Elizabeth Bryahne
The structure of the received products is as follows: 8.41 mln dal – still wines, 0.99 mln dal – sparkling wines, 2.3 mln dal – wine materials for distillation. Wines with protected geographical indication were declared almost half as much – 0.7 mln dal, compared to 1.3 mln dal last year. Sparkling wines with IGP – 40 thousand dal (at the level of last year) and wine materials for distillation with IG – 1.2 million dal (-29%).
The 2024 climatic conditions, which were harsher for grape plants than in the previous year, were decisive for the quantitative and qualitative indicators of the grape harvest.
Nature’s disfavor
According to the information presented by Vladimir Korobka, Chief Viticulture Specialist at the NBVIW, 2024 (according to the sum of effective temperatures) was the warmest year for grape plants since 2018 (when observations began in the NBVIW demonstration plots – from the very south to Mirceşti). And hotter than the previous year by 118-124 degrees. Also frosts in winter (up to -16.8 degrees in some places) and even in March, from which vines suffered, contributed.
Last year there was more precipitation compared to 2023 by 15-233 mm, depending on the area. But for all years of observations, 2024 was the driest year in terms of soil moisture accumulated during the year. During the summer, 80% of vineyards experienced water stress, and only 20% of plantings recorded optimal moisture.
The quality of the grapes was also affected by cool temperatures at night together with heavy rainfall during flowering (late May), which then led to cases where berries in the bunch remained underdeveloped. This was aggravated in June-July by heat and drought, when whole bunches suffered in development and berries became dried.
Due to the high temperature regime starting from March and the drought, most grape varieties ripened accelerated and almost simultaneously, irrespective of their biological maturity. Some plantations showed wilting and/or withered leaves, partial wilting of bunches and berries. There were also risks of diseases, especially powdery mildew, but even in those cases (with proper protection) we obtained a yield of 4-8 t/ha of very good quality.
Winemakers coped
As noted the chief specialist in winemaking of NBVIV Elizaveta Briahne, for the first time in Moldova, the harvesting campaign started 30 days earlier than usual – on August 9. The weather factor affected more the red grape varieties than the white ones: the harvest of the former decreased by 39% compared to the last year, of the latter – by 32%. And the juice yield from berries was also lower: on red varieties – by 42%, on white – by 30%.
“However, despite the unfavorable climatic conditions, the wines turned out to be of high quality, because grape growers and winemakers have learned to cope with such challenges, – says Elizabeth Bryakhne. – This work started with plantation management. They tried to harvest the crops on time, and the wineries used new technological methods that give good results. The best white wines were produced in the south – for the first time in the last five years. According to the results of regional tastings, the Sauvignon Blanc IGP Valul lui Traian from Domeniile Cuza scored the highest points. As ever, exceptional rose – in all three regions. The red wines in the south from the 2024 vintage are inferior to those made from grapes grown in other zones. They have adequate color, but some wines have vegetal notes, tannins not fully ripe and high alcohol content. Nevertheless, the southern Cabernet Sauvignon IGP Valul lui Traian from Chateau Vartely received the highest marks.”
