In 2014, local winemakers expect sold volumes to go up by as much as 5%, after a longer period of market contraction.
Thus, 2014 could be the first year of growth for the wine market, hurt so far by the weak purchasing power. Looking for shelter, producers shifted towards more expensive wines, but this segment is also becoming crowded.
“We expect the market to rise by around 5%,” said Costin Ghita, national director of Jidvei producer.
He noticed that in 2013 consumption shifted either to the low-price segment or the super-premium or exclusivist products on the wine market.
The wine market has become extremely competitive after being flooded with new wines coming from investments based on EU funds. It was mainly expensive wines that have emerged, which companies are trying to sell both on the domestic market and abroad.
Romania exported wines worth of EUR22 million in 2012, about half of the value of wine imports in the same year.
“We hope 2014 will bring an increase in wine export volumes, as the 2013 harvest was very good, both in quantitative and qualitative aspects, in Romania,” said Gabriel Roceanu, general manager at Carl Reh Winery.
“We could benefit from the lower production, due to bad weather in countries such as France, Italy and Spain.”
While initially the launch of a premium product was seen as a step to refining consumer tastes, now the first questions are emerging on the sustainability of such launches.
“The market is crowded, but more and more producers put themselves is faulty positions–in the premium segment–since their first crops, hoping for a quick return of investment,” said Ciprian Rosca, commercial manager of Cramele Recas.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)