A1.13 Romanian wines - Facts and Figures

Before starting the Romanian wine guide, we would like to get you familiarized with some frequently asked questions that should give you a first good picture of Romanian wines.

Very few foreigners know the answer to the following questions:

• I’ve heard that Queen Elizabeth II likes Romanian wine, is that true?
• Which is the most expensive Romanian wine?
• Which is the average price of a Romanian wine?
• Which is the best Romanian wine?
• Which are the most popular Romanian wines?
• Which are the Romanian local wine types?
• I've heard that the world's largest cellars are in Romania, is that true?
• Can I find organic wine in Romania?
• Where can I buy Romanian wines?
• What makes Romanian wines special?
• How do Romanian wines fare in international wine rankings?
• How can one tell whether a Romanian wine is a good one?
• Can you easily find other than Romanian wines in Romania?
• How big is the Romanian wine industry?
• How many wineries are there in Romania?
• Is wine-making a good business in Romania?

I’ve heard that Queen Elisabeth II is ordering Romanian wine, is that true?

It is well known that Queen Elisabeth II likes "Negru de Purcari" very much. Even though this is a Romanian name it is a wine produced in Republic of Moldova, Romania's neighbor (where Moldavian is spoken, a regional variant of Romanian).

Which is the most expensive Romanian wine?

The most expensive Romanian wine is priced at 270RON (aprox $64, €61) for the Davino red wine Rezerva 2009. We excluded: the vintage wines, the ones which are out of stock and the bigger bottles (magnum) which can be more expensive. This is the price in an online shop excluding delivery costs.

What is the average price of a Romanian wine?

The average price for the best Romanian wines (including many vintage wines (10 years, 7 years…) is around 18$ (17€). The price for a 2-3 year old wine would average around 3-7($ or €). This is the price in an online shop excluding delivery costs.

Which is the best Romanian wine?

We have drafted a list of the 10 best Romanian wines. Please check out the article to find out which of wines we recommend.

Which are the most popular Romanian wines?

In Romania several wines are very popular but the ones that most Romanian know are six varieties of wine: Fetească Regală, Fetească Albă, Fetească Neagră, Grasă de Cotnari, Tămâioasă românească and Busuioacă de Bohotin. These are all indigenous grape vines. For more details please check out our next article on Grape Varieties in Romania.

Which are the Romanian local wine types?

Besides the six wine varieties already mentioned there are very many other local wine varieties, however only a few of these are widely used. For more details please check out our next article on Grape Varieties in Romania.

I've heard that the world's largest cellars are in Romania, is that true?

The world's biggest wine cellar is located in "Mieștii Mici" in Republic of Moldova, thus not in Romania. The cellars are 120Km(90mi) long, 55Km (34mi) usable sheltering 1,5million bottles of wine (Guinness world record). However a dialect of Romanian is spoken there.

Can I find organic wine in Romania?

Yes, Romanian wineries produce organic wine. It is still a market under development.

Where can I buy Romanian wine?

We have prepared a dedicated article on local shops in your country, shops in Romania and online shops that sell Romanian wines. Please visit it here.

What makes Romanian wines special?

Romanian wines are special for several reasons:

• You get a very good quality wine for your money. Good quality Romanian wine (internationally recognized) is more affordable than other similar ranked wines, therefore Romanian wines offer a very competitive quality / price ratio.
• Romania offers the international wine varieties (e.g. merlot, cabernet sauvignon) as well as very many other semi-sweet, semi-dry wines.
• Romanian terroir and special local Romanian wine varieties (see next article on varieties)

How do Romanian wines fare in international wine rankings?

Better and better. For many years Romanian wines have won international competitions such as Vinailes Internationales, Merlot du Monde, or Mundus Vini. Moreover the best wine critics have started looking closer at Romania with Robert Parker awarding 90 points for several Romanian Wines and Jancis Robinson reviewing the Romanian wines as well.

How can you tell whether a Romanian wine is good or not?

There are certain indications to help you recognize a good wine. You can find more details in our article on Romanian Wine Classification.

Can you easily find other than Romanian wines in Romania?

Yes, you can easily find French, Italian or Spanish wines as well as other ones.

How big is the Romanian wine industry?

Romania is the 6th largest European Union and 13th worldwide wine producer with 4-5 million hectoliters a year.

How many wine producers does Romania have?

Around 140 producers in 2015 (according to the official counting of Romanian authorities).

Is wine-making a good business in Romania?

Wine-making is still an interesting business in Romania. With more than 100 wine producers there is though some competition on the market. In the last 10 years many new wineries have been established. Nevertheless the prices for vineyards are still quite cheap compared to other parts of Europe and the world and the price of the final product, a bottle of wine, is also quite low making it very competitive on the international market. Just to name a few of the most recent wineries: Alira, Viile Metamorfosis, Lacerta, Liliac, Bauer, Avincis, Bazilescu.
Romania is gaining slow but sure recognition of the high quality of its many wines.