About Romania

Romania is one of the oldest and finest wine producing regions in the world, but is "unknown" compared to other extraordinary wine growing regions like Tuscany, Bordeaux, Piedmont, and Oregon State, which are also located on the 45th parallel. Today Romania is one of the top ten wine producing countries in the world and in the top six in Europe. Some of the vineyards of antiquity survived the centuries and are still producing the wonderful wines poets, travelers, philosophers, European Royalty, lovers, and monks have raved about since time immemorial.

Romania has been producing wines for over 6,000 years, but due to the obstruction of the communist regime up until 1989 the world was hindered from the enjoyment of these exceptional wines. Exports, typically of the highest caliber of Romanian wines, have been on the rise, however there is still a relatively small amount that travels outside the country.

Vineyards are split into eight regions, which are then divided into 50 appellations. Dealu Mare is one of the most esteemed wine producing regions in Romania, where the extraordinary Villa Zorilor vineyard is located. Samburesti is home to Castel Bolovanu where the finest noble and mature berries are grown, creating the most unforgettable Cabernet Sauvignon in Romania. The third region of Vanju Mare is known for its elegant and richly intense red and white wines from Terase Danubiane.

Traveling from the Black Sea 3,000 years ago, the Greeks introduced Germanic grape varieties in Romania. After phylloxera struck in the 1880s destroying many of the grape varieties, replacement varieties from France were introduced including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. Some indigenous grape varieties remain including Tãmaiíoasã Romaneascã, Feteascã Albã, Feteascã Regalã, and Feteasca Neagrã. Feteascã Neagrã, grown on the Moldavian hills since ancient times, produces dry, semidry or sweet wines, a deep red color with ruby shades, and a black currant flavor, richer and smoother with aging. This unique jewel of Romania is very rarely found outside the country due to is vigorous and short vegetation period, which must be grafted on less sturdy rootstock and planted where the soils is not so fertile.

Capital:	Bucharest
Official Language(s):	Romanian (other unofficial languages Hungarian and German)
Government:	Republic
Geographic Coordinates:	46° 00’ N, 25° 00’ E
Population (2006 est.):	22,303,552
Per Capita GPD (2005 est.):	$8,200
Currency:	Euro (€)
Bordering Countries:	Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine (north), Ukraine (east)
Total Wine Consumption (2001):	4,705,000 hectoliters
Per Capita Wine Consumption (2001):	20.99 liters per capita
Total Wine Production (2001):	5,090,000 hectoliters
Total Vineyard Acreage (2001):	610,000 acres
Indigenous Grape Varieties:	Tãmaiíoasã Romaneascã, Feteascã Albã, Feteascã Regalã, Feteasca Neagrã
Cheers in Romanian:	Noroc!