Moldova's most famous red wine: a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Saperavi and Rară Neagră from Purcari, served wide across Chișinău wine bars.
Negru de Purcari has been bottled at Château Purcari since 1827, the year Tsar Nicholas I issued a decree granting the estate the status of the first specialized winery in Bessarabia. At the 1878 Paris World Expo, French tasters mistook the dry red for a Bordeaux and awarded it a gold medal once the Moldovan origin was revealed. Queen Elizabeth II is the documented modern royal fan, reportedly ordering the 1990 vintage. The blend leads with Cabernet Sauvignon, with Saperavi from the Georgian tradition planted at Purcari and the indigenous Rară Neagră grape (literally rare black) for length. It is the wine every Moldovan restaurant offers, the country's most international label, and the headline pour at Ziua Națională a Vinului.
4 editor picks for Negru de Purcari in Chișinău, ranked by editorial score. All Chișinău signature dishes · Negru de Purcari across every city.
Invino Enoteca ★ 4.7
centru · Strada Mitropolit Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni 41, Chișinău, Moldova
Invino on Bănulescu-Bodoni in Chișinău is the 2016 sommelier-led Moldovan wine enoteca, with 250 labels on the shelf and 15 pours by the glass.
Carpe Diem Wine Shop & Bar ★ 4.6
centru · Strada Columna 136, Chișinău, Moldova
Carpe Diem on Strada Columna in Chișinău is the country's first wine bar (2011), pouring 10 to 15 Moldovan wines by the glass from a 160-label shelf.
Embargo ★ 4.4
centru · Strada Alexander Pușkin 47/1, Chișinău, Moldova
Embargo on Pușkin 47/1 in Chișinău is the wine-focused bar showcasing high-quality Moldovan wines paired with local cheeses, charcuterie and house.
Symposium Restaurant & Wine Club ★ 4.4
centru · Strada 31 August 1989 nr. 78, Chișinău, Moldova
Symposium in Chișinău is the Mediterranean room and wine club on Strada 31 August 1989, with a 200-label Moldovan and European wine list curated as a club.