Divin (brandy)

Divine production in Bessarabia began at the end of the 19th century at two distilleries - in the cities of Chisinau and Calarasi . Now divines are produced in Tiraspol ( Transnistria , KVINT plant ^[1] ), Kalarash (Calarasi-Divin plant), Chisinau (Aroma plant) ^[2] , (Euro-Alco plant) ^[3] , Balti (Barza Alba plant), Tvarditsa (Vinimpex plant) ^[4] , Bardare ( Vinaria Bardar plant).

According to the technological instructions used in Moldova, divines have their own classification, different from cognac ^[5] . Depending on the quality and age of wine distillates, divines in Moldova are divided into the following categories:

• 3 "stars" prepared from wine distillates aged for at least 3 years;
• 4 "stars" prepared from wine distillates with an average aging period of at least 4 years;
• special names ("Aroma", "Belii Aist", "Tuzara", "Orfeu", "Cezar", "Ungheni", etc.) prepared from wine distillates with an average aging period of 3-5 years;
• 5 "stars", made from wine distillates with an average aging period of at least 5 years;
• DVM (aged), prepared from wine distillates with an average aging period of 6-7 years;
• DVS (high quality) prepared from wine distillates with an average aging period of 8-9 years;
• DVV (old), prepared from wine distillates with an average aging period of 10-19 years;
• DVFV (very old), prepared from wine distillates with an average aging period of at least 20 years;
• collectible, made from wine distillates with an average aging period of at least 6 years, aged for at least 3 years in oak barrels or bottles.

In the production of individual brands of divines, according to the corresponding technological instructions, no more than 25% of wine distillates can be introduced into the blend of younger ones, corresponding in quality and physical and chemical composition to the prepared brands of divines, whose aging period is not less than:

• 3 years - for the DVM category;
• 5 years - for the DVS category;
• 7 years - for the DVV category;
• 10 years - for the DVFV category.

In addition, bottles of divins (especially export ones) usually indicate the category established by the classification of the National Interprofessional Bureau of Cognacs :

• VS (Very Special) or ✯✯✯ (three "stars") means a mixture of wine distillates, the youngest of which was aged in a barrel for at least 2 years;
• VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) or Reserve refers to a mixture of wine distillates, the youngest of which was aged in a barrel for at least 4 years;
• XO (Extra Old) or Napoléon currently stands for a mixture of wine distillates, the youngest of which has been aged in a barrel for at least 6 years. The minimum age of the youngest distillate in the XO blend will be increased to 10 years in April 2018. This rule was planned for introduction in 2016, but it had to be postponed due to too small stocks of raw materials. The designation Napoléon , previously unofficial, will now be used to designate those distillate mixtures in which the youngest has been aged in a barrel for at least 6 years, but does not meet the criteria for an XO blend by age;
• Hors d'âge (Beyond Age) is a designation that fully complies with the definition of XO , but indicates a product, a mixture of distillates of which far exceeds the established criteria for the age of exposure;

The classification uses English names dating back to the historical trade in cognac, especially in the 18th century, in which the British played a significant role.