Successes of Romanian wines at the Winelovers Wine Awards

Wine production in what is now Romania dates back to antiquity, with the Greeks bringing grapes to the area via the Black Sea between 600 and 500 BC. During the Middle Ages, monasteries played a major role in the development of vine and wine culture, especially in the Valea Călugărească and Drăgăşani regions as well as in Transylvania. As in much of Europe, the phylloxera epidemic in the 19th century wiped out most vineyards here too. Replanting was carried out with French assistance, and the first appellations of origin were established in the early twentieth century through viticultural regulations. During the communist period 1944-1989, the acreage of many indigenous varieties dwindled, with preference being given to higher-yielding varieties. After the regime change, foreign investment and EU funds started to restore the country’s winemaking heritage.

 

Romania’s grape varieties include both international and indigenous varieties. The most popular international white varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, while for the black varieties, it’s Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pinot Noir. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon produce the most prominent premium wines. Most winegrowers cultivate either only international varieties or hybrids of international and local varieties.

 

The most prominent indigenous varieties are Fetească Alba, Fetească Regală, Tămȃioasă Romȃnească, Fetească Neagră and Băbească Neagră. Romania has yet to find its flagship variety, but some wineries believe there is a lot of potential in indigenous varieties. Both Fetească Regală (the country’s most widely planted variety) and Fetească Neagră stand a good chance of competing for this title.

 

 

 

Cramele Recaș, SERVE Ceptura Winery, Bogdan Estate and Via Viticola Winery entered the most wines in the 2023 Winelovers Wine Awards, so we will present their winning wines. The four wineries are a good demonstration of the diversity of Romanian wineries: Recaș is a really large winery with a huge export market, SERVE is the result of a collaboration between a French nobleman and a Romanian winemaker since the nineties, Bogdan produces his wines following biodynamic principles, while Via Viticola represents an exclusive line both in its wines and its presentation, with a special focus on the Aligoté variety.

 

Cramele Recaș Winery was awarded for their Cabernet Sauvignon, but also for an indigenous variety, while one of their wines also won the Best of Romania award.

 

Cramele Recaș La Stejari Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 – 93 points, Gold, Best of Romania

Cramele Recaș Selene Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – 91 points, Gold

Cramele Recaș Sole Sauvignon Blanc 2022 – 91 points, Gold, Best of Sauvignon Blanc

Cramele Recaș Selene Fetească Neagră 2021 – 90 points, Gold

 

Narcis Georgiu at Cramele Recaș says of its success at the awards:  “We won a lot of medals, but we are especially proud of the La Stejari Cabernet 2018 – Gold medal and Best of Romania." “Wineries in this part of Europe are quite new – even though our countries have been making "wines for thousands of years. To show what we have got, we have to participate in competitions to measure our wines’ quality  in comparison with other wines."

 

 

Located about 40 kilometres from Timișoara, the Cramele Recaș Winery is one of the most technologically advanced wineries in Europe, with nearly 1,200 hectares of vines in the Banat wine region. Its wines have won awards at the world’s most prestigious wine competitions. It exports more than half of Romania’s bottled wines to 26 countries. Its vineyards boast many different microclimates, which are excellent for both local and international varieties.

 

 

The Via Viticola Winery is located in the oldest vineyard area in the Dobrogea wine region, near the hills of Saricia and Niculițel. The winery has preserved traditional winemaking methods (such as grape selection), while its winemakers are also masters of new winemaking techniques. One of the winery’s emblematic varieties is Aligoté, Burgundy’s second white variety after Chardonnay.