Romanian wine supplier predicts rise of indigenous grapes following supermaket boost

By Martin Green

Published: 27 May, 2015

A Romanian wine supplier that has increased UK exports tenfold in the past five years predicts a golden dawn for the country's wines after gaining listings for premium lines made with indigenous grapes.

A Romanian wine supplier that has increased UK exports tenfold in the past five years has predicted a golden dawn for the country's wines after gaining listings for premium lines made with indigenous grapes.

Cramele Recas sells 2m bottles of Pinot Grigio and 1.5m bottles of Pinot Noir in the UK each year through various channels. It also supplies the wine for Copestick Murray's 'I Heart Merlot' brand and has built up sales by playing down the origin of the wine and focusing instead on packaging and price.

But it is now building up a burgeoning business with independent groups like Tanners in Shropshire and Adnams in East Anglia and pushing its top wines such as Solo Quinta 2014, a white blend of Chardonnay, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Feteasc? Regal?, that retails at £12.

It has also started selling a Feteasc? Regal? and a Feteasc? Neagr? at Asda, both retailing at £6, as part of the retailer's new 17-strong Wine Atlas range aimed at experimental shoppers.

Owner Philip Cox, a Bristolian who emigrated to Romania, has built up a vast empire in the western Timisoara region after buying Recas in 2000 and turning the ramshackle vineyard and winery into a well-oiled machine. He told Harpers.co.uk: "It's a brave move from Asda and a good sign for us that the international varieties have sold well and they feel happy moving up to a local variety. It's a very exciting time. We also sell a Shiraz, Cabernet and Feteasc? Neagr? blend for £7.99 at Waitrose, which is another good sign.

"The UK has become Romania's biggest export market for wine in the past few years. One-third of all exports now go to the UK.

"Professional buyers and the public are looking for new things that are good value for money and Romania is very good value for money. There are low labour costs and you can make good wine for a good price and we present in a good way, with clear packaging, that's easy to understand. It's not because Romania is selling it, it's all about packaging, labelling and price.

"We do the 'I Heart Merlot' for Copestick Murray. You know it is Romanian if you bought it. It tells you in small print on the back label. We sell 350,000 cases in the UK but not a lot of people know about it, because a lot of it doesn't look Romanian. Even people from Nielsen and agencies that measure it don't always figure out that it's Romanian."

But the tide is now changing with the new listings featuring indigenous varietals.

Cox said: "The way in is to do good entry-level wines and build up on top of that and start doing top wines.

"Our sales in the UK are 10 times more than they were five years ago. We were doing all right five years ago and now it's huge. People in the trade are much more comfortable with it. Five years ago only the very brave ones would give it a go. Now they are all doing it.

"We are getting a lot more UK business. We are doing a lot with Asda and Sainsbury's and Waitrose, and a little bit with pub groups like Greene King, as well as independent wine merchants such as Tanners and Adnams.

"We are trying to push the more premium wines through independents. Tanners sell our top wines. That's an exciting thing. That is sold as Romanian and gradually the more momentum it gains we can sell it as Romanian. It builds up a head of steam.

"It is an exciting time for Romania. There are 75 new wineries that opened in the past five years. They are mainly small, boutique wineries. It's all too expensive to sell in the UK at the moment, but it will come."

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