Description
Wine House
Casa Vinicola Luca is a family-owned business with deep roots that trace back to a time anchored in history. However, modern history was not kind to this family; under the Soviet regime, all their possessions were confiscated, and a large part of the family was deported to harsh labor in Siberia. It was only great-grandfather Petru who escaped deportation, simply because he was working on the land that fateful night – a precarious circumstance that saved his life. Upon his return, Petru found his home not as a haven for his loved ones but occupied by Bolshevik officers. A tough struggle ensued to bring his family back home, and while they couldn’t fully escape the pressure of the regime, they managed to prove that they were not “kulaks” or “traitors to the homeland.” Upon their return, they were given only the barn, once filled with tools for working the land and vineyards. Nevertheless, they pressed on with their lives.
Grandfather Grigore kept the tradition alive, producing wine throughout his life, albeit in domestic conditions as entrepreneurship was not allowed at the time. The Perestroika period found father Ion working at one of the country’s largest wineries, Cricova, where he, along with his son Vasile, played a role in creating some of Moldova’s most acclaimed wines. After numerous travels around the world, son Ion decided to return to the family tradition that had been taken away by the Soviet regime – producing wine under their own name. Thus, Casa Vinicolă Luca was born, debuting in 2014 with the CARPE DIEM wine series. These wines, primarily composed of indigenous grape varieties complemented by some international varieties, were quickly recognized and awarded.
Year after year, the Carpe Diem wines garnered praise at numerous national and international wine competitions, establishing Casa Vinicolă Luca as Moldova’s most awarded small wine producer. This remarkable journey of survival and triumph tells the story of a family that, despite the hardships of the past, has managed to preserve its traditions, passion for winemaking, and determination to succeed.
