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Report of 2005 Vintage in Romania
The new 2005 vintage was less good than in previous years, inferior in terms of volume to the average years. The natural conditions were not too favourable for a good vintage.
he climatic conditions during the vegetation period of the grapes were characterized by excessive rains, favouring the diseases, jeopardizing the treatments in the vineyards and delaying the maturation of the grapes. We were witnessing a vintage delayed with two - three weeks comparing to a normal year.
In order to fight the diseases and to have sound grapes, in those conditions of excessive humidity and moisture, the growers were obliged to multiply the sprayings in the vineyards, using more systemic chemicals, instead of contact chemicals. Extra-expenses were incurred by the need to use helicopters for getting the spraying done at time.
Therefore, the maturation process of the wine grapes has been affected by the capricious evolution of the weather. After relatively warm May, came very heavy rains and storms, including hail and disrupting winds, from June to August, including during the bloom period.
requent and heavy rains, of long duration with large volume of water, were the constant denomination of this vintage. The heavy rains were present all over the country, from Tarnave and Moldovan Hills in the north to Murfatlar in the south. These prolonged rainfalls were perturbing the maturation of the grapes, delaying the sugar accumulation and favouring a galloping evolution of the diseases (downy mildew, powdery mildew, rot), especially where the treatments and spraying were scarce.
Heavy rains in the second part of August and the first half of September, before the harvest, are quite favourable to the attack of grey mould, which started already on the wounds of the grapes created by the hail and in the cracks of the skins of the grains determined by the rains (in Dealu Mare and Vrancea).
The obvious negative effects in the affected areas were: the low production, the low sugar content of grapes harvested earlier than the full maturity for avoiding the mould, the high acidity of some wines.
The difficult weather conditions have directly influenced the crop this year. There was much less quantity and, in some cases, the quality was affected as well. There is a limited offer of CMD (harvest at full maturity), CT (late harvest) and CIB (noble harvest) wines.
By far the most affected vineyards are in Dealu Mare, Tarnave and Vrancea (Odobesti, Panciu) wine regions. There are large areas planted with red varieties, especially Merlot were the yields were as low as 1000 Kg per hectar.
According to the estimations of the Ministry of Agriculture, the situation of the 2005 vintage, regarding the total area under vine plantations (wine grapes, including the hybrides), the yields per hectar and the total production of grapes were the followings:
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2000
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2003
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2004
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2005
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+2005/2004
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Vineyards area - Ha
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229,886
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215,872
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177,925
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173,831
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- 2.7 %
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Yields - Kg/Ha
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5,102
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3,972
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5,414
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2,494
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- 53.9 %
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Production - Tonnes
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1,172,341
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857,383
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963,201
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433,604
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- 54.9 %
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The wine grapes production of the main wine regions in 2005 were the followings:
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Wine Region
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Vineyards Area Ha
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Yields Kg/Ha
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Grapes Production Tonnes
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Tarnave
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5,658
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1,981
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11,211
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Dealu Mare
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20,921
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1,787
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37,390
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Murfatlar/Medgidia/Oltina
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7,554
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5,095
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38,487
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Iasi/Cotnari/Uricani/Bucium
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9,080
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3,939
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35,770
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Tulcea/Babadag
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6,532
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4,357
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28,309
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Vrancea
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20,332
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2,317
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47,262
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Vaslui/Husi
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11,897
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3,064
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36,456
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Recas/Minis/Baratca
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4,185
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4,219
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17,660
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Mehedinti/Vanju Mare
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5,197
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2,279
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15,996
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Dragasani/Samburesti
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7,286
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2,376
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16,958
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Arges/Stefanesti
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1,208
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2,781
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3,360
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Galati
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16,411
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2,112
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34,662
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Certainly the smaller production led to an imbalanced supply/demand ratio, and, subsequently, put a serious pressure on the prices of the grapes. Therefore, we have witnessed a dramatic increase of the grapes prices compared to last year vintage.
The most difficult situation was in Dealu Mare wine region, where it was a severe shortage of red grapes which, on one hand, drove up the prices up to ROL 15,000/Kg (EUR 0.40), comparing with the average of less than ROL 8 - 10,000/Kg last year.
Anyhow there were prices variations from wine region to wine region. The average winegrapes prices for white varieties were of EUR 0.20 - 0.30/Kg and for red varieties EUR 0.25 - 0.40/Kg.
PROVINUM SRL
End of excises for wine industry
After a loud protest from the wine producers, Minister of Finance, Mihai Tanasescu, has announced he will eliminate excise duties for wines as of July 1st 2004.
The money saved by companies in this way must be used by wine producers for investments in new vineyards plantations.
The decision came after the National Interprofessional Organization for Wine, jointly with the Wine Exporters and Producers Association, bodies where PROVINUM is an active member, called for similar laws and taxation to its European counterparts, in light of Romania's intended EU accession.
The European wine producers benefit from financing, subsidies or export premiums, while local producers suffer over-taxation through excises, fiscal stamps and restrictive wine-selling regime.
Without considerable and constant investment, the local industry cannot be a strong competitor on foreign markets and maintain a long-term development pace, similar to European wine-growers.
Before July 1st, the Ministry of Finance will reduce the excise duty from 0.55 EURO/hectoliter/alcohol degree to 0.30 EURO. From January 1st, 2004, the fiscal stamps for wines will be eliminated.
These measures will bring in line the Romanian fiscal policy on wines to the regulations in the EU wine producing countries.
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