In 2015, Andrei Cibotaru put aside his journalist ID and dedicated his time and knowledge to an older passion for wine. More precisely, he is now a sommelier and a blogger, as well as author of the Fine Wine guide of good wines from the Republic of Moldova. Also periodically he proudly declares about his participation in international wine competitions.
In order for a sommelier not to lose skills, it is necessary to travel a lot, to various wine-making areas in different regions and states, to visit wine exhibitions and competitions, explains Andrei. A trip per month is a good practice. He can hardly imagine now how he would succeed in this job if Moldova still did not have a liberalized visa regime with the EU. “You can imagine, you need to get 12 visas, to file applications… It used to be a very difficult and complicated task to explain to embassy representatives why you had to visit a winery,” recalls Andrei.
Visa-free travel to the European Union has opened new horizons and opportunities for Andrei. “The more new things you see abroad, the more you learn and want to multiply good practices at home. One thing is certain: we can take over the experience from abroad, including thanks to the liberalized visa regime”, concludes Andrei Cibotaru.
