FineWine · Andrei Cibotaru
Probably the Best Floricica in Moldova
A personal assessment by Andrei Cibotaru, based on the wines he had tasted at the time of publication. The qualification “probably” is part of the original headline.
Carpe Diem · Casa Vinicolă Luca · Moldova
Our wines, through other eyes.
Explore reviews of Carpe Diem wines, interviews with Ion Luca and international recognition for our family winery in Cricova, Moldova. Every entry links to its original source and identifies the wine and vintage where available.
Featured review & 2026 coverage
Andrei Cibotaru’s Floricica review leads our selection, followed by the latest features from Norway, the UK and Moldova.
VinPuls · Ulf Dalheim
Postgirobygget meets Moldovan winemaking
VinPuls reports on the collaboration between Arne Hurlen of Postgirobygget and winemaker Ion Luca. The feature introduces Idyll and Tidløs and includes the publication’s tasting notes for the two wines.
Harpers Wine & Spirit · Jason Millar
Buyer’s Spotlight: Moldova
Reporting after London’s Ultimate CEE Wine Fair, Jason Millar discusses Fetească Generation and names Ion Luca of Casa Vinicolă Luca among the producers promoting Moldova’s native grape varieties. The full article requires a Harpers subscription.
Wine & Spirits · Anghelina Taran
A closer look at Floricica
An interview with Ion Luca alongside the author’s own tasting observations on Floricica 2025. The winemaker’s statements and the journalist’s assessment are separate parts of the article.
Earlier coverage & recognition
Explore our press archive, from recent features to earlier reviews. Undated sources appear at the end; tasting notes and awards remain attached to their original vintages.
Winna Margo
A visit to Casa Vinicolă Luca
A Polish account of visiting the winery, discovering its wines and learning about the people behind the labels.
Segye Ilbo · Choi Hyeon-tae
A Korean report from the final tasting
Reporting from South Korea describes the five-wine final and the nine-judge panel. It covers the same Discovery of Daejeon result, rather than a separate award.
Daejeon International Wine Expo · Organiser
Discovery of Daejeon 2024
The organiser identifies Bad Boys 2018 as the winner of the Discovery of Daejeon 2024 tasting. This is a specific tasting result, separate from the Asia Wine Trophy medal competition.
VinPuls · Ulf Dalheim
Carpe Diem: seizing the opportunity
Ulf Dalheim profiles Ion Luca and Casa Vinicolă Luca, tracing the winery’s development, its focus on local grape varieties and its presence in Norway. The article includes a visit to the winery and discusses Bad Boys.
Decanter World Wine Awards
95 points · Gold
Casa Vinicolă Luca’s Carpe Diem Fetească Albă 2022 from Codru is listed among the DWWA 2024 Gold medal winners in Decanter’s Moldova supplement. Its published tasting note concludes: “Long, pure and saline.” The supplement is marked as a promotional feature; the competition result belongs to the 2022 vintage.
IWC Insight · Chris Boiling
Meet the Feteasca Generation
An interview exploring Moldovan winemaking, Ion Luca’s approach and the faces on Carpe Diem labels. Farming and production details in the interview describe that period.
JancisRobinson.com · Jancis Robinson
An international tasting reference
Jancis Robinson’s tasting database includes Bad Boys 2018. The full tasting note and score require a subscription; no score is reproduced here.
International Wine & Spirit Competition
IWSC Bronze for Bad Boys 2018
The official competition result records a Bronze medal for Bad Boys 2018. The award belongs to this vintage and competition year.
Grandes Escolhas · Valéria Zeferino
Bad Boys reviewed in Portugal
Valéria Zeferino’s tasting entry awards Bad Boys 2017 a score of 17.5 and describes its balance and texture. This assessment concerns the 2017 vintage.
Wine & Spirits · Anghelina Taran
A Moldovan red blend with character
Anghelina Taran’s review of three Carpe Diem blends places Bad Boys 2017 among the best Moldovan blends she discusses. The article also explores Femme Fatale 2017 and Cuvée 19/11.
FineWine · Reporting on Caroline Gilby MW
Bad Boys at ProWein
FineWine reports Caroline Gilby’s appreciation of the fruit, polished tannins and personality of Bad Boys 2016. This is a summary of a statement reported by FineWine.
Wine in China · 中国葡萄酒
Carpe Diem, Seize the Day
A ten-page Chinese-language feature introduces Carpe Diem and the Luca family, followed by tasting notes on ten wines from the 2015–2017 vintages and an interview with Ion Luca titled “Express Terroir and Keep Simple”. The interview explores local grape varieties, label design and winemaking philosophy. These historical reviews refer to the vintages tasted in 2018.
wine-pages · Caroline Gilby MW
Moldova’s wine revolution
Caroline Gilby includes Carpe Diem among the small Moldovan wineries producing exciting wines. This is a summary of her article, rather than a quotation about a particular bottle.
SÜDKURIER · Sabine Gems-Thoma
An early chapter: Ion Luca at Engelhof
The harvest report “Vorfreude auf guten Tropfen” names Ion Luca as a 23-year-old trainee from Moldova at Weingut Engelhof in Hohentengen. Ion identifies this clipping as his first international press appearance. This report predates Carpe Diem and concerns the 2006 harvest at Engelhof.
Decanter · Promotional feature
Moldova, Ion Luca and local grape varieties
This supplement includes Ion Luca and Carpe Diem in its coverage of Moldova. The pages are explicitly marked “Promotional feature”; this is not presented as an independent editorial review.
Exotic Wine Travel · Dr Matthew Horkey
Discovering Moldovan wine
Matthew Horkey discusses Bad Boys 2016 in his guide to wine travel in Moldova. The publisher discloses that the organised trip covered travel, meals and accommodation.