In this edition of Reporter euronews is in Moldova. Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, this former Soviet republic is facing a choice between furthering ties with the EU or Russia.
Recently Moscow reignited this debate by halting the import of Moldovan wine. For a country heavily reliant on such exports to Russia, the decision has had a major impact on producers.
Victor Bostan, owner of the Purcari vineyard, Moldova’s most profitable, complained: “This is an embargo just for political reasons and has nothing to do with the quality of wine. This is already the second Russian embargo we’ve suffered. The first one was in 2006 and now another started in 2013. We had huge losses, in 2006: we lost 80 percent of our earnings. In 2013, it was less: 20 percent. In 2006, I lost over $10 million through the embargo and now, in 2013, I lost so far over $1 million.”
The vineyard still turns a profit. Learning from the events of 2006, Victor decided to reposition his wine towards EU markets,
