The market trend in terms of wine is to go toward the premium segment which raises receipts, even though consumption falls in terms of quantity, Victor Ciuperca, Area Manager AMB Holding (Liliac Winery), told ZF Live.
“Low-quality wine consumption has decreased, but premium spirits consumption has risen. In the world of wine there’s an interesting phenomenon: global consumption is falling, but wine sales are rising and so are receipts. Ten years ago, major wine players, inherited from the communist era, held almost 70% of the market. At present, they do not hold more than 55%. The rest is filled by small wineries,” said Ciuperca.
Romania can become a powerful player only if the state plays a role in strengthening the country image and brand. Romania is perceived as a producer of “cheap” wine internationally. A way to promote the country brand in the wine industry would be tourism, currently very weakly represented.
“You take the product abroad, people taste it, they like it, but when they hear it’s wine from Romania, they perceive it as ‘cheap and good’. We must boost the country’s renown as a high-quality wine producer,” stated Ciuperca.
The price of a good wine in Romania varies. In retail, a good wine starts from RON30, and in restaurants from RON70-80. The price of wine grows with its age. The premium range of Liliac Winery is Liliac wine, selling for between RON30-90, depending on the production year.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)