At an average ex works price of EUR1 per liter, the production should be worth about half a billion euros.
“We’ll have a good production this year. We have both quantity because it rained and also good sugar accumulation in grape berries,” said Ovidiu Gheorghe, general manager of Romania’s winegrowers’ association, PNVV.
This will enable Romania to keep its 11th place among world’s largest winemakers, which it filled last year, but is far from the 6.7 million hectoliter record of 2009. Production will also increase in other European countries this year.
World’s largest winemaker, France, will see production reach 45.8 million hectoliters, up 11% on 2012, but below initial expectations, according to Bloomberg.
The data about this year’s production will be revealed soon, Ovidiu Gheorghe said.
Last year’s production was poor, because of the drought, the late frost and the hail that hit most vineyards.
Winemaker Murfatlar expects 30% higher production, Cotnari expects a record year, Carl Reh Winery estimates growth of 40% to 120% and Agricola Stirbey 10% to 20%.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)