The ban imposed by Russia on the imports of Moldovan wines made the national wine companies review the quality standards and look for new, safer markets, shows an analysis carried out by the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul”. Such a situation was witnessed after the signing of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU.

The top five EU states to which Moldova exports the largest quantities of wine are: Romania – valued at US$3.46 million, Poland – US$ 3 million, the Czech Republic – US$2.3 million, the UK – US$ 0.92 million, and Hungary – US$ 0.85 million, IPN reports.

According to the experts of “Viitorul”, the Russian ban was a serious blow to the Moldovan winemakers that weren’t ready to cope with such a shock. A part of them went bankrupt, while others reoriented their exports to other markets. The earlier volumes exported to Russia would never be reached again. The place of the Moldovan wines was taken by wines imported from Chile or Argentina, which are actually cheaper than the Moldovan ones.

The last Russian ban on Moldovan wines was imposed in September 2013 and was a response to Moldova’s intention to sign the Association Agreement with the EU. At the same time, Moscow pursues a policy of double standards given that a part of the wine companies based in Gagauzia and Transnistria could later resume exports to Russia.

The experts said the Republic of Moldova has an advantage on the wine market – it has the highest density of vineries at the European level, ranking sixth by the areas occupied by vineyards.