Read this article in Opulence Magazine,  September - October 2006, Calgary Edition

Raising a glass to Romanian imports

To hear Transylvania is to inevitably envision a blood-thirsty vampire Count searching the Romanian countryside for exposed necks, but the legend of Dracula’s blood lust is giving way to legendary Romanian wine. As the story goes, Dionysus, the god of wine, was born in a region of what is today Romania, and perhaps this divine presence has contributed to its more than 4,000 years of remarkable wine.

 Geographically speaking , the Eastern European country is ideally suited for wine production. “Romania lies at about the same latitude as the wine region of France,” says Dan Toma of Transylvania Trading Corporation, and this location has opened the door to some spectacular

Each area and vineyard contributes something diferent to the country’s stable of wines. Cotnari in the country’s northeast produces aromatic dessert wines—most notably the award-winning Grasa de Cotnari. The Dealu Mare region’s location amid the sub-Carpathian Hills, on the other hand, is perfect for soft reds like Cabernet and Merlot. The Tarnave in Transylvania uses its cooler temperatures to produce delightful fruity whites. With Romanian wines, there is definitely something for every preference. “It all depends on the moment, time of day, and meal,” says Toma. Some foreign grape varieties have been well adapted to Romanian vine- growing conditions, and such popular wines as the full-bodied Prahova Valley are attracting international attention.

But many native Romanian varieties are producing amazing vintages as well including Feteasca, Francusa, and Tamaioasa. Among the most favourite of the twenty Romanian wines that Transylvania Trading Corporation imports are the dry or semidry Feteasca Alba Cotnari and the rich and aromatic Tamaioasa Romaneasca—this sweet wine’s name trips up even sober tongues so it’s loosely translated to “Holy Smokes!”. Transylvania Trading Corporation imports an additional wine line called Byzantium, which has an incredible selection of quality Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignon, Blanc de Transylvanie, and its best selling Rosso di Valachia. Sweet or dry, red, white, or rosé, this country’s offerings are gradually turning North American wine aficionados’ heads.

And it’s largely thanks to politics that wine lovers are just recently discovering Romanian blends. “The reason the wines aren’t known here is fifty years of communism,” says Toma. During this time, Romanian wine flowed mostly to Russia and other Eastern European countries, depriving the West of its unique and palate-pleasing flavours. With the dawn of the 1990s, Romanian exports began trickling to the rest of the world, and enthusiastic wine drinkers were thrilled with the results. While more stores are beginning to carry Romanian wines, they can be difficult to find at the corner liquor store; Olympia Liquor Store (Chinook) is the only store in Calgary to stock all of Toma’s imports. There, connoisseurs can find reasonably priced bottles and check out the new look at the same time.

One of the lines is currently experiencing a makeover, embracing the story of Dracula on its labels and promotional materials. “I heard about Count Dracula coming here,” says Toma, who moved from Romania to Canada twelve years ago. “This is something we, as Romanians, aren’t particularly fond of. But people have fun with it, and we got the idea that the Dracula theme would be great marketing.”

There’s no mistaking the Transylvania connection, thanks to Calgary artist Christina Greco’s drawing of a vampire bat hanging on the wine labels—wine that promises its contents are “Bloody good.” And as more people become acquainted with this spectacular wine, they are sure to give Count Dracula a run for his money as the most beloved Romanian export. – RENNAY CRAATS in "OPULENCE - The Art of Fine Living", Calgary Edition - September/October 2006