Red grape
Moldovan Merlot: dry, medium sweet, rosé and alcohol-free
Merlot goes into more of our wines than any other grape: dry and medium sweet reds, rosés, alcohol-free wines and blends. Here is how to tell them apart, from the driest to the sweetest.
Merlot in Moldova
Merlot is one of the international varieties grown across Moldova’s three wine PGIs, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. According to the National Office for Vine and Wine, red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir make up about 30% of the country’s wine vineyards and are grown mostly in the south; in the Ștefan Vodă region Merlot is among the varieties that perform well.
Dry or medium sweet?
Both. Each wine’s style is on its card; in short:
- Dry red: Artitude Merlot 2015 (dried plum, black tea, leather and delicate spice), Artitude Merlot 2017 (ripe plum, red cherry, delicate spice and dried herbs) and Artitude Merlot 2023 (black cherry and ripe plum, with subtle notes of vanilla and oak), all with light oak influence and PGI Codru; Goliard Merlot 2023 (ripe raspberry, black cherry and red plum, with a subtle hint of violet); 6N Merlot (Love), with red cherry, plum and chocolate.
- Medium sweet red: Dolofana de la Prut Merlot (12% vol; red cherry and strawberry jam; serve at 14–16 °C), Arborele Merlot 2022 (12% vol) and the Merlots of Lucky, Château d’Étoile and Châteaux de Brua.
- Rosé: 6N Merlot Rosé (Party).
- Alcohol-free: LifWin Merlot and LifWin Merlot Rosé.
- In blends: Artitude Trinity 2016 and Perla Neagră Red Blend (with Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir), Artitude Trilogy 2017 and Goliard Red Reserve 2017 (with Fetească Neagră and Cabernet Sauvignon), and the BonaFlores Cab-Merlot liqueur wine.
Awards
- 2025Gold, Mundus ViniArtitude Merlot 2023
- 2025Gold, Vinarium International Wine ContestGoliard Merlot 2023
- 2025Silver, Decanter World Wine AwardsGoliard Fetească Neagră–Cabernet Sauvignon–Merlot 2017
- 2024WineHunter Rosso, The WineHunter AwardArtitude Merlot 2015
- 2021Gold, Vinarium International Wine ContestArtitude Merlot 2015
- 2019Gold, Galicja VitisArtitude Merlot 2017
- 2019Gold, Mundus ViniArtitude Cabernet Sauvignon–Merlot–Pinot Noir 2016
- 2019Bronze, Decanter World Wine AwardsArtitude Cabernet Sauvignon–Merlot–Pinot Noir 2016
- 2019Commended, Decanter Asia Wine AwardsArtitude Merlot 2017
- 2019Bronze, International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC)Artitude Merlot 2017
- 2018Gold, Black Sea Region ContestArtitude Merlot 2015
- 2018Gold, Galicja VitisArtitude Merlot 2015
- 2018Gold, OenoforumArtitude Merlot 2015
- 2018Silver, International Wine Contest BucharestArtitude Fetească Neagră–Cabernet Sauvignon–Merlot 2017
Buy Merlot
- −10% on 6 or more bottles of wine, the same wine or mixed: the discount appears in the cart by itself.
- Free home delivery by Nova Post courier on orders from 500 MDL.
- Pickup from a Nova Post branch is free.
FAQ
Is Merlot dry or sweet?
It depends on the wine. We have dry red Merlot (Artitude, Goliard, 6N), medium sweet red (Dolofana de la Prut, Arborele, Lucky, Château d’Étoile, Châteaux de Brua), rosé and alcohol-free (LifWin).
What temperature should medium sweet Merlot be served at?
Dolofana de la Prut Merlot is served at 14–16 °C, according to its wine sheet.
