About this WINE
Crama Ceptura
Crama Ceptura is a sister company to Purcari of Moldova. The very modern winery (2004) is in the village of Ceptura, the vineyards are on predominantly south-east facing slopes in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains, in the famous Dealu Mare region north of Bucharest. The vineyards grow both indigenous (esp. Feteasca Regala and Feteasca Neagra ) and international varietals, in this, Romania’s warmest viticultural region.
Romania
Romania has had a long history of wine-making, the Dacians pre-dating both Greek and Roman civilisations. Wine-making flourished under the Roman occupation and the early middle ages, but was limited when Wallachia and Moldavia came under the influence of the Ottoman Empire, although Transylvania remained independent. Romania as an integrated and independent country came into being in 1878, and thereafter, particularly in the lead up to the first world war looked to France both culturally and politically, resulting in extensive planting of French varieties after the ravages of phylloxera.
The wine industry suffered from the depression between the wars and was taken into state control with the emergence of the communist regime in the late 1940s. The focus during the communist years was on quantity rather than quality, this only changing gradually after the revolution of 1989 and the liberalisation that allowed EU membership in 2007.
The wine industry in Romania has recently benefitted from overseas investment and technology transfer, but has also looked back to the indigenous grapes that made its reputation in the 19thC and early 20thC. Figures for 2012 rank it 13th in the wine producing countries of the world, making nearly double the volume of New Zealand.
Feteasca Regala
Feteasca Regala, literally “Royal Maiden” is arguably Romania’s most characterful indigenous grape used to make dry white wines, but has a very short history, being first recorded barely a hundred years ago.
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Description
If people could pronounce Feteasca Regala, I am sure they would drink more of it! A lively, fresh and aromatic white wine, dry, unoaked and medium bodied, that is perfect for a summer afternoon in the garden, or with some lightly spiced prawns. The Ceptura winery has all the benefits of modern winemaking technology to keep the fruit, from the Carpathian foothills in Romania as expressive as possible.
The grape is a relatively recent addition to the winemakers’ cannon, being created in the 1920s from a crossing between an indigenous white grape and the ubiquitous Muscat. The name means “Royal Maiden”, a reflection on the worth placed on the grape locally. All this and great value, too.
Martin Hudson MW
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