Rumania

Rumania began producing sparkling wines as far back as 1840. In the 1980s its annual production was about 15 to 20 million bottles. It is among the ten leading wine-producing companies in the world. Total area given over to wine-growing: 250,000 hectares, 50 % of the area of the vineyard planted with hybrids for home consumption.

• Production of sparkling wines

The company ASTEZE produces 60% of sparkling wines
Other producer: KAROM.
Production regions : Transylvania : the valleys of Tirnava Mare and Tirnava Mica produce predominantly still and sparkling white wines in a cool climate

• Consumption of sparkling wines

Seasonal affiliation (holiday periods).
About 7 million bottles sold each year.
Large part of consumption represented by cheaper sparkling wines. _ Higher quality wines produced by a traditional method only represented 500,000 bottles sold in 2005.

• Exports of sparkling wines

50,000 bottles heading for Denmark and Estonia

• Imports of sparkling wines

430,000 bottles from France, Italy, Germany and Spain.

• Development potential

Restructuring of wine-growing units with external, economic players bringing strategies for investment marketing and replanting the vineyard.
The lack of capital does not favour rapid modernisation of the sector, with the exception of a few large companies.
Looking for foreign partners to modernise growing methods and winegrowing processes. Above all in sectors such as machinery for cultivating, treating, harvesting, stocks, fungicides, insecticides, wine production and packaging technology.

Economic Mission Bucharest - February 2006