“The market went down slightly compared with the same interval last year,” said Ioana Benga, PR manager of the company.
Jidvei, a family-owned business, posted revenues of 100.7 million lei (EUR22.8 million) in 2012, according to the Finance Ministry website, a year when the company focused on super premium products.
The winemaker has about 2,000 hectares of vineyard in Alba County (central Romania), where it also owns the Cetatea de Balta castle found on the labels of wines. Its wine brands include Castel, Tezaur, Nec Plus Ultra, Grigorescu, Jidvei Clasic, as well as sparkling wine and brandy. The best-selling brands in the first half were Traditional and Grigorescu.
“We expanded the Nec Plus Ultra line with a Chardonnay and a rose wine to complement the Sauvignon Blanc. As more and more Jidvei wines vintage 2012 become available on the market we hope for a very good sales performance in the coming period,” Benga said.
Jidvei focused on premium and super premium products in 2012 and began rebranding some of the already existing ranges and launching new super premium product lines.
Rivals Murfatlar and Vincon, too, have been investing in premium and super premium wines.
The company did not export a lot in the first half, Ioana Benga said. “We focused more on new contacts and on opening new markets, so as to be able to expect steady sales from foreign markets. We have already approached two new markets: Australia and Japan and are trying to consolidate exports on the markets where we have already established a presence,” she added.
Romania’s wine industry sells most of its production on the home market and exports remain low. The country ranks tenth in the world in terms of vineyard area and fifth in Europe, which cannot be said about its exports.
The local wine market is estimated at EUR350 million and the biggest competitors are Murfatlar, Vincon, Jidvei, Cotnari, and Tohani. (EUR1=RON4.421)
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)