Wine Laws Cotnari Wine regions and styles The future for wine in Romania Cities

The vineyards are split into eight regions, which in turn are divided into 50 appellations. The system of appellations is modelled on France, while the classification scheme looks to Germany, with wines graded according to their potential alcohol and time of harvesting. The lowest classification is table wine of no specific origin, with between 8.5º and 10.5º alcohol; then there are country wines, still without a specified origin, with between 10.5º and 11.5º of alcohol; and finally appellation wines. with a minimum of 11.6'ºof alcohol. Chaptalization is virtually unknown: any application for permission is hampered by bureaucracy, but more significant is the fact that sugar is simply too expensive. For the same reason most Romanian vineyards are virtually organic as they cannot afford chemicals to control rot and treat disease.

As the most northern wine-producing country of the Balkans, Romania has the coolest climate and consequently white wines predominate. In all but the most southerly of the wine areas, red grapes ripen with difficulty except in particularly warm vintages.