François-Michel de Poncet (1780—1829)
Our HistoryA tradition reaching back to 1817
“Leuntea-Vin” Wine Factory together with the village Leuntea, where it is located, represents a historical value in the south-east region of Moldova. Being one of the oldest wineries on the territory of Basarabia since 1817, it started the wine industry in that region, introducing the science and technology of european descent.
This special region was highly requested by foreign former military and official persons, who began to acquire the lands and local private properties after the accession of Basarabia to Russia.
The French lieutenant general Ponset was among them, a smart, sophisticated and rich man with organizer talent, who chose this picturesque but deserted place, having an idea to develop it. Soon he formed the wine factory, built a house where he lived, surrounded by a garden and a park. From that moment the vineyards were planted , the specialists in the field of agriculture and winemaking from France and Germany were hired.
The vine was especially imported from France and, due to the favorable soil and climatic conditions, specific to the Purcari region on the Nistru valleys, the great wine was created as a result. Visitors were amazed by the reserve wines. The winary’s spacious cellar with hard wooden barrels, in which the wines were stored and aged, was noticed and described In the agenda of the Ministry of State Property In 1864.
The residence of Ponset was often visited by count M. Vorontsov, governor general of Novorossiysk and Bessarabia. In the summer of 1824, returning from a trip from Odessa, the Russian writer A.S. Pushkin together with I.P. Liprandi stayed overnight in Ponset’s house (from Liprandi’s memoirs about Pushkin). The first high appreciation of Leuntea wines was obtained at the St. Petersburg exhibition in 1847. Next contests confirmed the status of an honorable mark.