EU funds had their contribution, with the field completely drawing the sums made available.
The new wineries’ emergence on the market came at a time when consumption started maturing, and the premium segment is gaining shape with the development of a new niche, that of rose wine, which is heading toward 10% of sold volumes.
New-entrants’ “weapons” were sommeliers, participation in fairs and sustained promotion investments.
“From the moment small wineries producing above-average wines in terms of quality started emerging on the market, a long process of consumer taste reeducation also started,” says Ghenadie Bobeica, general manager of WineRo, the company owning Crama Alira.
Large producers, generating volumes of tens of million euros, were also active and started getting a taste for premium wines. An example is that of Murfatlar, which launched M1. Crama Atelier, a project whose results are above initial estimates.
Victor Ciuperca, country manager of amb Holding, which owns Crama Liliac, puts last year’s premium wine output at below 10% of the total.
After the crisis onset, wines have become an investment alternative for many of those who used to opt for other fields and at auctions prices rose after 2008. There are also Romanian investors banking on returns brought by old wines.
By wine production, Romania this year ranks 12 in the world, with 4 million hectoliters of wine, according to data provided by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV). Output was much lower compared with 2013 because of the unfavorable weather. However, Romania’s potential in the field is still high.
One of the latest investments in the field is the one carried out in Dealu Mare by Italian winemaker Marchesi Antinori, who completed a EUR5 million project.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)