Andrew Bair wrote:One mystery with Moldovan wine: why is the hybrid Isabella so common over there? I don't know much about the impact of phylloxera in Eastern Europe - is the large amount of Isabella vines in Moldova a result of phylloxera? Otherwise, why would a mediocre hybrid become so popular for everyday Moldovan wines?
Don't know for sure the impact of phylloxera in Moldava, either. But my guess it is/was minimal. I would suspect that Isabella is so popular because it's
so easy to grow and, perhaps, cold-hardy. I've seen how these things work here in NewMexico..."Joe/Jose (or Igor in Moldava) down the road put in some of that-there
BacoNoir and it sure grows good....maybe I should plant some of that Baco stuff on my back acre". The consideration is what grows easily and the wine quality is irrelevant.
Another question: Is the "Black Doctor" merely a relic of the past, or does if have any future as a high quality wine?
Well, Andrew.....you or I......sniff/sniff...would never deign to drink a semi-sweet red wine....sniff/sniff !!! If there is a demand for it, probably among
Russian emigres, then it will probably continue to be produced. Just because semi-sweet red wines appeal mostly to people whose palates us
wine-geeks have little regard for does not mean it cannot be "high quality". Face it...not many wine-geeks think much of semi-sweet reds. But there
can be some high-quality ones. Think Lambrusco, MoscatoRosa, or Sangue de Guida.
Tom