A village was improvised in the Great National Assembly Square of Chisinau. The people gathered grapes and crushed them by the winepress. This is how the 13th National Wine Day started. The event involves 45 national wine producer and over 2,000 foreign tourists and journalists, IPN reports.

In the opening of the event, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said the winegrowing and winemaking sector is strategic for Moldova. This year the sector faced a series of challenges following the ban on the import of Moldovan wine imposed by Russia, but this led to the initiation of a large-scale reform. “The EU opened unconditionally its market for the Moldovan wine. This year we not only once clinked glasses of wine at important events,” said the Premier. He wished the wine producers perseverance and inspiration, noting that winemaking is an art.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov said the wine industry, despite all the challenges, became more powerful. “The year 2014 will go down in history as the year when this sector was reformed. I call on the producers to make effort to make the best wines worldwide,” he stated.

The officials handed over the Top Prize for special accomplishments in the wine industry to the winery “Vinaria din Vale”.

The National Wine Day is taking place in the central square of Chisinau on October 4-5.