Vinum Estate

Vladlen Uzhakov began in the wine industry in 1996, in consulting and winery construction. Vinum Estate, the revival of his family's winery, dates from 2015.

The family tells a long story behind it. Its ancestors moved from north-eastern Bulgaria to southern Bessarabia in 1806. In 1832 Gancho Todorov Uzhakov planted a vineyard in the village of Taraclia, and a wine cellar followed a year later. The family counts nine generations in wine.

The estate is small. It farms 4.5 hectares in two places: at Sociteni in the Codru, where a vineyard was planted in 2016, and at Taraclia in Valul lui Traian. It grows Fetească Regală, Fetească Neagră, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot itself. Seven more varieties, Chardonnay and Riesling among them, come from colleagues.

Vinum calls itself a mini winery. The grapes are picked by hand. The still wines ferment with selected yeasts, and the oak is French and American.

Sparkling wine arrived early, and by a different route. Spumant Viu, the pét-nat, first came out in 2017 and is made with no added yeast; the 2025 Chardonnay is one edition of it. Brut Natur, made by the traditional method, followed in 2019. The Selection series carries Vladlen Uzhakov's own name.

Nine generations, and a family winery that started over in 2015.