually aged two years.
Isabel
Moldavian wine Isabella is made from the same grape variety. It has a characteristic taste that cannot be confused with anything.
Initially, this grape variety was brought from America to Europe and became quite widespread precisely as a wine variety. It was also impressive that he was resistant to all sorts of diseases to which these plants are susceptible. In the post-Soviet space, "isabella" is common in Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, Moldova and the Krasnodar Territory. Fine red table drinks are made from this variety. They are slightly colored and have a characteristic smack of strawberries. True, this wine quickly ages and loses its color. Table wines from this variety have a characteristic pink color and a wonderful aroma.
Pricing policy is different. For example, the cost of the isabella from the series “Hills of Moldova” is from four hundred and fifty rubles. But the semisweet Case Mare will cost more than a thousand.
Vermouth
The name “vermouth” itself comes from the German word “wormwood”. The composition of the ingredients of this drink may include more than twenty types of herbs, but the presence of tart and sultry wormwood is a prerequisite. Flavored wines in ancient times were considered healing. One of the most popular among such drinks in the USSR was considered the "Bouquet of Moldova." Initially, for its production all the necessary herbs and aromatic additives were brought from Italy. A few years later, Moldovan winemakers switched to local herbs.
Currently, “Bouquet of Moldova” somehow lost its position in the market - either due to lack of advertising, or for other reasons. Although previously was the undisputed favorite. Even local connoisseurs of vermouth now more likely to take a martini, although the native vermouth, whose price is lower, is not inferior in taste. It is also impressive how many herbs are used in its preparation: mint, chamomile, linden, coriander, clover, and many others. All this is about twenty species. And of course, wormwood, without which a vermouth can not be imagined.
Having wonderful taste characteristics, vermouth, the price of which starts at fifty rubles, may well compete with foreign brands.
Instead of an afterword
Of course, Moldovan wines deserve the attention of admirers and connoisseurs of this wonderful drink. Moreover, they have good quality and affordable prices. And you can not discount the hundred-year-old traditions in winemaking.