Cricova looks to buy vineyards

The biggest wine producer in the Republic of Moldova, Cricova, still owned by the Moldovan state as national patrimony, plans to acquire a vineyard in Romania and to build a wine cellar, after having entered the Romanian market with sales in full gear this year.

a??The plan stipulates the acquisition over the next few years of 100 hectares of land for grapevine plantations and the construction of a medium-sized wine cellar. This year, we have entered the premium segment of fine wines on the Romanian market with a high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon red dry wine and a Cabernet and Merlot blend. Moreover, we have brought onto the market a champagne made in line with the champenoise method, as Cricova has the right to produce champagne because it got a licence from Francea??, says Dan Ciobanu, general manager with Cricova Distribution Romania. He says that Moldovan wines are produced in line with a winemaking technique that is different from the Romanian one.

a??Ita??s about the way blends are made and about wine storage techniques. We have decided to enter the premium segment and then, depending on the reaction, to enter the other segments of the market as wella??, says Ciobanu.

This yeara??s sales forecasts on the Romanian market point to 40,000 bottles (120,000 euros). Moldovan wine producers dominate the Russian market of which they hold about 70% and where Romanian wines used to be in high demand.

Unfortunately, after 1989, Romanian wines have lost contact with this huge market that is now being eyed by all the worlda??s major players, with Romaniaa??s place being taken over by wines produced by the Republic of Moldova, which benefited from a preferential regime in its relationship with Moscow. Paradoxically, the Republic of Moldova has been for many years the top importer of Romanian wine, with investors of this country buying Romanian wine and bottling it under the a??Made in Moldovaa?? label, only to later sell it on the Russian market.