What are your thoughts about Romanian wine? Have you ever had the pleasure of tasting Romanian wine? I haven’t, and admittedly I didn’t know much about it. However, it is situated in the 45 degree latitude region, with warm summers and cool winters, beautiful natural landscapes consisting of mountains and vast valleys and glacial lakes the mud volcanoes salt mines, and coastlines that border the Black Sea, it is an ideal place to cultivate grapevines. In reality, Romania is one of the largest producers of wine, and it is the fifth-largest producer in Europe following Italy, France, Spain and Germany. Who would have thought?
Philip Cox, founder and commercial director of Cramele Recas, began his British-Romanian venture in an old, rusty winery in the year 1991. Following an £50 million loan, Cramele Recas is now the biggest premium producer in Romania with half of its wines distributed through Romania and the rest exported to all over the globe. National and international grapes are grown there Perhaps you’ve been familiar with Riesling, Aligote, Sauvignon, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir? All of them are produced in Romania as well as local varieties of grapes, including Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Regala, Tamaioasa Romaneasca, Grasa de Cotnari, and Galbena de Odobesti.
Different varieties are appealing to different countries. Pinot Noir is very popular in the UK however they are unable to transfer bottle of it variety in Romania. Romania like the grapes they grow themselves, and the current trend tends to be light and delicate wines, such as the ones made by Feteasca Regala. People in Japan prefer the orange wine because it pairs perfectly with their food, Germany likes the Cabernet and Chardonnay is very popular throughout the USA.
Land isn’t expensive and land is cheap in Romania and the vineyards do well, which is why Cramele Recas can create wines to suit the market. However, this doesn’t mean that the wines are expensive and mass-produced. Winemaking in Romania generally improves and gets better, particularly as the vineyards age. Single vineyard wine is available within Cramele Recas. Cramele Recas range, as well as premium blends in which the grapes are picked by hand from the most desirable parcels. They are proud of the low-intervention approach to winemaking. They produced natural wines for about four years (and are contemplating certification as the same). Romania is a new frontier in the world of wine and isn’t shackled by traditions and the possibilities are unlimited.
Romanian wine is greeted in a variety of ways around the globe. Despite the fact that it is highly regarded in Hungary as an example but it can be difficult to make it appear on shelves of the supermarkets across the UK. The more experienced wine buyers are willing to try Romanian wine as it is an excellent value and is of high quality However, novice wine buyers who have KPIs to achieve may not be convinced to place the wine on the shelves of consumers. However, following recent global incidents, like the pandemic and its effects on the price of wine following Brexit maybe a more quality wine will be more on the list of wine consumers.
So, having tasted a variety of bottles of Cramele Recas What do I think of Romanian wine today? First , the bottles look fantastic. The labels are stylish and will appeal to the market they’re aimed at. Beginning with the wine of orange, Solara Orange, I loved the floral, aromatic wafts of aroma that began with the first sip. 42 percent from the wine is of the fragrant Romanian varieties Feteasca Alba, and the remainder is comprised from Chardonnay, Tamaioasa Romaneasca and Sauvignon all grown organically throughout the Panciu region and hand-picked and then vinified without any intervention. It’s a wonderfully sturdy wine that, for me, smells of bread, peaches and tangy bitter marmalade. It has an enduring, long final.
A little lighter on the palate are the two following: Sorcova Pinot Grigio and Wine Atlas Feteasca Regala. It is a light wine. Feteasca Regala is dry and easy to drink – a lovely and summery wine that has ripe exotic fruit flavors – however, this Sorcova Pinot Grigio is the most surprising. It is more fragrant than most Pinot Grigio out there, it has a distinct fruity flavor (lime yellow apple, lime honeydew Melon) and a lively acidity. The wine will be released in Waitrose on June 22nd, costing PS7.79. This is a steal.
The next step up is it’s the Wildflower Cuvee Blanc is impressive and delicious. It’s 65 percent Chardonnay 20 percent Feteasca Regala and 10 percent Sauvin Blanc and 5 percent Muscat It’s sweet smooth, sweet and juicy. It’s also very textural. it’s truly stunning. Vanilla, peaches and cream pod.
I am about to embark on a tour of two bottles of reds. I begin at the beginning with Incanta Pinot Noir. It’s a ripe Pinot Noir, with the aroma of black cherries as well as cranberry, and spice being influenced by French oak. It’s refreshing and drinkable, with a pleasant, but not overly long, finish. the end. The Selene is a mighty wine. Showing off the best that Romania can make using its own grapes, this red is a powerful deep red is made using 100 percent Feteasca Neagra grapes that were hand-picked from vines that are 20 years old with carefully chosen micro parcels. It has been filtered through natural malolactic fermentation, then and then stored in French oak barrels and released unfiltered. If you are a fan of large and spicy Cabernet Sauvignons, or Malbecs and Malbecs, give this wine a try. It’s a dark, rich, and smoky wine with black pepper, and some leather at the end. It’s truly, seriously excellent.
If you’ve not had the pleasure of tasting Cramele Recas wine it’s well worth having a try. They offer a level of quality and elegance that is in truth, a wonderful delight and value for money that’s hard to beat There’s absolutely nothing at stake and nothing you can lose.