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1. Market Area
Romania has a large amount of land dedicated to vines - almost as much vineyard area as Portugal. It is a country which is notable for the number and scope of vine varieties, the most planted of which are Feteasca Alba and Feteasca Regala.
Romanian Pinot Noir is the most well known grape variety to come out of Romania.
After the restoration of the vineyards in the end of the XIXth century and its extension by the communist system in the sixties, Romania has become the largest producer of wine in the Balkans and the fifth European country in terms of wine area (after Spain, Italy, France and Portugal).
The first planting had favored French grape varieties, notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. In the sixties, the emphasis was on the indigenous grape varieties. Romania possesses thus an excellent "raw material": healthy vines and old enough and fluctuated grape varieties.
Romania has a climate characterized by the hot summers and rigorous winters. The Black Sea brings a moderating influence, while Carpatians obstruct the cold, northern air mass. As a general rule, the northern regions, Moldavia and Transylvania are the most propitious to the white wine production, while the best red wines originate from Muntenie and Dobroudja.
In red, the best indigenous grape variety is Feteasca Neagra. It gives robust wines, beaming and fruity from their first flush of youth, and they keep well. Babeasca Neagra produces more light wines while Cadarca is employed for more ordinary wines westward of the country.
In white, Feteasca Alba is of a first-rate quality. Among French vines, the most cultivated are, in red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir ...