Romania has one of the oldest wine making traditions in the world, it's viticulture dating back more than 6000 years. Legends of these places say that the country was so rich in vineyards that it is believed that Dionysos, the god of wine, was born in Thracia, on what is nowadays the territory Dobrogea (South-East of Romania). The beginnings of viticulture in this part of the world go back at leas
t 6,000 years. Romania or Dacia as the Romans knew it, had a well-established wine culture. The abundance of food and fame of the Dacian wines were so well-known and tempting that, to put an end to the migratory peoples’ repeated invasions, the Dacian king Burebista (1st century BC), ordered the destruction of all vineyards, as his high Priest Deceneu suggested. The coins issued by Romans after having conquered Dacia (106 AD) or Dacia Felix (Happy Dacia or Wealthy Dacia) as the new Roman province was called, presented a woman with 2 children, one of them holding grapes, a proof of the abundance of vineyards in Dacia. In more recent times, the Romanian viticulture knew several distinct stages, each with its specific impact upon the country's wine industry. Thus, the 19th century, right up to the outbreak of the First World War, was characterized by ample and close links with France. In the viticulture sector these links culminated with the French wine growers’ advice and practical help extended after the last two decades of the 19th century, when phylloxera hit Romania. The result was that much of the post phylloxera replanting was carried out using French vine varieties: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonay, Sauvignon Blanc and others. The inter-war period was characterized by closer links to Germany and Austria, when the "spritzer": wine mixed with sparkling mineral water (another local wealth) was introduced in Romania.
