Description
Wine House
Casa Vinicolă Luca is a family-owned winery with origins deeply rooted in history. However, the modern history has been ruthless for the members of this family. The Soviet regime confiscated all their possessions and deported a significant portion of the family to labor camps in Siberia. Only great-grandfather Petru escaped deportation because he happened to be working in the vineyard on that fateful night. Back then, not everyone had a car, so he spent several days at the vineyard until the work was done. That’s what saved his life. Upon returning home, he found his house occupied by Soviet officers who had taken over. He fought to reunite his family and largely convinced the government that they were not “enemies of the state.” When they returned, all they had was a barn where they had previously stored their agricultural tools and vineyard equipment. They continued their lives there.
Grandfather Grigore carried on the tradition, producing wine throughout his life, albeit in domestic circumstances, as private ownership was not allowed, and entrepreneurship was prohibited at the time. Father Ion found the era of Perestroika at one of the largest wineries in the country, Cricova, where he worked alongside his son Vasile, creating some of Moldova’s most renowned wines—the wines of Cricova. Son Ion continued the family tradition and, after extensive travels worldwide, decided to reclaim what the Soviet regime had taken from them: the ability to produce wine under their own name – Casa Vinicolă Luca. In 2014, they launched the CARPE DIEM wine series, primarily made from indigenous grape varieties, but also featuring some international varietals. Recognition came swiftly. Year after year, Carpe Diem wines have earned accolades at numerous national and international competitions, consistently making them the most awarded small wine producer in Moldova for many years in a row.
