‘Isabella’ and ‘Lydia’ Wines Will Not Be Accepted on EU Market after Moldova’s Accession

Wine made from the ‘Isabella’ and ‘Lydia’ grape varieties will not be permitted for wine production on the European market following Moldova’s accession to the European Union. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, together with researchers, is working to develop and plant new grape varieties that are resilient to climate change, reports Radio Moldova. “The two grape varieties – ‘Isabella’ and ‘Lydia’ – will not be permitted for wine production in the European Union once we become members. One of our current tasks is to expand the area under vineyards, including by attracting European funds, particularly those allocated under the Strategic Programme for the Common Agricultural Policy (PSPA),” said Eugeniu Osmochescu, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry. More than 5,000 hectares of vineyards in Moldova are currently planted with these varieties. Any expansion of vineyard acreage will require drought- and cold-resistant varieties. “We are currently at the crossroads of industry, science and research, where we are beginning to plant grape varieties that are resilient to climate change. We are already doing this at the institute level and are seeing positive results. This will allow us to compete with major wine producers in France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere,” the minister concluded. A study by economist Ghenadie Ivașcenco highlights another challenge facing the viticulture and wine-making sector: seeded grapes. Mass-produced varieties, particularly ‘Moldova’, no longer meet the preferences of European consumers, who are increasingly opting for seedless grapes. Currently, seedless grapes account for around 80% of demand in Western markets. Seeded grapes are chosen mainly because of their lower price. “Depending on the market, the season and the quality, seeded grapes can be sold for 40-50% less than modern seedless varieties,” noted Ghenadie Ivașcenco. While producing countries quickly adapted to the new reality, Moldova continued to produce what it did best rather than what the market demanded. “We did not establish a proper transition programme, we underfunded research, we failed to link science with business, we did not systematically test modern varieties, and we did not create a mechanism through which farmers could quickly obtain competitive planting material and technologies adapted to local conditions,” claims Ghenadie Ivașcenco.