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ProWein: Purcari urges continued support for Ukraine

13 March 2024 By James Evison

The Moldovan producer on the Ukrainian border has made an impassioned plea for consumers to continue to support the war-torn country’s wine trade.

International development manager Remus Turcan told db at ProWein that as the war continued in Ukraine, it was critical to continue to support the trade, and to not let-up in our solidarity for the cause.

Its Freedom Blend was created in 2014 when the Russian Federation annexed Crimea as a show of solidarity to their Ukrainian neighbours. The blend is a collection of grapes with origins in the northern Balkan region, including Georgia’s Saperavi, Moldova’s Rara Neagra, and Ukraine’s Bastardo grapes, all of which are produced in Moldova itself.

A ‘tribute’ edition of the bottle has been launched, which includes the original label shaped into a heart. Turcan told db that when the war is over, it will return the label to the original design as a “sign that normalcy has resumed”.

The producer is also very near to the border with Ukraine in the Stefan Voda district, and Turcan explained how at the time of invasion, there was deep concern that Russia would continue its journey into Moldova.

“We had cars packaged with luggage and were ready to go.” he said.

Support

Highlighting its own support through its Freedom Blend bottle, where proceeds go towards tablets to assist children with education at home, the producer also explained its own challenges. These included moving all of its exports out of Odessa that were going on to the US, China and Japan, and shifting it to Romania.

But last year, it had increased sales and had “fully adjusted” to the war situation.

Turcan said: “As the war started, we readjusted, and had to go through the port in Romania.

“The price increased throughout the supply chain, but we made some optimisation, and managed to operate well and make all our commitments to our partners.”

He also revealed that the impact on the Ukrainian trade was very different to them, including the call up of young men. The producer had also taken in some of the more than one million refugees that fled into Moldova, including giving work in the Chateau and vineyard and the head office to more than 100 people.

“300,000 refugees have stayed in Moldova. We are safe now, but a lot of lives have been lost. Ukrainians have, and are, losing a lot of men.”

He explained how some wineries had stopped production, but most have continued operations, as signalled by Wines of Ukraine’s presence at ProWein this year.

He said: “We urge consumers to keep supporting Ukraine and their wines during the war, and to give them the confidence that they are not alone.”