Romania zeros in on UK market

Romanian wine producers have joined forces in the country's most concerted bid to crack the UK market.

Nine winemakers from some of Romania's best-known regions have gathered under a generic umbrella, the title of which has yet to be decided.

The new UK marketing campaign will be spearheaded by Manchester-based Rumpus Communications.

The companies involved are a mix of major players and small boutique and youthful wineries.
Major producers include Cramele Recas and Halewood. Up and coming wineries such as Domeniul Coroanei and Prince Stirbey will also be represented.

Dan Muntean, managing director of Halewood Romania, said: "I am delighted that together with the most prestigious winemaking companies in Romania we have finally agreed to create an agency that will represent Romania's wines in the UK. We needed a voice to make the wines of this land better known to the UK trade and consumer."

Philip Cox, a partner in the 700-hectare Cramele Recas vineyard and winery, said that the time is ripe to showcase Romania to the UK market.

The Bristol-born businessman is now based near Timisoara in western Romania.

Cox said: "I think we are living in exiting times and there is a great future for Romanian wine. It has always been a large wine producing country with a diverse and high quality set of vineyard regions with great natural potential and great heritage. Now with all the new development projects going on, I am sure that a lot of exiting and surprising wines will be made. Thanks to the strategic position close to the heart of the EU, which is one of the world's biggest wine markets, Romania will start to be a commercial force in the wine world."

Cox added that the country is already starting to produce high quality wines. "Romania has so much to offer as a wine country: perfect climate and soil conditions, great diversity, exciting local grape varieties, exceptional terroirs, an influx of new investors committed to quality and innovation, and a long and rich wine and food culture," Cox said.

• Sommeliers