Winemakers bring home over 80 medals from prestigious competition
Moldovan winemakers achieved remarkable success at the VINARIUM International Wine Contest 2026, one of the largest wine competitions in Central and Eastern Europe. They returned with a total of over 80 medals, including four Grand Gold medals, 72 gold medals, and four silver medals.
The competition, now in its 23rd edition, took place in Ploiești and the Dealu Mare region of Romania. The participation of wineries from the Republic of Moldova was supported by the National Office of Vine and Wine, with a total of 42 Moldovan wineries entering the competition.
According to Elizaveta Breahnă, head of the Viticulture and Winemaking Department at the National Office of Vine and Wine, there were a total of 1,346 wine samples from 20 countries in the competition.
"Out of these 1,346 samples, 82 wines from Moldovan producers won medals. A gold medal requires a score of at least 89 points, with a big gold medal awarded for scores of 93 points or higher. Achieving these accolades among such a large number of participating wines clearly indicates that the quality is very high. The competition is quite strict; over four days, the wines were assessed by seven panels consisting of five international judges each, following the regulations of the International Office of Vine and Wine," stated Elizaveta Breahnă during the "Zi de Zi" program on Radio Moldova.
As has been the trend, it is generally easier for wines made from local varieties, particularly white wines, to win medals, according to Elizaveta Breahnă.
"The most rigorous evaluations are for white varieties. Red blends, made from several red grape varieties, also receive medals. Additionally, sparkling wines produced using both traditional champenoise and charmat methods participated in the competition. There were fewer spirit wines entered. However, collection wines, liqueur wines, and pelicular wines consistently receive awards," the expert added.
Elizaveta Breahnă believes that winning medals at international competitions is crucial for promoting Moldovan wines, both domestically and abroad. Over the past five to seven years, this has established the Republic of Moldova as a producer of high-quality wines.
The wine sector is vital to the national economy, contributing approximately 16% to the value of agriculture in the Republic of Moldova, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry.
In 2024, wine exports reached $234.7 million, and the industry supports around 150,000 jobs.
