by Eleonora Scholes
Two Moldovan companies have received a green light from Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s Federal Service for Consumer Rights Supervision, to export their wines to Russia. The first shipments of wine should reach Moscow in September. Rospotrebnadzor released
a press release confirming that 21 products in total were approved. A likely positive outcome is pending for another producer, who has six wines being checked for sanitary compliance. The names of the companies have not been disclosed, but it is known that only five Moldovan producers - Vismos, Calaras Divin, DK-Intertrade, Kvint and Bouket Moldavii - sent samples to Moscow.
Moldovan winemakers hope to regain at least 30-35% of the former volumes exported to Russia. According to the Russian online newspaper Kommersant, Russia used to buy 80% of Moldova’s wine. Moldovan wine was banned in March 2006, with Russian officials claiming they had found pesticides and heavy metals in wine samples, a decision which halved Moldova`s wine exports and bankrupted wineries.
Wines sent to Russia can still expect to undergo more than 50 analytical tests.
