Moldova

Four PGIs and Cricova's galleries

In Moldova the label term "metoda tradițională clasică" may be used for sparkling wine whose second fermentation took place in bottle for at least nine months, with the wine separated from the yeast by disgorgement.1 The best-known producer, Cricova, reports about 2 million bottles of classic sparkling wine a year.2

The legal frame

Moldova's Law 57/2006 on vines and wine was adopted on 10 March 2006 and came into force on 19 July 2006.3 It classifies wines as protected designation of origin, protected geographical indication, varietal wine or wine, without a separate sparkling class.3 Article 25 requires the label of sparkling wines to state the sugar category and the colour, and lists the product types: vinuri spumante, spumante de calitate, spumante de calitate de tip aromat, spumoase, perlante and petiante. The details are set by Government technical regulations.3

Method terms on the label

The wine market regulation approved by Government Decision 356/2015 contains two method terms:1

TermCondition
fermentat în sticlăonly for sparkling or quality sparkling wine with secondary fermentation in bottle; maturation of at least nine months
metoda tradițională clasicăsparkling wine with PDO or PGI, or quality sparkling wine; secondary fermentation in bottles for at least nine months; separated from the yeast by disgorgement

For comparison, see EU labelling and ageing on lees.

Geographical indications

The national wine office ONVV lists four regions with protected geographical indication for wine products: Codru, Ștefan Vodă, Valul lui Traian and Divin.4

Cricova

In January 2025 Moldova submitted "The Underground Wineries of Moldova (Cricova and Mileștii Mici)" to the UNESCO Tentative List.2 According to the submission:2

  • the Cricova galleries span over 120 km;
  • they became a sparkling wine factory in 1952, the official founding year of Cricova Winery S.A.;
  • the winery uses the traditional French method and makes about 2 000 000 bottles of classic sparkling wine a year;
  • its wine collection, set up in 1954, holds about 1.3 million bottles;
  • the galleries keep a natural temperature of 10 to 14 °C.

Not covered

No official national figure for sparkling wine production or vineyard area was found on the ONVV site, and the minimum pressure in the Moldovan rules was not verified.

See also

Traditional methodMethodsAgeing on leesMethodsDisgorgementMethodsLabel terms in EU lawMethodsRussiaRegionsGeorgiaRegions

Sources

  1. Government of the Republic of Moldova (particip.gov.md). Tabelul comparativ la proiectul de hotărâre cu privire la modificarea unor hotărâri ale Guvernului (privind produsele vitivinicole), incl. HG 356/2015
  2. UNESCO World Heritage Centre (submitted by the Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Moldova). The Underground Wineries of Moldova (Cricova and Mileștii Mici), Tentative List, 03/01/2025 (2025-01-03)
  3. WIPO Lex. Republic of Moldova: Law No. 57-XVI of 10 March 2006 on Vines and Wines (consolidated to Law No. 34 of 17 March 2017) (2017)
  4. Oficiul Național al Viei și Vinului (ONVV). Wine of Moldova

Facts checked on 2026-10-20