Romania is one of the biggest wine producers in Europe and worldwide. However, the country is far from being a global or European powerhouse when it comes to its wine industry.

In 2019, Romania produced 4.1 million hectoliters of wine, ranking sixth in Europe and among the top 15 wine producers in the world.

Meanwhile, the 550 companies in the local grape and wine industry recorded a combined turnover of little over EUR 370 million, Romania-Insider.com has calculated based on public financial data. For comparison, the biggest Italian wine company – Gruppo Italiano Vini – recorded revenues of over EUR 400 million in 2019.

The biggest wine producer in Romania in terms of revenues is Cramele Recas, which recorded a turnover of EUR 41 mln in 2019, followed by Jidvei – EUR 40 mln, and Cotnari – EUR 30 mln. The top ten is available in the list below.

The small size of the local wine industry is mainly because Romanian wines are still relatively little known internationally. The country’s wine exports are much lower even when compared to those of smaller producers such as Hungary, Georgia, Moldova, and even Bulgaria.

In 2019, Romania exported wine worth USD 35 million, according to worldstopexports.com. Meanwhile, Bulgaria, which has only a fourth of Romania’s wine production, exported wine worth USD 40 mln, Moldova’s exports reached almost USD 100 mln, and Georgia’s exports amounted to USD 222 mln. New Zealand, which also produces less wine than Romania (some 3 mln hectoliters per year), was one of the top 10 wine exporters globally in 2019, with USD 1.2 bln.

editor@romania-insider.com

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