Romanian wine


is one of the world's largest wine producers and fifth largest among European wine-producing countries, after Italy, France, Spain, and Germany. In 2018 it produced around 5.2 million hectolitres of wine. In recent years, Romania has attracted many European business people and wine buyers, due to the affordable prices of both vineyards and wines compared to other wine-producing nations such as France, Germany, and Italy.
Romania's most cultivated grape varieties are for white wines Fetească Albă, Fetească Regală, Riesling, Aligoté, Sauvignon, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Tămâioasă Românească, Grasă de Cotnari, Galbenă de Odobești. Also, the main grape varieties for red wines are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Băbească Neagră, Fetească Neagră, Pinot Noir.

History

Romania has one of the oldest wine-making traditions in the world and its viticulture dates back more than 6,000 years. Due to suitable climate, relief and soils, viticulture became a current activity of the local inhabitants mainly in the hilly areas. Numerous local wine grape varieties have been obtained during medieval time by empirical selection, becoming representatives for Romanian wine regions. Up to the phylloxera crisis, each Romanian wine region had its own wine grape assortment, that generated specific local wines. Since the medieval period, wine has been the traditional alcoholic beverage of the Romanians.
In the 1880s phylloxera was introduced accidentally also in Romania, and destroyed the local viticulture in the coming years. Restoration of the Romanian viticulture lasted until the beginning of the 20th century, and was done mainly by planting French wine grape varieties such as Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvingnon etc. Besides these, phylloxera-resistant grape hybrids were also planted.
Romania has about 187,000 hectares of vine plantations; that ranks it on sixth place between the European wine-producing countries. With a wine production of about 4.5 million hl/year, Romania is the thirteenth largest wine-producing country in the world.

Wine-producing regions

Main wine regions of Romania are:
The wine grape assortments of Romanian wine-growing regions encompasses many varieties for white, red and aromatic wines. Each wine-growing region has its own, traditional varieties, as: Zghihara de Huși and Busuioaca de Bohotin for the Huși wine-growing region; Feteasca neagră for the Iași wine-growing region; Grasa de Cotnari and Frâncușa for the Cotnari wine-growing region; Crâmpoșie for the Drăgășani wine-growing region; Băbeasca Neagră for the Nicorești wine-growing region; Iordană și Ardeleancă for the Târnave; or Mustoasă de Măderat for the Miniș wine-growing region. Also, each wine-growing region cultivate international wine grape varieties, mainly: Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling italico, Pinot gris and Traminer for white wines; and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot noir for red wines. All these local and international varieties form the basis of many wines, presented mainly under the name of the wine grape variety and less under the name of producer, or under a marketing name.
Between the aromatic wine grape varieties, the most appreciated and cultivated are Tămâioasa românească and Busuioacă de Bohotin.
Beside these traditional wines obtained from native varieties, one can find wines obtained from all best known international wine grape varieties for white, red and aromatic wines.

Wineries