Wine Year 2022: Assessments and perspectives to expand the visibility of Moldovan Wine on the international market

Winemakers from Moldova met in the sixth edition of the National Conference of the Viticulture Chain, organized on March 31 by the National Office of Vine and Wine, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and USAID as a strategic development partner, for to discuss the challenges and results of the “Year of Wine 2022”. This year’s edition of the Conference is marked by the 10-year jubilee of the country brand Vinul Moldovei. The conference presented perspectives and sustainability assessments for the 2022 wine year.

During the event, the winemakers referred in particular to the challenges faced by the Moldovan wine sector in the context of the crisis caused by the war in the region, but also to the new global sustainability trends in terms of the wine sector and the necessary actions to be undertaken for to increase the visibility of Moldovan Wine on the international market.

According to the information presented by ONVV, the 2022 harvest was generous, and the volume of wine produced increased by 12% compared to the previous year, reaching a total amount of 19 million decalitres, including raw material for distillates. It also increased the number of grapes processed by about 13%, reaching 280 thousand tons of grapes, with an average wine grape harvest of about 5.5 tons/grape, varying between 4.0-14.5 tons/ Ha.

At the same time, ONVV found that in 2022 wine exports (bulk wine and bottled wine) decreased by 14% compared to the previous year, reaching 10.4 million decaliters, the lowest volume recorded in the last 10 years. The value of wine exports decreased by 9%, reaching 2,790 billion Moldovan lei.

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Elizaveta Breahnă, interim director of ONVV, stated that “the year 2022 continued to be challenging in all areas, including for the wine sector in the Republic of Moldova. The global crises, the war in Ukraine, and the unfavorable weather conditions made us find solutions to reinvent ourselves and look for opportunities to promote the value of national pride – the Wine of Moldova. However, I can say with pride and admiration that despite the challenges and difficulties faced by the country’s winegrowers and winemakers, the quality of the wines is excellent. The priority of the National Vine and Wine Office is to complete the registration of the vine plots by the start of the 2023 harvest campaign. Now is the time for us to be together, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and USIAD, to join our efforts to go together, because this is the only way we will overcome the challenges of the present”.

Sergiu Gherciu, Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry: “The wine sector not only brings the fame of the Republic of Moldova beyond the borders of the country, as successfully demonstrated at ProWein, but also provides jobs for approximately 150 thousand people. The Ministry will continue to provide support to this field to ensure dynamic development of the industry”

John Riordan, Deputy Director of the USAID mission in the Republic of Moldova: “Ten years after the launch of the country brand Vinul Moldovei, the achievements are strong proof of the resilience, innovation, and the promising future that the wine industry of Moldova is ready to achieve. At USAID, we are impressed by the industry’s agility and determination to transform the sector. We firmly believe in the importance of consolidating the exceptional public-private partnership of the ONVV and the Coordinating Council that understands the industry’s need to create a favorable business environment that contributes to development following the Development Strategy of the Wine Sector”.

The wine sector in the country remains the first creator of jobs in the countryside, and the number of economic agents active in this field and registered in the Wine Register has reached 58,900. The figure represents an increase of approximately 12% compared to 2021.

The National Conference of the Wine Sector is an important event for the wine sector and has become a reference. This year, the country brand Vinul Moldovei celebrates 10 years since its launch.