Discovering the wine region of Dealurile Olteniei
IG Dealurile Olteniei (Oltenia Hills) is a wine producing area (Geographical Indication) covering the five counties of the region of Oltenia in Southwest Romania. A broad selection of international and Romanian Grape varieties are cultivated.
Key grape varieties grown:
White: Chardonnay, Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Regala, Pinot Gris, Riesling Italiano (Welschriesling), Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, Tamaioasa Romaneasca, Pink Tamaioasa, Cramposie Selectionata, Ugni Blanc, Viognier
Red and rosé: Cabernet Sauvignon, Feteasca Neagra, Merlot, Negru de Dragasani, Novac, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Babeasca Neagra, Dornfelder, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Cabernet Franc
The Climate here is temperate-continental, with hot summers and Warm autumns which aid grape ripening. Vineyards are located on Open slopes and ampitheatres which a range of exposures from south to west.
One of the main producers is Crama Oprisor Winery, located in Mehedinti, with around 250 hectares (620 acres) of vineyards. This is owned by the German firm Reh Kendermann, and produces the Val Duna brand.
Mehedinti DOC Lies within the boundaries of Oltenia and the IG Dealurile Olteniei zone. Within the DOC the IG designation (essentially equivalent to a French IGP) is used for various wines, due to more relaxed rules regarding production and vineyard location.
Winemaking history in Dealurile Oltenie
Archaeological finds have shown that viticulture and winemaking has been present in what is now Oltenia since at least the first century BC. However from the Middle Ages until the 19th century they area was very much a theatre of war and Center of revolution, as a focus of conflict between the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires.
Furthermore, from the 1860s the region’s vineyards were decimated by Phylloxera. Some local varieties were irretrievably lost.
