Wine Law

470 WINE LAW geographical indication. In the Republic of Moldova are cultivated white grapes varieties (i.e. Rkatsiteli , Sauvignon Blanc , Chardonnay and Aligote ) in a proportion of 70% of the area and of 30% for red varieties (i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot , Pinot Noir and Saperavi ), specific to the southern regions. Local varieties represent around 10% of the total cultivated area, ensuring the authenticity and uniqueness of Moldavian wine; these include Feteasca Albă , Feteasca Regala , Feteasca Neagră , Rara Neagră , Plăvaie , and Viorica . a) Purcari The vineyards of Purcari cover an area of over 200 hectares on the southwest and southeast slopes of the Black Sea and the Dniester River, where the ideal conditions, including a unique microclimate, are created to produce the highest quality wines. Purcari wines are the Republic of Moldova’s most important business card, being known in Europe since the 1800s, receiving the gold medal at the 1878 Paris World Fair. Moreover, Purcari wines have also been consumed by the Russian Tsar’s family as well as the English royal court. b) Cricova The Cricova vineyard is the largest in the Republic of Moldova, covering about 600 hectares. The wine processing and maturation are done in underground galleries (Cricova underground city), with a total length of 120 kilometres (over 265 square kilometres), located at a depth of 60-80 meters. Wines rest here at constant temperatures around 13°C and a relative humidity of 97%-98%. Cricova is one of the few producers in the world that produces sparkling wines according to the classic French method, invented by the famous monk Dom Pierre Perignon – the “ Méthode Champenoise ”, by secondary fermentation in glass and subsequent maturation cuvée in a horizontal position for at least three years. c) Mile ș tii Mici The Milestii Mici winery has about 135 hectares of its vineyard, where both international and local grapes varieties are cultivated, for instance, Pinot , Traminer , Muscat , Riesling , Feteasca , Dnestrovskoe , Milestskoe , Codru , Trandafirul Moldovei and Gold . As in Crivova, here too the wine is processed and stored in underground calcareous galleries with a total length of 200 kilometres and in which there is a constant temperature of 12°C-14°C and relative humidity of 80%-85%.