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    Winemaker

    Constantin Stratan

    Discipline
    Winemaker
    Portrait of Constantin Stratan

    Portrait of Constantin Stratan

    i. Biography

    Coming Up

    Since 2002, founder and winemaker Constantin Stratan has anchored Equinox in Merenii Noi, Anenii Noi, shaping the estate’s pace and identity through continuity rather than display. His name sits with the label because the work has been built that way: season after season, vintage after vintage, with attention to timing, restraint, and the discipline that winemaking demands when the aim is to let the site speak plainly.

    At Equinox, the exchange between vineyard and cellar remains central. Constantin Stratan’s method rests on holding back where possible, allowing the fruit and the year to remain legible in the finished wine. Since 2002, that approach has defined his work as founder and winemaker, and it continues to locate Equinox firmly in Merenii Noi, Anenii Noi.

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    Where They Are Now

    He remains founder and winemaker in Merenii Noi, Anenii Noi, carrying forward the same line of work established in 2002. The role is concise, but the responsibilities are broad: maintaining Equinox, protecting its direction, and staying close to the land that gives the wines their shape. That kind of continuity is often what gives a cellar its clarity, and Constantin Stratan’s work is built on exactly that kind of steady repetition.

    Signature

    Constantin's signature dishes include 5 Elemente, 5 Elemente Negru, 5 Elemente Orange 2020, and Echinoctius 2015. Taken together, these names form a kind of portrait in wine, each one suggesting a distinct expression while remaining part of the same wider vision. There is a sense of considered structure running through the lineup, and a disciplined imagination behind the naming itself — one that gives each wine its own identity without losing sight of the estate’s larger narrative. 5 Elemente, 5 Elemente Negru, 5 Elemente Roșu, 5 Elemente Orange 2020, and Echinoctius 2015 stand as the most recognizable markers of his work at Equinox.

    In Their Words “Less intervention, more terroir — the wine is born in the vineyard, not in the cellar.” The line captures the approach behind Constantin Stratan’s work since 2002: restraint in the cellar, attention in the vineyard, and a preference for preserving what the site already gives. It is a compact principle, but one with practical weight. For Stratan, the strongest choices are often the ones that leave the fruit, the season, and the place visible in the glass.

    ii

    FAQ

    Asked of Constantin

    • What is Constantin Stratan's current role?

      He is founder and winemaker at Equinox in Merenii Noi, Anenii Noi, a role he has held since 2002.

    • Where did Constantin Stratan work before?

      No earlier roles are listed before Equinox.

    • What awards has Constantin Stratan received?

      No awards are listed.

    The Sunday email

    Read about winemakers like Constantin Stratan in the Sunday email.

    Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.

    See a sample of the Sunday email

    Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.