Cramele Recaș announces €11m expansion to boost production
Cramele Recaș, Romania’s largest wine producer, has announced an €11m investment plan to expand its operations and increase production to 50 million bottles per year, with a target turnover of €100m within the next three to five years.
The family-owned winery, established in the late 1990s by Philip Cox, his wife Elvira, and partners Ioan Georgiu and Gheorghe Iova, currently operates over 1250ha of vineyards in eastern Romania.
Cramele Recaș, listed in major supermarkets and retailers across 23 countries, is a key player in eastern European wine production. The company has seen significant growth, nearly tripling its turnover from €28m in 2015 to €72m by 2023, as well as increasing its annual sales from 11 million to 32 million bottles.
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The investment will focus on three major areas of development. Cramele Recaș is acquiring Tenuta Odobești Winery, located in Vrancea, the largest wine region in Romania. The acquisition, recently approved by Romania’s competition council, will increase production capacity from 7 million litres to 12 million litres. “We are excited to partner with Fabrizio Mosconi, who will continue as managing director at Tenuta,” Cox said, highlighting their shared vision for growth in premium and sparkling wine production.
The company is also investing in a new bottling facility, expected to be operational by 2025. The state-of-the-art facility will be the largest of its kind in eastern Europe, capable of filling 13,000 bottles per hour. Cramele Recaș plans to integrate AI technology into the facility to enhance quality control and efficiency. “This new facility will help us meet increasing demand while ensuring sustainability through automated processes,” Cox explained.
Additionally, a new warehouse, set for completion in August 2024, will support the expanded production. The warehouse will hold up to 9 million bottles and use advanced technology for stock and climate control.
For more details on Cramele Recaș’s expansion plans, see Philip Cox’s Q&A in the September issue of Harpers.
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