By Joseph Temple

Located just north of the Black Sea, the former Soviet republic of Moldova is a nation that takes its wine industry very seriously. Benefiting from a mild climate and fertile soil, this landlocked country possesses a large agricultural industry that employs close to 40% of the entire population. And a source of great pride for many native Moldovans is the wine that comes from its vineyards. However, with the United States representing only half a percent of Moldova’s total wine exports, most Americans have never had the chance to experience it.  So here are ten interesting facts to keep in mind about this hidden treasure from Eastern Europe … maybe you’ll even find a bottle at your local shop.

1. Currently, Moldova has approximately 150 wineries, processing 1,400 tons of grapes annually on 170,000 hectares of vineyards.
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2. Wine production accounts for nearly
30% of Moldova’s total export earnings.
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3. The wine industry contributes to about 25% to the country’s GDP.
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By Nixalsverdrus (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

4. Ten percent of the country’s soil is covered by vineyards, located mostly in the central and southern regions.

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5. In a good year, Moldova is the world’s seventh largest wine exporter.
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6. Historians believe that Moldova’s wine industry dates back several centuries before the Roman conquest.
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Russavia [CC BY-SA 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

7. Russia and Ukraine represent nearly 90% of all Moldovan wine exports.
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8. In 2006, Russia banned the importation of all Moldovan wines, considered by many as an act of retribution because the country was seeking the removal of all Russian troops from its territory.
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9. A longstanding rumor has been that Queen Elizabeth II is a big fan of Moldovan wine.
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Photo: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons

10. Consisting of over 200km of tunnels and nearly 2 million bottles, Mileștii Mici has the world’s largest collection of wine in the world.
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Sources:

Bidlack, Richard. Russia and Eurasia 2015-2016. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
Brezianu, Andrei and Spânu, Vlad. Historical Dictionary of Moldova. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2007.
Kosienkowski, Marcin and Schreiber, William. Moldova: Arena of International Influences. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2012.
Voorhees, Mara. Eastern Europe. Oakland: Lonely Planet, 2009.

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Question: I am a bit confused about how far north and south Burgundy actually goes. I usually get different answers to my question. What is the correct one Sid?

Answer: Yes many people speak about Burgundy as just the Cote d’Or (“Golden Hillside”) the two regions from just south of Dijon to north of Beaune comprising the Cote de Nuits & from there south to Santenay being the Cote de Beaune. These vineyards are now much in demand for the small quantities produced and are very expensive. However in addition to those 2 main districts there is also 4 other ones from furthest north of all Chablis, and three most southerly ones Cote Chalonnaise, Cote Maconnaise, & Beaujolais – some wines from which are of outstanding quality and still excellent value for the price. Check out the Burgundies – red & white – from all 6 regions!

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The knowledgeable charming Veronique Sanders -van Beek Managing Director of Château Haut-Bailly (www.chateau-haut-bailly.com) was just briefly in Montreal for a dinner and in Vancouver for an update tasting. She was conscientiously monitoring the start mid-September of the very promising early “vendange” 2015 harvest in Bordeaux from afar. I have been a fan of the classy elegance of this property for a long time. Remember a visit back in May 1983 trying their 1982 in barrel – 50% new oak from Demptos was used for it as they were one of the owners of the property at that time whereas each year previously they had used 40%. The then cellar master’s thinking at the time on the 1982 was that the yields were rather high (65 hectolitres/hectare) as were the pHs and the vintage wouldn’t age long. As you know many 1982 Bordeaux have aged very well indeed. The chateau has been in better hands since 1998 owned by the Wilmers and is going from strength to strength. This blog over 2 years ago on May 6, 2013 highlighted 15 vintages from then to 2012. I really like how Veronique aptly tries to summarize each year by one word or so. It naturally focuses on their own wine but has application to many other neighbouring properties as well. They have changed 2004 from “A rare perfection” to “A great precision”; 2009 from “A truly great vintage ” to “Mythic”; and 2010 from “A double triumph” to “Best Ever”. Interesting that they name 2010 “best ever” when 2009 got the Robert Parker perfect 100 score but he also likes 2010 giving it a 97+/98 range. Veronique says the smaller grapes in 2010 gave a higher phenolic content than 2009 resulting in a preferred very good balanced freshness. Here is her update on the two latest vintages:

2013: “A Miracle” – 64% Cab Sauv 34 Merlot 2 Cab Franc – “Full of finesse both lively & supple retaining freshness and a harmonious structure”

2014: “Vibrant” – 66% Cab Sauv 34 Merlot – “Dry perfect weather for picking 12 days over a 22 day period Sept. 24-Oct. 15 gave a vibrant vintage of great style”

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By Joseph Temple

Once considered to be a wine exclusively for women, rosé is currently enjoying a massive resurgence across America, which is now the second largest market after France for this lovely pink drink. According to Nielsen research, sales of rosé are growing ten times faster than overall table wine sales.  Imports from Provence, considered the gold standard for rosé, have shot up from less than half a million liters in 2006 to nearly five million in 2014. And here’s the thing: it’s men that are largely responsible for this phenomenal growth, representing approximately 45% of all rosé sales in the United States!

Call it the #Brosé effect.

Unlike the White Zinfandel and Mateus Rosé brands that were enormously popular—and utterly despised by many wine aficionados during the 1970s, this new era for rosé is clearly breaking free from its sordid past. With vintners using different grape varieties that include everything from Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Noir and Touriga Nacional, more complex flavors with greater depth are now being offered to consumers. The demand has become so big, especially in places like New York City and Miami, that retailers are now signing up pre-sale orders, something inconceivable only a decade ago for this blushing wine.

But perhaps the biggest reason for this trend is social media.  It has played a huge part in removing the stigma that is often associated with men drinking rosé. On Twitter, #Brosé has become a popular hashtag for anyone wanting to illustrate the popular online slogan, “real men aren’t afraid to drink pink!” Add to the mix some clever internet meme’s and humorous YouTube videos and what you have is a blush wine whose popularity can be attributed to the power of new media.

“There used to be this perception that rose was a girly drink, but that’s just not true,” according to one Manhattan hotel director interviewed in Details.

“I like to say that real men drink pink.”

Sources:

Malina, Joshua. (2015, May 21). 7 Maps & Charts That Explain The Incredible Rise Of Rosé In America. VinePair. Retrieved from http://www.vinepair.com.
Teague, Lettie. (2014, June 20). Summer’s Rosés: Which Pink to Drink? The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com.
Wells, Jane. (2015, June 19). Rosé wine becomes popular…with men. CNBC. Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com.
Wyma, Chloe. (2015, June 12). Make Way for Brosé: Why More Men Are Drinking Pink. Details. Retrieved from http://details.com.

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Question: What is a Hock Wine?

Answer: A German wine that is coming from the Rhine.

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