🍷 Kagor

Kagor is the name that Soviet standards used for red and pink dessert wines. It comes from the French designation of origin Cahors. As early as 1993 Moldova replaced it with its own name, Pastoral, because Cahors is a protected French designation of origin. ¹²

The real Cahors. Cahors PDO wines are red only, with a dark, deep colour. They are made in the Lot department, mainly from Malbec, and can age for a long time; the producer keeps the wine for at least 6 months before release. The aromas are red and black fruit, spice, violet and wood. ³

A long history. Traces of winemaking in Cahors go back to the 7th century, and the designation of origin was recognised in 1971. Malbec comes from Quercy, whose historic capital is Cahors. ³ The EU register lists Cahors as PDO-FR-A0302, protected since 18 September 1973. ²

International registration. Cahors is registered under the Lisbon Agreement as appellation of origin no. 396. Moldova's state office rejected all trademarks containing the name, most of them filed in Cyrillic. ¹

Not only Kagor. In 1993 Moldova adopted its first national rules for wines and spirits and replaced names that had been used as generic. Champagne became Spumant, cognac Divin, port Prometeu, Madeira Luceafăr, Sauternes Nectar and Kagor Pastoral. ¹

How the EU protects the name. A wine designation of origin is protected against any misuse, imitation or evocation, even if the true origin is shown, the name is translated or transliterated, or words such as «style», «type», «method», «as produced in» or «imitation» are added. In the EU such names cannot become generic. ⁴

Fortified or liqueur wine. If a dessert wine is fortified and sold in the EU, it falls under liqueur wine: actual strength 15–22%, total at least 17.5%, initial natural at least 12%. Neutral alcohol of vine origin or wine distillate is added to fermenting must or to wine. ⁴

Colour from heat. The OIV International Code describes maceration after heating the grapes: whole, crushed or de-stemmed grapes are heated before fermentation to extract colour and other substances from the skins faster and more fully. The heating must neither concentrate nor dilute the must, so excess heat is avoided and heating by steam injection is forbidden. ⁵

Why it matters to you. Cahors on a label means a red wine from Malbec from the Lot department. ²³ The names «Kagor» or Pastoral do not mean the wine comes from Cahors. ¹ The WHO stresses that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. ⁶