HISTORY OF THE WINERY

At the end of the 19th century, French grape varieties appeared for the first time in Bessarabia, in the region of Ciumai, thanks to an enthusiast from the French city of Grenoble. After the spread of phylloxera in France, agronomist and winemaker Pierre-Philippe-Alexis Terrasse left his homeland to continue his passion in another country. He chose Bessarabia, where the conditions for viticulture were similar to those in France.

Alexis Terrasse settled with his family in the village of Vinogradovka, near the famous village of Ciumai, and planted large vineyards with the varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Aligoté, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. Pierre-Philippe-Alexis Terrasse lived on Moldovan soil for almost 40 years and passed away here in 1910 at the age of 66.
At the beginning of the 20th century, he was invited to collaborate by a large landowner of Greek origin, Alexander Zachariadi. In 1905, Zachariadi built the first wine cellar in Vinogradovka, which led to the founding of the „Ciumai“ winery.

THE WINERY

The „Ciumai“ winery is located in the far south of Moldova, in Budjak, a region between the Prut River, the Danube, and the Black Sea.

The climate in this area is temperate continental, with short and relatively mild winters and long, hot summers, comparable to the climate of southern France.

The current operation within the present boundaries of „Ciumai“ was established in 1940 and spans an area 11 km long from north to south.