In searching for a unique and different wine to sample, I had a recommendation from a Romanian acquaintance to try Lacrima lui Ovidiu, a superior white wine from Romania’s Murfatlar region. He suggested the number 5, 1999 vintage, which was bottled after aging five years in small oak barrels. The deep golden wine has a rich aroma and a sweetness that reveals a variety of fruit flavors, making it a splendid dessert wine or aperitif. Lacrima lui Ovidiu is often referred to as a liqueured wine due to its silky sweetness, but it is most assuredly a superb Romanian white wine. A number 12 bottle is also available, having been aged 12 years before bottling.
Generally, when speaking of wines, Romania is not the first country that comes to mind. Nor is it the second, third or even fourth. However, Romania’s wine making history spans 6000 years, and is one of Europe’s largest wine producing nations. In fact, historically, the area that is now Romania is said to have been the birthplace of Dionysus – the god of wine – and the vineyards of the region were touted by Plato as the best in the world. Vines grown in Romania include French varieties, such as Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the older native grapes like Moldavian Busuioaca de Bohotin, Transylvanian Feteasca Regala, and Grasa de Cotnari.
The Grasa variety has been grown in Romania’s Cotnari region since the mid fifteenth century and results in Romania’s best sweet wines. Grasa de Cotnari is a sweet white wine, and in fact, although some excellent red wines are produced largely for export, Romania produces primarily white wines for local distribution and household consumption. This trend began following WWI when Romania moved culturally closer to Germany and the introduction of spritzers – wines mixed with sparkling water – prompted wineries to produce lighter, less fruity wines.
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