This was reported by Adrian Digolian, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasizing that at that time about 80% of wine exports went to Russia. After the embargo, 25% of Moldovan wineries went bankrupt.
As the first chairman of the Association of Small Wine Producers of Moldova Ion Luca noted, in 2006 Moldovan winemakers were firmly dependent on one buyer, so the losses were colossal. The wines shipped to Russia were not paid – we are talking about more than $300 million for the products that were shipped earlier. The industry and related sectors employed 250,000 people, and most of them were left without income.
The embargo was a political decision aimed at retaliating against Moldova for seeking rapprochement with the EU. According to winemakers, the restrictions have led to the bankruptcy of more than 80 wineries, and about 40% of vineyards have fallen into disrepair.
In 2013, Russia again imposed restrictions on Moldovan wine, but by this time markets had diversified, with the European Union becoming the main destination, which now accounts for two-thirds of total exports.
“Twenty years after the embargo, many of us say: perhaps it was the best thing that could have happened to us, because the 2006 embargo gave the industry a strategic boost. But the most important thing that 2006 taught us was the need to make a quality product,” said Ion Luka.
According to Elizabeth Briahne, chief wine specialist at the National Bureau of Grapes and Wine, less than 5% of production is now exported to Russia. “We were able to enter the EU markets precisely due to the improvement of wine quality, recognized by the results of numerous international competitions. Now we are proud to say that wine has become an ambassador of the Republic of Moldova.”
Today, Moldovan wines are supplied to some 96 countries, with the EU market accounting for more than 60% of exports. The wine sector remains a strategically important branch of the economy: it contributes about 2% of GDP and provides 150 thousand jobs.
