Quality and native grapes of Romania webinar
Romania produces more wine than New Zealand, yet it is little known beyond its borders for anything more than price-fighting Pinot in all shades. It has so much more to offer in terms of variety and quality, so this webinar took a look at what producers can do and whether native grapes play a role in their story. A panel of four speakers from Romania were moderated by myself, Caroline Gilby MW (author of The wines of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova ) – Cristiana Stoica (owner of Avincis Estate), Oliver Bauer (owner of Crama Bauer and winemaker at Prince Știrbey), Dan Balaban (owner of Davino Winery) and Philip Cox (co-owner of Cramele Reca Ș ). All the speakers brought different perspectives and insights and discussions were wide ranging, covering topics including: native grapes and which if any has the potential to be a flagship; the significance of Pinot Noir; the impact of privatisation following the previous era; domestic market trends and why Romania is a net importer of wine. Other subjects included the challenges of exports to various markets including Western Europe and the US; organic and sustainable viticulture and its feasibility; investments and the challenges of developing a promotional strategy to raise global awareness. Discussions also touched on climate change and availability of labour, local winemakers and what political/governmental support the industry would find helpful.