ROMANIA: Leader change on the wine market | Progresiv

Jidvei became last year the largest Romanian wine producer. The company reported in 2015 a turnover of almost 130 million lei, up by 28% over the previous year. Owned by businessman Claudiu Necsulescu, the company achieved a net profit of 11.3 million lei. The wine producer has an area of 2,500 hectares of vines and distributes mainly on the domestic market, in equal proportions, in HoReCa and retail.

The producer from Tarnavelor Plateau surpassed in 2015 its main competitors, Cotnari and Murfatlar Romania, who had growing businesses, but the growth rates were lower than those recorder by Jidvei.

Although still in insolvecy, with a reorganization plan appealed by creditors, Murfatlar Romania managed to increase its turnover by 10% in 2015, to 124 million lei. It is the manufacturer's first year of growth after 2011, when the company had a turnover of almost 140 million lei. Murfatlar manages around 3,000 vine hectares in Constanta county.

The third largest wine producer, Cotnari SA, had last year a 5% increase in turnover, to 117.5 million lei. The company, who manages about 1,750 hectares of vineyards, produces only white wines, especially for retail. For the HoReCa segment, Cotnari SA managers Wine House Cotnari company, which produces white, red and rosé wines and plans to enter soon in the sparkling wines segment.

For the first time, in 2015, a fourth Romanian wine producer has managed to overcome the 100 million lei turnover, and achieve a net profit of over 21 million lei. It’s about Cramele Recas, who had an expansion strategy both on the domestic market and export, where it sends about half of the production. The company manages around 1,000 hectares in Banat and has plans to expand the area of production and wine production capacity in the future.