THE WINE’S PATHS

The Romanian viticulture, with ancient traditions, attested in historic and cartographic documents, connects today the branches of agriculture. The reputation of the wine and grapes quality passed the border of our country. Numerous historic documents stand as a poof that, even from ancient times, on the territory of our country the viticulture was practiced: “Burebista, one of the Geto-Dacian leaders in the I century BC ordered clearing the areas with grapevines, on the grounds that these plantations were all over Dacia and the natives had the custom to deal too much with the production of wine”. Therefore, three centuries before the Romans brought in Dacia the grapevines, on our territory was an intense activity in this field.

Greece imposed to the colonized territories to cultivate the grapes. It is mentioned that in the III rd century BC, around Pontus Euxinus, the viticulture was in continuous growth. Limited in hidden areas, this culture continued also in the period of the migratory population, as a testimonial, we have Latin nomenclature of instrumentation and of different activities connected with this culture. In the feudal period, the grapevines started to spread and, in great part, are mentioned in documents even from XIV-XV century. In the following centuries, the written sources indicate that some of the famous vineyards started to individualize, first those from Cotnari, continuing with the ones from Urticani and Husi, and southerly at Panciu and Odobesti. Became really popular the vineyards from Viisoara, close to Bistrita, as well as those from Targoviste.

Around 1882 the blight brought a real disaster among the country’s vineyards, which reduced their surface, all the means of stopping this pest remained without results, therefore the re-plantation of the vineyards with resistance at blight followed. The hybrid vineyards that occupied territories of great fertility were dropped, the new plantations being on sandy or sloping territories.

The research concerning the layout of the grapevines on the territory attest a high number of vineyards spread all the country’s areas, notably in the hilly areas. Four wine-growing zones were differentiated – one on the external side of the Sub-Carpathians of flexion, between Trotus and Telejen, uniting two important vineyards; the one from Odobesti and the one from Dealul Mare; – the second region is the one from the middle Mures and Tarnave; – the third is Dragasani vineyard and the last region is set on the inferior Mures and included the Arad vineyard and the one from Teremia Mare.
In Podisul Moldovei – Moldova’s Plateau – the most famous are the vineyards from Iasi district, divided into two important centers: Cotnari and Iasi. In this area are cultivated both grapes for wine (Grasa de Cotnari, Feteasca Alba, Reisling) and table grapes (Chasselas, Muscat de Hamburg). Southern of the Barlad plateau, the grapevines are spread in a great amount of villages and frequently dominated by hybrids. The most important vineyard from this area is the one from Husi, a vineyard of tradition, which has varieties of grapes such as: Feteasca, Italian Reisling.

Between the Sub-Carpathians and the confluence of Siret with Barlad is settled the largest vine-growing area from the country – Odobesti-Nicoresti. The main part is localized on Piemontul Odobestilor where one can find a series of famous vineyards: Panciu, Tifesti, Jaristea, Odobesti, Vartescoiu, Cotesti, Urechesti, Tamboiesti. The dominant vine varieties being: Galbena de Odobesti, Feteasca alba and neagra, Riesling, Cabernet. The area is spread until the East of Galati district, a vine yard of high quality is at Targu-Bujor and surroundings.
The Dealu-Mare – Istria vineyard is settled on the meridional versant of the Istrita and Bucovel hill, between Telejenului Valley and Buzau valley. The vine-growing centers from Boldesti, Urlati, Valea Calugareasca, Ceptura, Tohani, Pietroasele became famous because of the red vine variety (Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon) and white wine (Feteasca Alba, Italian Reisling) not only on the territory, but also outside the country. Western, at the edge between hills and field one can find a vine yard of small dimensions, the one from Targoviste and a larger one, the vineyard of Pitesti, with centers at Stefanesti and Topoloveni, known trough the vine variety: Feteasca Regala, Sauvignion Alb, Italian Reisling, Tamaioasa romaneasca.
At the west of Old, the most important is Dragasani vineyard, with the most important centers at Dragasani, Samburesti, Zavideni, Prundeni. Together with other surrounding grapevines, the vineyard from Dragasani is specialized in white wine and in obtaining young vine plants.

On the sands of Oltenia fields stands a large vineyard, the one from Dabuleni-Sadova (aboriginal grapevine), western of those from Segarcea and Plenita.

In Dobrogea, remained under Turkish domination until 1877, the tradition of viticulture was not present (only in the north were some grapevines ever since the XVIII century – at Isacea, Tulcea and Macin – but were accepted only for table grapes), but in the last century it started to develop, some vineyards proving to be really valuable. At the north of hilly plateau of Tulcea are the Niculitel and Macin vineyards.

In the central and south, Murfatlar and Nazarcea, cultivated specially for sweet wine, gained popularity that passed the borders of the country (Chardonnay, Muscat Ottonel, Feteasca de Murfatlar) and those from Ostrov cultivated almost exclusively for table grapes (Afuz-ali).

In the west side the most important is the Arad’s vineyard, settled on the western downhill of Highis mountains with grapevines at Siria, Ghioroc, Minis, Paulis and having vine varieties as Cadarca, Rosu de minis, Mustoasa de Maderat. Western, in the inferior Mures field, developed the Teremia Mare vineyard, and southern the grapevines from Recas and Buzias. All these vine grapes are formed from high level grapes.

A large and popular for the dry wine vineyard (the dominant vine varieties: Traminier, Feteasca Alba, Italian Riesling) is the one from Mures and Tarnave, formed from two groups: one from the foot of the Apuseni mountains with important centers at Aiud, Cricau, Ighiu, Sard, Alba Iulia, and the second, the one from Tarnave, with centers in Jidvei, Richis, Medias, Craciunelu, Seica Mica. The wines from these areas are appreciated also on the international market. In the present time, besides the numerous enterprises of vinification spread almost in all the vineyards of the country, which is added also the organization of experimental wine-growing zones ( Dragasani, Minis, Stefanesti-Arges, Valul lui Traian) were built Centers of wine-growing, preservation and bottling, automated, placed in the main wine-growing areas (Valea Calugareasca, Tohani, Focsani, Murfatlar Husi). The wines of high quality from our country are becoming more and more appreciated on the international market.

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