Historical landscape in south-east Europe, bordered by the Black Sea to the south, the Pruth River to the west and the Dniester River to the east. Archaeological finds, such as amphorae and grape seeds, indicate that viticulture was established over 5,000 years ago. The Greek historian Herodotus (482-425 BC) visited the Greek settlements at the mouth of the Dnieper and Dniester rivers around 450 BC and wrote that wine was drunk everywhere. The Romans also later promoted viticulture. The term "Bessarabia" (Basarabia in Romanian) has nothing to do with Arabia, but is derived from the Wallachian princely family of Basarab, who ruled there for around 150 years in the 13th and 14th centuries. From the end of the 15th century, the region came under Ottoman rule for over 300 years, which led to the decline of viticulture due to the associated ban on alcohol.
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Roman Horvath MW
Domäne Wachau (Wachau)