A Brief History of Romanian Wine

Romania has one of the oldest winemaking traditions in the world, its viticulture dating back over 7,000 years, deeming it inseparable from the country’s natural history. According to legend, Dionysus, the Thracian god of wine, was born in what is now Romania. Plato declared the vineyards of that region to be the best in the world. Its wines became so famous that in the first century BC the Dacian King Burebista ordered that all the vineyards be destroyed to discourage possible invaders. His subjects were not as obedient as expected and soon new vineyards flourished, extending their renown throughout the Roman Empire.
A coin minted during the reign of Trajan depicted a woman with two children, one holding a bunch of grapes and the other ears of wheat. Especially from the Middle Ages onward there was frequent mention of the quality and quantity of the wines produced in all the four future Romanian provinces (Transylvania, Tara Romaneasca, Moldavia and Dobrogea). There is evidence of consumption of Moldavian wines in Constantinople, Warsaw and Vienna, while the production from Tara Romaneasca was exported to Egypt and the Ottoman Empire (which had not yet conquered Constantinople).
However, disaster struck in the 19th century, in the form of the phylloxera (root insect) infestation, which left the vineyards in ruins. Other grape varieties had to be introduced, mainly from France, although the French vineyards were not free from attacks either. On the beneficial side some noble varieties of French and Italian grapes were introduced into Romanian winemaking. Soon after this period, however, the cultivation of poor quality hybrids began, mainly due to the poverty of farmers. Two world wars and regime change took their toll on Romania. It wasn’t until the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, followed by the return of vineyards to their rightful owners, that the industry became revitalized. Indeed, since then there has been massive growth, stimulated by state-aided investment in replanting vineyards, modernizing cellars and upgrading winemaking technology. Romania is currently the 6th largest wine producer in the European Union and 12th in the world, with over 180.000 hectares of vineyards. Producing grapes at the same latitude as Bordeaux and Burgundy, France or Piemonte in Italy, Romania has perfect conditions for a perfect product.