Cimișlia grape fair crowns 3.9 kg bunch amid climate strain
Moldovan table grape producers gathered in the southern town of Cimișlia for the 11th edition of the National Grape Festival, showcasing high-yield produce despite severe winter frosts and persistent summer droughts. The event highlighted both the sector's economic vulnerability and its technical adaptation.
The festival’s signature "Giant Cluster" prize went to Dumitru Mihov, an agronomist from Burlacu, Cahul District, who presented a single grape bunch weighing 3.9 kilograms.
Agronomic precision behind record yields
Mihov attributed the record cluster to targeted canopy management and supplemental irrigation. Because the seedless variety bears fruit primarily along the upper nodes, long-cane pruning proved essential to maximize cluster weight.
Other growers reported mixed results across micro-regions. Vitalie Văcaru, who cultivates five table grape varieties, expects a 50-tonne harvest following timely regional rains.
Growers lacking modern infrastructure faced sharper setbacks. Nina Postică noted that severe temperature fluctuations reduced yields by up to 50 percent for non-irrigated vineyards.
Local trade and institutional backing
Artisanal producers also marketed boutique wines directly to consumers. Timofei Pogor of Văsieni offered two-liter bottles of Merlot and Cabernet for €5.10 (approx. 100 MDL), citing acute vineyard labor shortages as a key operational bottleneck. Fresh table grapes retailed on site for €1.02 (approx. 20 MDL) per kilogram.
Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu reaffirmed state commitments to modernize viticulture and back high-quality producers navigating volatile climate cycles.
International development partners echoed this support. Simone Di Stefano, Deputy Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova, confirmed that Switzerland will continue backing the country's agri-food sector through its Resilient and Inclusive Markets program.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
