Romanian Wines

Coming to Romania, I was looking forward to exploring what appeared to be a vibrant wine industry. I have tried a decent number of wines since arriving, including varietals I had never heard of. A few weeks ago I met someone who works in the industry. She organized a trip to Crama Dobrogeana winery in the nearby city of Măcin on which I went.

Măcin is about a 45 ride from Galaţi. The first step on the journey is a trip across the Danube on the ferry.

Upon arriving we were first given a tour of the winery. I would describe Crama Dobrogeana s a medium sized winery. It was larger than a lot of the boutique wineries I have visited in Califronia, but smaller than the immense commercial wineries. We viewed the fermentation room, the laboratory, the bottling room, and a few of the tasting and conference rooms.

Crama Dobrogeana has even been granted a patent by the former Romanian royal family.

Following the tour we settled into a very nice dining room for tasting and lunch.

I was surprised to see that we were going to tasting 12 wines - 6 whites, 2 roses, and 4 reds. It was nice to try both Romanian varietals I had never tried before and to see the differences in the wines using varietals with which I am familiar. To go with the wine we were provided cheese (which I think was made from sheep's milk), apple slices, and 2 kinds of incredibly good bread.

For the most part, the wines were good and there were a few clear standouts. First was the dry Muscat Ottonel. It reminded me of a chardonnay, but without the parts of chardonnay i typically do not like. I can not think of an instance were I have seen Muscat presented in a dry style in the United States, and after tasting this wine I think it is a shame. 

Surprisingly, I also liked the Merlot. We so often think of Merlot in the United States as a sort of entry level wine undeserving of accolades. This Merlot had the typically fruity character expected in the varietal, but amplified to an incredible degree compared to Merlots I have had before. I think this is one varietal that Romania does better than California. 

My favorite wine of the day was number ten on the above chart, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvingnon, and Petit Verdot. It was a viscous and earthy wine, with qualities approaching a Spanish Tempranillo. Unfortunately, this was a preview of an upcoming release and not yet for sale. 

Also notable is the Pinot Noir. In general, Romanian Pinot Noirs, this one included, are prepared as sweet wines. I can not say that I am a fan of this, but it seems popular and is worth trying. 

After tasting, we were served a lunch consisting of mici, pork, salad, and potatoes. Dessert was really good house-made coffee ice cream.

This was a great day. The experience actually beat many of the tastings I have had in California. I was very happy to find a few great wines. I am missing California wines, though, and look forward to a good Napa Valley Cabernet, Paso Robles Zinfandel, Carneros Pinot Noir, or Santa Ynez Syrah.