Vin de casă

Vin de casă, home-made wine, is the pride of every Moldovan householder and a symbol of the country itself, recognised throughout the world for its ancient winegrowing tradition. Made in village cellars and wineries, from the grapes of one's own vineyard, house wine accompanies everyday meals and celebrations alike, an unfailing presence at any feast and the expression of Moldovan hospitality par excellence.

How it is made

House wine is made from grapes picked in autumn, at the right point of ripeness. The grapes are crushed and the resulting must is left to ferment in barrels or in large vessels. For red wines, the must ferments together with the skins, which give it colour and tannins, while for whites the must is separated from the pomace earlier. The natural yeasts on the grapes gradually turn the sugar into alcohol, a process that takes weeks.

After the main fermentation, the young wine is drawn off the lees and set to clarify and age in the cellar, in oak barrels or in demijohns. The cold, dark cellar is the ideal place, providing the constant temperature the wine needs. The varieties grown in Moldova are numerous, from the natives such as Fetească albă, Fetească neagră and Rara neagră to European varieties such as Cabernet, Merlot or Chardonnay.

When it is drunk and its cultural role

House wine is drunk throughout the year, at ordinary meals and at celebrations, and is never absent from weddings, christening parties, memorial feasts and any family gathering. A glass of wine offered to a guest is, in Moldova, the natural gesture of hospitality, and to go down into the cellar to bring up good wine is an honour paid to distinguished visitors.

Viticulture has ancient roots in Moldova, and wine is part of the national identity itself, celebrated each year by the National Wine Day, traditionally held in the first half of October. For every householder, his own wine is a matter of honour, and its quality a source of pride spoken of fondly at every meal. To go down into the cellar to fetch a jug of good wine is, for Moldovans, a gesture full of meaning, an invitation to friendship and good cheer. House wine thus remains not merely a drink but a symbol of the fertile land, of industriousness and of the joy of sharing the fruit of the vine with those one loves.