The Association of Wine Producers and Exporters of Moldova staged the third Wine Show at the Palace of the Republic on December 14. The event is aimed at promoting the culture of moderate consumption of wine on the domestic market. This year, the exhibit involved 22 companies, Info-Prim Neo reports. Valeriu Tara, vice director of Cricova Wine Complex, said the effects of the blows experienced by the wine industry during the last few years are still felt. Furthermore, some of the partner countries go through crisis and the demand there decreased. But all the thoughts of the winemakers are oriented to the future, to the improvement of the quality of the finished products. The companies that will deal with these challenges will go on and will create competition on the international markets, including the European one. Andrei Panciuc, who represented “Vinaria Purcari”, said that 2012 was yet a good year. The company celebrated 185 years of the foundation, received the Order of the Republic from President Nicolae Timofti, won the Top Prize on the National Wine Day, and launched a new product that is very popular. Panciuc considers that more and more people on the home market give priority to the natural wines and winemakers’ efforts to promote the wine products of a higher quality abroad, which are supported by the Government, produce results. Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov considers that the prestige of the wine of the high quality on the internal market increases. “As regards the wine companies, they have yet to solve many problems, including the re-equipment, the promotion of Moldova’s brand under which all the wines will be sold, and the fight against wines of a poor quality. It seems that the wine industry is close to enter a new stage of development following a number of failures and halts over the last 6-7 years,” he stated. Attending the event, Prime Minister Vlad Filat said that the quality of the Moldovan wines improves every year and is highly appreciated abroad and at home. “A series of amendments have been approved this year, by which the wine was declared agrifood product. Excise duties are not put on this product. There were created preconditions for the wines of a high quality to substitute the strong alcoholic beverages. But we need time to achieve results. For now, we can rejoice that we have good wines that bring food mood and health when drunk moderately,” he stated. The Wine Show has been organized with the financial assistance of the USAID CEED II Project.