Wine production drops by one fifth due to drought

The reasons for the drop in wine production are this year’s natural disasters which destroyed 10-30 percent of wine productions in Romania, depending on geographical area. “The market growth is due to a significant rise in consumption of quality and implicitly more expensive bottled wines,” Ovidiu Gheorghe, General Manager of the National Vineyard and Wine Producers’ Employers Association, (PNVV), told Business Standard.

Despite low production, winegrowers count on this year’s excellent wine quality. “Higher temperatures than last year led to earlier harvesting, a higher level of sugar, riper grapes, richer flavor, in short, higher wine quality,” said Daniel Negrescu, Brand Manager of Murfatlar, one of the major players on the wine market.

PNVV officials estimate an average wine production of 5.5 mln hectoliters in 2007. Most of Romania’s wine production is concentrated in six main vineyard regions: Dobrogea, Moldavia, Dealu Mare, Banat, Oltenia, and Transylvania.

The most affected area was Tulcea, where this year’s wine production was halved, according to PNVV data. Production fell by 10 percent in Moldavia and Oltenia and by 20 percent in the Husi and Dealu Mare areas.

“At Colinele Tutovei hills, hail and rain destroyed approximately 100 hectares of vineyard. I am unable to estimate the damage at the moment but we are not concerned because we have insurance,” businessman Adrian Porumboiu, owner of the vineyard, told Business Standard. However, production is expected to increase by 25-30 percent year-on-year in Banat and by 20-30 percent in Transylvania, according to PNVV.

Cotnari, another major player on this market, also registered a production lower by 10 percent from the 10.2 mln grapes and 6 mln liters of wine obtained in 2006, according to company data. “Although it affected the grapes, this year’s drought was welcomed, as it increased the sugar level and wines will be of high quality, even compared to the 2000 and 2004 years, which are of reference for us,” Laurentiu Anghel, Marketing Manager of Cotnari, told Business Standard.

Consumption 
According to wine producers, Romanians drink, on average, some 30 liters of wine per year, while the annual beer consumption amounts to 81 liters per capita.