WINE TOURISM IN WESTERN MOLDOVA - TO A FUTURE ALSACE? PhD. Mihaela MANEA Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iaşi, Romania Email: [email protected] Abstract: Wine tourism has emerge as a form of redinamization, recovery of wine products. It was necessary such a tourism form for the wine-growing regions to assert in this tourist industry through landscapes as well as the products offered. Countries like France, Italy and Spain are already among the most definitive statement in this area, being basically those that outline the so- called Old World of the wine tourism domain. This is due to a long history of viticulture, terroir, winemaking method and cultural heritage. Romania is also on the wine countries list being part of the top ten countries according to the hierarchy made by OIV. Wine tourism started to come also in Romania, increasingly more wineries adopting wine recovery forms through tourism. It is adopting foreign models of wine tourism but keeping the local specific. Thus Moldova, the largest wine region began to adapt some wine tourism development models and this article will demonstrate whether this model is beneficial for Moldova. Keywords: wine tourism, wine region, viticulture, wine, Moldova, Alsace 1. Introduction a wine route is not sufficient to develop Subtended by a constructive, such an activity. It was to help pragmatic and strategic purpose, the agricultural sectors in crisis, by article seeks to identify, evaluate and encouraging visitors stop in farms to use wine tourism resources of the wine buy the products and the wine makers region of Western Moldova, taking as a to develop the direct sale of the local model the alsacian way to exploit this wine. The wine roads of California or form of tourism. Research topic aims to South Africa appeared later and they offer a new formula for recovery of have been designed as completed moldovan vineyards, a development of tourist routes. The wine tourism that the wine potential, illuminating both the they engendered has been recognized phenomenon wine tourism and tourism as a harmonious alliance between the resources for this space. wine activity and a specific tourist offer. It can say that wine tourism has The french wine tourism is suitable for appeared with the designation of the an older, more diverse wine-making wine routes. A first wine route, the culture. Thus, wine tourism has affected grands crus route, was inaugurated in more and more territories by generating 1934, through the Côte de Nuits and the competition between traditional hautes Côtes Burgundy. In 1935, the countries and those in which it is more Deutsche Weinstraße, first german wine recently developed, leading to a route, was designed to help the wine realization and a more precise growers of the Palatinate. It took a small delimitation of its attributes and its twenty years that are designed in 1953, challenges. Initiatives have multiplied in on the same model, new routes of wine, recent years, more in addition to the Champagne and Alsace. At that time, countries in adopting development no one spoke of wine tourism because 112 strategies and developing wine regions (Bras et al. 2010), New Zealand in a different way. (Beverland, 1998), from the South The French school is one of the Africa (Bruwer, J.,2003), United States promoters of the discussions on this (Vignaud, 2011). There are also other topic and which has produced a large works on wine tourism globally dealing number of studies in the specialty with aspects related to the development journals. It explained by the fact that of the wine destination and demand France is not only the most important (Hall et al. 2000). A recent study, very tourist destination but the largest well developed on the wine tourism in producer of wine. France was undertaken by Sophie In addition, conferences have been Lignon-Darmaillac (2009). It introduced held on wine tourism, the first a new way of enhancement of the conference was held in Australia in French vineyards in the wine tourism. In 1998, marked by an emphasis on her work, Sophie Lignon-Darmaillac descriptive and comparative studies to presents a typology of the wine routes, justify and to explore the dimensions of essential for the development of this this new form of tourism, then the form of tourism, as well as the unequal International Salon of Wine Tourism interest of the authorities for the supported in Lyon, in 2009 defense of wine tourism. (http://www.vinomedia.fr) the Several publications have International Wine Travel Market emerged about the Wine Road aimed to backed in Bordeaux in 2009 consolidate or to build a reputation for (http://www.bordeaux-info.com), quality in the wine regions: Bruwer Bacchus wine conference in Dijon, the (2003) treats the roads of wines of first edition took place in 2002 South Africa; Choukroun (2011) the (http://www.bacchuswineconference.eu/ Alsace wine route; Telfel (2001) with ), Annual International Wine Tourism the wine road in Niagara, Conference (http://www.iwinetc.com/), Vandecandelaere (2002) made a First European Conference on Wine comparative study of the wine routes in and Food Tourism in Pisa the regions of Languedoc - Roussillon, (http://www.terredelvino.net). It is good Mendoza and Western Cape, to note that the mediterranean countries Constantinescu (1977) examines "roads are those that have developed the of the vines and wine in Romania. sense and taste to promote wine tourism. 2. Methodology With regard to the work focused on The main method used for this the field of wine tourism, there are many article was the comparative method. articles and books that deal with this Why this method? To see which are subject. These derive particularly from favorable and limiting factors for francophone and anglophone literature. applying the alsacian wine tourism Many countries have given a model in Moldova. How will it work? By particular value to the wine tourism comparing the wine region of Western contributing with different research to Moldova and Alsace regarding the wine increase the volume of the work of potential of the regions (vineyards, specialty. This is the case of Australia wine, grape varieties, terroir, history) (Dowling and Carlsen, 1999), of Canada and the tourism potential of the (Telfer, 2001; Williams and Kelly, 2001), vineyards (the wine route, wine culture, Chile (Sharples, 2002) of France tourism heritage - wine museum, wine (Lignon-Darmaillac, 2008; 2011; festivals, exhibitions), the tourism Lespinasse-Taraba, 2011; Meynie, infrastructure - accessibility, the tourist 2011), of the Hungary (Szivas, 1999, flow capacity. The objective is to Aubert et al., 2009), for the Portugal demonstrate whether Moldova has the 113 necessary features to develop a how it is developed in countries already successful wine tourism model as is the devoted to this type of tourism. case in Alsace. Other specific methods of geography were used for making the 3. Results and discussions maps or make drawings, such Moldova Western region and the Philcarto, the software for maps with region of Alsace are territories that are vineyards, Adobe Illustrator for patterns both in the European Union in a and for maps and Excel database. And peripheral position Northern, not only of course the scientific literature to with regard to the development of deepen the concept of wine tourism and viticulture, but also in the context of the Romania and France (fig.1). Figure 1. The position of Moldova and Alsace wine regions in Europe and in their countries 114 The region of Moldova is located in wine techniques developed. The first the Central-South-East part of Europe documents on the vines of Moldavia and in the northeast of the Romania and dates from 1407 when by a document the Alsace is located in the eastern part issued by the Chancellery of Moldova, of the France located in the heart of the Metropolitan Joseph saves the riches of European Megalopolis (blue banana) the Neamţ monastery, among which he (thanks to the city of Strasbourg - the tidies the “two vines”. Many other largest of the five major cities of the documents from the reign of Alexandru region) and in the heart of the cel Bun (who established the function of Pentagon's European cities obtained «paharnic» for Cotnari wines) and by the lines linking the cities: London- Stephen the Great, prove the existence Paris-Milan-Munich-Hamburg, which is of the viticulture in Moldova and its considered as the center of Europe. development. This fact represents an asset for Placed, due to its geographical economic development, tourism, social, location, at the crossroads of both political of the Alsace region, occupying Germanic and Romans influences, a strategic position, being a binder Alsace also tells a story: that of a between the major European urban culture brought from the beginning of centers. Of course its positioning our era by the Romans, and then promotes the marketing of wine circuit. revived by the Merovingians and Thus Alsace sells its wines to Carolingians which are large Netherlands, to Germany, Great Britain, consumption of this wine. Before the and also there are purchases of end of the first Millennium, 160 alsacian households for their consumption at towns cultivate the vine, and in the home to Belgium or Denmark. The middle ages, alsacian wines are already situation of Moldova presents itself among the most prestigious in Europe. differently, the peripheral position in the The alsacian wine reached its peak in context of the European Union the 16th century. This period of representing not only a weak point prosperity was brutally interrupted by because of its position far from the the 30 years’ war that leaves the region international decision-making centers or looting, the plagues and the decline of even national but also it can be seen as demography and all market activities.