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A Special International Report Prepared byThe Washington Times Advertising Department
Published on April 22, 1999
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Advertisers (1) VictoriaBank
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Wine is king The wine and spirits industry is the crown jewel of Moldovan agribusiness. In fact, the Moldovan wine industry started 4,000 years before in France. Today, there are 150 wineries producing 3-4 million hectoliters annually, Ten factories produce 800,000 hectoliters of sparkling wine and 200,000 hectoliters of brandy. Wineries in Australia, France Germany and the Netherlands have established joint-venture agreements with wine producers. In September 1995, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) credited the industry with $30 million to improve bottling facilities. Wine is very competitive regionally in both quality and price. At a 1993 wine competition in Bordeaux, France Moldovan dry wines swept every award except the most coveted Grand Prix. The industry suffered between 1985 and 1992 during Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaigns, causing a period of under-investment. New investment has enabled vintners to take control of the entire production process. The industry no longer has to import bottles, corks, labels and cartons. According to the Development and Foreign Investment Agency, in 1997 Moldova exported 25 million bottles in 1997 amounting to 7 percent share of the European market. Exports to western countries should reach 40 million bottles next year. Sales to the United States where one million bottles were sold last year are also increasing. Moldovan wines are imported to the United States by Oak Ridge Importers in Illinois. The industry is trying to increase sales and investment by organizing wine delegations to the United States, Japan and Australia. Recently, such a delegation visited Washington, D.C. Moldova also is home to Cricova, the largest wine cave in the world. Stretching over 60 kilometers underground, Cricova carries 648 varieties of wine. |
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Table of Contents (1) Moldova: a 'model of democracy' |
