(AP) A mushroom cloud rises over the Nevada Test Site after the U.S
Atomic Energy Commission detonated a low-yield nuclear weapons effects test in Mercury
The device fired underground at a depth shallow enough to form a crater
Two months after the expiration of a program to compensate victims of radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons testing during the Cold War
the prospects for reviving it seem to be fading fast
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley’s bill to extend and expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act passed the U.S
Senate by a strong bipartisan 69-30 vote in March but remains stuck in the House of Representatives
where Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will not allow a vote on the legislation
Congress is in recess in August through the first week of September
and victims of radioactive fallout — often referred to as “downwinders” — and their supporters are uncertain what might be in play to bring RECA back
“We intend to keep on fighting to ensure we don’t just extend the RECA program
but also ensure it is strengthened to cover people who have been excluded so far,” said Lily Adams
senior outreach coordinator with the Union of Concerned Scientists
one of several organizations working to revive and reform the program former U.S
Orrin Hatch helped enact in 1990 to compensate fallout victims suffering from various forms of cancer
RECA lapsed on June 10 after Congress failed to expand or even extend it
The program covered residents who lived in Beaver
Washington and Wayne counties for two consecutive years from 1951 to 1958
when several powerful atomic bombs were detonated in Nevada
Northern Utah residents and others living in the fallout zone were not eligible for compensation, even though a recent Princeton University study found radioactive contamination from nuclear explosions conducted in New Mexico and Nevada between 1945 and 1962 spread to 46 of the U.S.’s lower 48 states
In March, it looked like RECA might have been handed a lifeline with the Senate’s passage of Hawley’s bill
which would have extended the program by six years and expanded coverage to previously excluded residents of Utah
the bill would expand coverage to eligible residents in Alaska
It would also double payouts to nuclear fallout victims from $50,000 to $100,000 and extend coverage to uranium miners exposed to harmful radiation in the mines until 1990
nearly two decades longer than RECA’s 1971 time frame
Mitt Romney and other members of Utah’s congressional delegation refused to support the bill
decrying the bill’s $50 billion price tag and opting instead to push for a two-year expansion
was not supported by science and would put the program at risk
“I was proud to reauthorize RECA in 2022 and introduce the Downwinders Act to extend protections for Utahns who were harmed by atomic testing,” Lee told The Salt Lake Tribune via email
“The particular expansion of RECA passed on March 7
stretches the program to include wide geographic areas it was not intended to cover
and would spend an additional $50 billion in taxpayer dollars without a pay-for to offset the cost to American taxpayers.”
Celeste Maloy floated their own bill to extend RECA two years but not expand the program
which quickly sank after Hawley and GOP Missouri Rep
Ann Wagner pronounced their effort “dead on arrival.”
As a compromise, according to Lee spokesperson Bill Gribbin, Utah’s senior senator introduced a bill in May that would expand compensation for all of Utah, and to some parts of New Mexico and Missouri. It also failed to muster much support.
“Sen. Hawley objected to passing both Lee proposals by unanimous consent, preferring to make his bill as the only option for the House to consider,” Gribbin told The Tribune via email. “Sen. Lee remains committed to working to reauthorize RECA, and hopes that his colleague will allow that to happen.”
In refusing to allow the House to vote on the Hawley bill, Johnson also took issue with its cost, noting there was no offset for its $50 billion price tag. Other factors, according to Johnson spokesperson Taylor Haulsee, include the Senate asking the House to bypass committees to put Hawley’s bill straight to the floor and the fact that 29 GOP senators opposed the bill despite its passage in the Senate.
“House Republican Leadership is sympathetic to radiation advocates but feels we need to respond in a responsible way,” Haulsee said in an email.
Given the impasse, the House allowed RECA to expire. For his part, Hawley argues congressional inaction is unacceptable.
“The Senate has done its job and reauthorized RECA — months ago,” he said. “But the House and Mike Johnson sat around and allowed countless Americans to lose coverage. Now Speaker Johnson must schedule RECA for a vote as soon as the House returns in September. Lives depend on it.”
In assessing blame, downwinders and supporting organizations are clear about which side of the divide they take. They blame the GOP House leadership in general, and members of the Utah delegation in particular, for not getting on board with Hawley’s bipartisan bill.
Adams noted Congress has spent trillions of dollars on developing nuclear weapons and should make it a priority, as part of the cost of that development, to fund programs that help the victims of radioactive fallout.
“Seeing the resistance from members … of the Utah congressional delegation to [Hawley’s] bill is not helpful because if they were more supportive, it would make it easier for Mike Johnson to bring up the bill for a vote,” Adams said, adding the program needs to be expanded and extended.
“To merely extend the program,” she continued, “is really just extending an existing injustice because it leaves out all these communities that have been fighting for decades for coverage [under the RECA program.]”
Laura Taylor, an Arizona attorney who handles RECA claims, said she was a “lone wolf” among RECA supporters in that she was pushing to extend the program first before addressing the need for expansion.
“But overall, the group thought it was all or nothing at this point,” she said. “So now we have nothing and we are still working on all.”
While RECA’s fate remains uncertain, Taylor said the U.S. Department of Justice has its hands full processing claims because the number of applications for compensation shot up from 260 a year ago last June to more than 1,040 this June before the program expired.
“People used to be able to submit a claim and get approval within two weeks …,” she said. “Now it’s going to probably take them a solid nine to 12 months to process all those claims.”
As for RECA, supporters say there might be an opportunity to get an expanded version of the program inserted into a continuing resolution for Congress to vote on in September. Another option might be to secure a vote for reauthorization during the lame-duck session after the November elections.
Maloy’s office remains optimistic that the program is not “permanently” dead and that a deal will get done. If it doesn’t, they say the blame lies elsewhere.
“Members of the Missouri delegation decided to hold up RECA renewal to try to force concessions for their state, concessions that do not fit under the original act’s purview,” Maloy’s office said in an email. “We have been against that strategy from the beginning for fear it would lead to exactly this outcome, and we deeply regret that our Missouri colleagues would play political games with such an important benefit to southern Utah’s downwinders.”
“If we don’t get [RECA] passed or expanded by the end of the year,” she said, “I think it’s not going to happen.”
As of July 2023, the government has paid $2.6 billion to about 40,000 radiation victims.
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Cramele Recas founder and co-owner Philip Cox talks Andrew Catchpole though his ambitions for native Romanian varieties
Some retail and trade customers are scared about local varieties
it’s easier for them to go to cheap versions of stuff that already sells
which then makes it more of a hard sell for local varieties
But we want to sell local varieties exactly for that reason
to make it something which is more sustainable in the long term
I don’t mean ecologically necessarily
I mean not fighting in a sea of Pinot Grigios and Sauvignons
It’s better to have something which is more distinct
even though some people wouldn’t see that as such an important role for the trade
but I think it is important for the end consumers
We now have our Sorcova Fetească Regală in Waitrose
which [the retailer] is very much behind and promoting
another Fetească Regală called Incanta
Next month we’re launching a sister variety
We already have one with M&S in its Found range
That’s got to be a record for us [with indigenous varieties]
and it’s pretty important to have these varieties in the supermarkets
because Romania is good at these varieties
We want to have a point of difference from the many other wine companies around the world
It’s part of our strategy: we want to encourage this
and there will be other varieties – we’re working on this at the moment
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Romanian wine producer Cramele Recaș is investing more than €11 million to expand its production capacity
which it says will boost sales to 50 million bottles per year
Cramele Recaș’s commercial director and co-owner
said sparkling wine provided a major growth opportunity that would help the business reach turnover of €100 million in the next three to five years
The investment will be shared among three key projects
including a new winery at Tenuta Odobești Winery
which currently produces more than 7 million litres per year
Sited in the largest vineyard region in Romania
the Tenuta winery was established more than 20 years ago by Italian investor Fabrizio Mosconi
who will take the role of managing director
production will be increased to around 12 million litres
as well as the production of bulk wine and juice
The new bottling facility will have the capacity to fill more than 13,000 bottles per hour
and 50 million bottles per year – making it the largest bottling line in Eastern Europe
The facility will include AI integration to manage quality and efficiency through automated production equipment
Cox, who is originally from Bristol, founded the company in Western Romania’s Timiș County in 1992 having previously worked for German wine producer Reh Kendermann and it has undergone considerable expansion in recent years
In 2015 the business sold 11 million bottles and had €28m turnover
however by 2023 this number had almost tripled to 32 million and €72m turnover
Demonstrating the founder Philip Cox’s commitment to celebrating Romanian wine on a global stage
It became the largest winery in Romania by both volume and turnover in 2020
responsible for over half of all exports of Romanian wine
it had 1,250 hectares under vines and three wineries
In March, Cox slammed the UK government’s controversial changes to the alcohol duty system under Rishi Sunak
noting that it had responded by bringing down the ABV on some of its wines for the UK market because of the tax situation
In 2022 Romania exported about US$35.2 million (about €32.5m) worth of wine
making it the 34th largest wine exporter in the world
The most valuable market was the Netherlands (US$10.2m/€9.4m)
with the UK in third position (US$3.8m/€3.5m)
The news comes as Cramele Recaş were praised by judges and Patrick Schmitt MW at this year’s Global Pinot Noir Masters competition.
Schmitt said: “If you want to drink good Pinot on a budget, seek out Cramele Recas. A star performer in 2024 [the producer] picked up three Gold medals, all for Pinots priced sub-£10, and each one from a different panel of exacting judges.
“If you thought that it wasn’t possible to make fruity-fresh Pinot for the price of cheap Garnacha, you’d be wrong: this Romanian operator has managed it.”
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and makes it a voyage of discovery for the consumer
rather than trying to disguise it behind a brand name,” writes Dean.Turning someone onto a new wine is one of the greatest perks of being a wine writer – especially when it challenges preconceptions and prejudice
A review that I posted on The Buyer’s Instagram feed on the weekend of an impressive new white wine I had tasted
was met with an instant flurry of excitement with one of London’s top sommeliers answering “Must nip to Asda in Peckham to buy some” and a leading social media influencer posting an ecstatic post the following day praising it to the Heavens
The wine is one of two wines exclusive to ASDA on its Wine Atlas label – Feteasca Regala and Feteasca Negra – both indigenous Romanian grapes and both retailing
The Feteasca Regala won a Decanter gold award last year – it’s well made and delicious
What I also like about this wine is that the Romanian producer Cramele Recas has not tried to hide this hard-to-pronounce ‘little known’ grape on the back label
and disguise it with a brand name – it’s making a virtue out the unknown – a mass market niche product
Cramele Recas’ commercial director Philip Cox inspecting new plantings at some of his 1200 hectares – all on limestone hills
The same could be said of Cramele’s Solara range
the wine producer’s first foray into making Natural Wine
which it started in 2016 and now includes Orange
Glou Glou (a red vin de soif) and Solara Rosé
All three wines are worthy of attention but to take the Orange as an example – here is an excellent £10 Natural orange wine that last year sold 120,000 bottles and this year has a 200,000-bottle target making Cramele the largest producer of Natural wines in Eastern Europe in just four years
Romania’s third largest city on the border with Serbia and Hungary to find out
The vineyards surround the winery in the west of Romania in the region of Banat
Cramele Recas has a fascinating back story – bought out of run-down State ownership in 1998 and transformed into an all-whistles-and-bells state of the art winery that is producing 25 million bottles from its three sites. You can read more about the origins of the winery here
and in forthcoming features we will be looking in more depth at the business model and the views of the winery’s Bristol-born commercial director Philip Cox
I wanted to look at the wines – and pick out wines that work well both in the on and off trades
More Pinot Grigio sold in UK supermarkets comes from Romania than Italy
One of the interesting things about Cramele Recas is that it gears its winemaking totally towards the customer and what they want and are looking for
The approach is as self-effacing and devoid of ego as Cox himself
did not inherit his winery or buy it after selling a hedge fund – he has re-built it entirely around his experience working with big drinks brands in Europe
graphic-led products that speak to individual customers – after all Waitrose customers look for different things than say Co-op customers
This is why of the 68 different wines Cramele produces
there are a staggering 250 different names and labels – many exclusives and own labels – 70 or so of which are available in the UK
They do not launch wines and hope they sell
but rather make the wines and package them specifically to customer demand
but concentrating on getting the mix right
A customer-facing approach: helping them make the right choice with simple
That is not to say that Cramele’s 1200 hectares of vines aren’t in first class terroir – they are – or that the winemaking isn’t given priority – it is
Cox and the other two owners have invested over €36m in the past 20 years in new plantations
and a further €28m in winery and laboratory equipment and a state of the art bottling line
Cramele Recas is a leading player in the growing Romanian premium market
Here a top white is paired with local speciality smoked pike roe
The winemaking team is led by Australia’s Hartley Smithers
Spain’s Nora Itiate and Romania’s Florin Voloaca who are veterans of over 50 harvests in all the world’s wine regions
and maintain a high standard of winemaking given that they oversee a bewildering annual output of 25 million bottles
Because they do and because the costs of production in Romania are relatively so low
would seem to play into Cramele Recas’ favour – especially when (post-Covid) price point will increasingly become an issue
Two Natural wines from the Solara range – Orange and Glou Glou – and an idea of the contemporary cuisine we have been experimenting with during Lockdown
Cramele Recas wines available in this country are a mix of international and indigenous grape varieties
Philip Cox and his team had just started to work his premium wines in the on trade more
particularly ones which blend indigenous and international varieties together
Below is a list of 16 wines I have picked from the huge range tasted on a visit to Romania and also experimented with during Lockdown with food that I believe matched the wines well
Listings and trade/ retail prices are noted
n/a marking a current unavailability in this country
The Solara Orange works as an aperitif and holds its own against robust
Part of a four-year old Natural wine project – this is an orange wine that manages to be serious and fun at the same time
and is a great introduction to orange wines generally – refreshing like a white wine and complex like a red
Unmistakeably an orange wine on the eye and nose (the label’s a bit of a giveaway too!) – rust/ marmalade colour; complex and structured: on the nose there’s an inviting mix of macerated apricots
and dry herbs; the palate is so fresh and refreshing and yet has real structure and an attractive tannic grip that gives it a serious quality and will give it enormous gastronomic potential
The dry finish is long and has a tiny lick of sweet/ sour grapefruit
The varieties used are Feteasca Alba 51% Sauvignon Blanc 19% Others 30%
I like this a lot and I think will convert many people to orange wine, especially if they have been put off in the past by wines that are too funky. You can also find it for less than £10 rrp in the UK which is remarkably good value. The only potential downside is that some customers might think it is made from oranges – a point that was raised on social media. (Alliance, Tanners
Lockdown lunch: a rosé that does ‘exactly what it says on the tin’
Such a great label for an easy-drinking summer Rosé
and the feedback on social media when I posted this on Instagram and Twitter has been considerable
The wine delivers too – for those who like red fruit-forward flavours
the nose is strawberry/ raspberry with a hint of complexity (there’s 35% Feteasca Neagra in the blend)
The palate is fresh and crispy with a nice balance between dry
stony texture and abundant raspberries-and-cream or strawberry pavlova
fruit-driven Pinot Grigio with notes of white nectarine
lime and honeysuckle; the palate is refreshing
crunchy red apple with a touch of mineral and salinity coming through on the finish
which keeps it one step ahead of the bland ho-hum examples you can find
but enjoyed as a summer afternoon bottle with friends (now that they’re allowed to come over!) (Waitrose
I love the way this company champions local grape varieties
rather than trying to disguise it behind a brand name
papaya and a green capsicum note; the palate is rounded
fruity (pink lady apples) with a crispness that keeps it nicely in balance
This is a hugely successful exclusive for Asda and was the wine I kicked off this article with (Asda
is finding itself as one of the key suppliers to the UK of well made
affordable Pinot Noir – and well it might this is pretty unbelievable value
touch of fruit cake and smokiness; medium-palate
rounded and welcoming on the palate; raspberry
sour red cherry (doesn’t have so much of the black fruit complexity)
You can probably tell by now I am a big fan of the Solara wines and this Natural wine is called a ‘glou glou’ wine – which is a Romanian ‘Vin de soif’ –100% Merlot
It’s got a lot in common with Beaujolais in that it is an early drinking party wine
and a wine that ought to be bought in cases
Not to be mistaken with its partner wine the orange wine at the top of this article
This the companion wine for the exclusive Asda label
ruby red with purple edges; red-fruit on the nose
Hats off that they can produce this wine for a UK shelf price of £5.25
A cross obtained in 1993 and still in rather limited supply
resistant to fungal disease and can produce first rate soft
coconut husk; in the mouth the wine is much lighter and leaner than you might expect
lovely and refreshing hit of blood orange acidity on the long finish – really mouth-watering (n/a)
One of the indigenous/ international blends that would work well in the on-trade
the colour is mid-deep purple; there’s a lifted nose of black fruit
but well balanced at the same time and nicely constructed
Tanners carries the Feteasca Neagra in this range but the 100% Merlot aged for 6 months in French oak
toasty quality; Plenty of intensity on the palate
cedar; keen acidity keeps the concentration of fruit in check
the tannins are ripe and well integrated; dry
with a hint of pomegranate flavour and acidity
The winemaker in this case is Nora Iriarte
fruit cake; light-medium palate with nice raspberry
Superb that you can get Pinot Noir that is so true of its variety and don’t have to pay the earth
This Transylvania-esque label is pretty crass
but it’s what the US customer wants and it sells by the shed load
Cramele Recas is a partner of The Buyer. If you want to find out more about the company click here
Alternatively check out some of the other features we’ve posted in the past which are referenced at the end of this piece
The Buyer TVClick below to watch The Buyer's library of online debates, videos and webinars.
Source: CSG Aerospace (Czechoslovak Group)
Retia from the CSG Aerospace division of the Czechoslovak Group holding presented the Czech complex anti-drone system ReCas
Czech complex anti-drone system ReCas represents a modular solution where the customer has the option of choosing individual components into two basic parts of the system
both the “sensory” part and the effector part
The sensor part of the system is used to detect threats and the effector part to eliminate them
Another integral component within the sensory part is the RF-sensor
which serves to identify the directions and frequencies used by potential threats
The electro-optical sensor then serves to classify and confirm previously detected targets based on optical sensing in day and night mode
The effector part of the ReCas solution uses standard electronic interference (the so-called soft-kill effector)
the integration uses the jammer directly on the optical system
thanks to which it is possible to directly monitor the reaction of the UAV to the realized jamming in real time
the system can also be extended with means for shooting down the target (hard killing)
which are sometimes also called lethal effectors
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Having tripled turnover to €100m in less than a decade, Philip Cox explains to Andrew Catchpole why he’s now further investing in the future of Romania’s biggest winery
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is always a pleasure – restricted this year to a Zoom tasting but still full of his insights and witticisms about the European wine markets and what makes them tick
A more humble and self-effacing wine magnate you will not meet
his mild-mannered approach belying the fact that in the past year he has sold a third more wine than the previous year
value-driven wines according to the demands of his various export (and domestic) markets
but he is also keen to push categories that are less obvious for mass market consumers such as indigenous Romanian grapes and
and to also allow winemakers to experiment with unusual blends and techniques
One trend that has been apparent in all his export markets he says is for consumers to be looking for softness and elegance in wines with a general trend to bring down the ABV
Philip Cox: co-founder and commercial director of Cramele Recas
Before the tasting commences Cox brings us up to speed with the lie of the land in Romania which has experienced unusual weather
“We’ve had very strange weather and seeing the effects of climate change I think
In the West of Romania the Spring was wet and cold right up to the end of May and then super
super hot in the high 30s with no rain for 2 months… whether we can get enough grapes remains to be seen as we need a lot!”
Cramele Recas has also been busy with its sustainability programme:
“40% of carbon from wineries comes from glass bottles and electricity,” Cox says
“So we have been busy with our sustainability programme
we have installed 2000 solar panels – half of our electricity now comes from our own solar energy
We have also changed our car fleet with 15 electric cars
which we charge ourselves… and we have also convinced the bottle factory to bring the bottles down to 350 gms.”
An indigenous Romanian grape – picked with a mix of machine and hand-harvesting with 25% of the wine aged with Transylvanian oak staves for 60 days before being blended back into the wine and matured in stainless steel
Medium straw-coloured; the bouquet is fruity and floral with apple blossom and elderflower notes
there’s also a dried herb/ grass quality and a spice
perhaps white pepper – the combination is quite original if you’re not familiar with the grape
0.27% of Pinot Noir going into this white blend just about sums up how eclectic this award-winner is
The rest of the grapes are Feteascã Regalã
Muscat Ottonel and Chardonnay which makes up the bulk (47.26% to be precise) and comes from the winery’s oldest vines
The winemaking is just as eclectic with the Chardonnay barrel-fermented in new Alliers oak barriques for three months and the Muscat given skin contact
Medium golden-yellow with a green hue; the bouquet is highly complex and unique – you can find elderflower
a strong hit of oak and vanilla; the palate is also complex
dry finish also has a marked taste of apricot seed
You won’t find another wine like this anywhere
but the list of medals and impressive critics’ scores might prove me wrong
nicely balanced Pinot Grigio that has high acidity and a mineral core that keeps it mainstream and appealing to more discerning tastes
The vinification is all about handling the fruit with kid gloves – picking it early both calendar-wise and in the morning to avoid the wine going too pink
there’s light pressing and fine lees that the wine sits on until bottling which gives this wine a fine texture
a slight confected uplift; the palate is medium-bodied
A new wine that is different from the 2019 orange wine it produced on account of the varieties used – now a blend of Pinot Gris
Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc – and also that 20% of the maceration was in clay amphorae
The aim is to make a natural wine that is clean
dark straw-coloured with an orange hue; the bouquet is complex and inviting
with a hint of wild fennel; the palate is light and dry
with the whole bunch and the amphora lending the wine a fine texture
The fruit is perhaps lacking some intensity but there is no denying its drinkability
Technically speaking, the grapes were hand-picked, lightly crushed then macerated with full skin contact for 3.5 weeks until 100% malolactic fermentation had occurred. There was no added yeast, SO2, sugars, additives or sulphur, all wines were blended and lightly oaked for two months in one year-old French barriques before a cold stabilisation and bottling with no further SO2 addition or filtration. 13% abv. Tanners £12.50
100% Pinot Grigio is used in this excellent
textured rosé that shows what happens to the grape if you give it more hang-time on the vine (than when making a white wine) and allow it some skin contact
The wine is light to medium pink copper colour; the nose has redcurrants, peach and is quite understated; the palate is light, with a wonderful texture and a nice fruit basket of crisp green apple, pear and a slight bitter almond quality on the dry finish. Corney & Barrow £8.50
75% destemmed and oaked with French oak staves for two months
Very pale ruby-purple, almost transparent; the bouquet begins with raspberry, red cherry, and also has dried flower petals, cake spice, and some rustic Pinot nuances. The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied, smooth, with ripe red fruit (raspberry and strawberry), juicy and very easy drinking both solo and with food. Nicely judged. 12.5% abv. Corney and Barrow
The parallel in the title refers to the 45th parallel that runs through the vineyards of Bordeaux
the Rhône and also the vineyards of Romania
where this excellent Feteascã Neagrã comes from
it should be better known and full marks to Cramele Recas for trying to turn the wine world onto these indigenous varieties – this is refreshingly different but not too ‘out there’
the nose is black-fruited and exotic – it reminds me of good Greek wine
or wines from other parts of Central and Eastern Europe
fine-grained texture and well integrated ripe tannins (impressive for such a young wine)
Hugely popular 100% Merlot that delivers to those looking for a well made
dry red wine that has ripeness and smoothness but with just that little bit of edge and acidity that keeps it serious and in check
Light cherry red with a purple hue, the bouquet is floral with ripe red plum, fruits of the forest, with a touch of vanilla bean and caramel (from three months maturation with French oak staves presumably). There is concentrated red and black fruit on the palate, but there is texture too, with the full malolactic fermentation giving the wine an impressive rounded quaffability given its age. Tanners Wines £7.70
Cramele Recas is a supplier/ partner of The Buyer. To read more about them click here.
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I had the pleasure of heading off to Timisoara
to explore their extensive range of relatively unknown wines
I had only come across one Romanian wine and to be honest it wasn’t worth writing about
after exploring the region and tasting some of the best wines it has to offer
I couldn’t resist sharing my recommendations with you
Romania has only recently re-appeared on the world wine stage despite having a long history of winemaking dating back to the Roman Empire
The country has a diverse range of grape varieties
The Transylvania/Banat region is no exception
The partnership of Romanians and the Schwaben people completed the foundations for a wine legend
Cramele Recas is a premium wine estate located on the far western fringes of the Romanian region of Transylvania/Banat – near Romania’s third largest city
said to be some of the oldest in the world
were first planted in the area by the Romans with documents dating back to 1447 on the Recas vineyard land
Cramele Recas has become a private Romanian/British company owned by a winemaking team made up of three families
including husband-and-wife teams Philip and Elvira Cox and Hartley Smithers and Nora Iriate
had its fortunes revived 20 years ago by Englishman Philip Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira
Today it produces 68 different wines under 252 different labels and has helped raise the profile of Romanian wine all over the world
anticipating trends in winemaking – their reds
have been vegan-friendly since 2008 (the rosés and whites swiftly followed)
Bristol-born Philip Cox began his career in the drinks industry in the early ‘90s when he founded a company importing Heineken beer together with some Romanian friends
due to currency restrictions and hyperinflation
they couldn’t change the Romanian money they were earning selling beer into hard currency at the bank
Philip came up with the idea of starting to export wine
Recas are now recognised globally for their impressive scale and including natural and orange wine from organic grapes
Despite the scale the Philip’s emphasis is on making good wines that over-deliver
and as a result he’s struck on a magic formula that has seen sales and demand boom
Vineyards are a combination of evolved plantings from 1447 and more recent planting
whilst the winery has seen significant investment and boasts state of the art facilities where innovation thrives
The philosophy here is simple – to apply the absolute best production methods to every single wine
to enhance and preserve the natural quality of the grapes and provide a consistently high-quality product every year for every level of wine
My top 5 Romanian wines available in the UK
Orange Wine (£11 OCADO and £10.99 Adnams)
This is a crisp white wine with the complexity of a red wine
It’s rich and full of dried-fruit character
The aroma is a delicate blend of Williams pear and a hint of vanilla
with elegant but discreet fruit flavours of stone fruits
backed up with a powerful tannin structure and long finish
Sorcova Pinot Noir (£8.49, now on offer £7.49 Waitrose Cellars)
This light-bodied Romanian Pinot Noir has notes of spiced cherries and red plums
The Pinot Noir variety is known for its difficulty
but it’s tamed at Recaş Wine Cellars where local climatic conditions encourage the development and depth of flavour
The use of oak wood is balanced with the intensity of aroma
and the wine bottled early to preserve its freshness
Păsări (£9.30 Corney and Barrow)
silky Festeacsa Regala – Romania’s flagship white grape
Păsări honours one of Romania’s great cultural traditions where Romanians celebrate the arrival of spring when birds build their nests
and people gather for festivities dedicated to love and nature
This wine is made purely from the local grape Fetească Regală
which means ‘Royal Maiden’ due to the grape’s delicacy and elegance
making it a perfect choice for those who enjoy floral and fruity notes in their wine
Solomonar Cuvee Rouge (£8.99 Majestic Wines)
Merlot and the indigenous Feteasca Neagra grape
It’s full-bodied and rich with notes of blackcurrant
this wine won an IWC award for the 2020 vintage
I hope you enjoyed reading about my top five Romanian wines
I have a few more recommendations up my sleeve
I’d like to give one final special shoutout to Cramele Recas
dynamic winery whose open-minded approach and quality sets them apart
If you’re enjoying my weekly wine recommendations
then please follow me on Instagram @dmc_uncorked
And if you are a wine retailer or an events company who would like me to feature your range of wines
then please contact me via mccabetwe@gmail.com
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There’s still time to slip into summer whites
especially with Labor Day weekend just ahead
For advice on what to slip into — which is to say
what to sip into — we turned to Rebecca Davidson of Total Wine & More and Ty Martin of Craft Wine & Beer
We asked them them to recommend 10 white wines made from offbeat varietals or from familiar varietals but unfamiliar (to many folks) producers
We also wanted at least one rosé and one sparkling in the mix
The grape also is grown in Austria and Hungary
“We joke that this is what Dracula drinks when he’s not drinking red because Transylvania is in Romania,” Davidson said
¦ 2013 Château du Jaunay Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Notes: Muscadet wines from the western end of the Loire Valley are made from melon de Bourgogne grapes that are harvested fairly early to retain their acidity
This du Jaunay is aged on its lees (residual yeast) to create body
Taste profile: Light and crisp but with some weight
Notes: Schiava is an indigenous Italian grape from Trentino-Alto Adige
where northern Italy nudges Austria and Switzerland
The Armani family has grown grapes in the region for more than 400 years
Notes: It’s hard to miss this bedazzled bottle from Gotín del Risc winery in the Bierzo region of northwest Spain (“gotin” means a short glass of wine)
Gotello is a varietal that was almost abandoned by winemakers before its revival
Notes: Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s most widely planted grape
Setzer winery was founded 1705 and is one of the oldest wineries in its section of lower Austria
This grüner veltliner comes in a 1-liter bottle
not the smaller standard 750-milliliter size
Price: $15.78 for 1 liter at Craft Wine & Beer
Notes: Falanghina is an ancient varietal that likely dates to at least Roman times
It’s grown in the Campania region of southern Italy
Donnachiara winery farms a mountainous part of Campania that is cold in winter
Notes: Ameztoi’s vineyards sit above the Atlantic Ocean in the Spanish Basque country
This txakolina is bottled with residual carbon
Selbach-Oster drew on grapes from three top-quality vineyards in the Mosel region of Germany
German pinot blancs tend to fall stylistically between fleshy-lush and exceedingly crisp
with abundant acidity but also some richness that leads to a medium body
¦ 2012 Raventos i Blanc de Nit rosé sparkling wine
Notes: The grapes for Raventos Cava sparkling wines are biodynamically farmed on the family-owned estate and bottled there
Raventos sparklers offer excellent value for the quality
Notes: Sébastien Riffaut is a young star winemaker from the Sancerre appellation of France’s Loire Valley
The wine offers “a great point of entry for Sancerre ,” Martin said
with a fullness that balances its snappy minerality
the wines in this year’s Global Organic and Vegan Masters are proof that consumers have more choice than ever
Superb moments of surprise and enjoyment are part and parcel of judging the Global Organic and Vegan Masters
It’s enticing to know absolutely nothing about entries: not grape variety nor blend
along with the fact that the wines are produced from organically grown grapes and
ignoring the ‘organic’ or ‘vegan’ modifiers
but there are still some very good examples to be found
Under £10 there was an orange wine from top producer Cramele Recas in Romania that garnered a Gold medal
A Gold was also awarded for a Chardonnay from Raimat in Catalonia
In the £10-15 price bracket there are a few ‘stars’
Gérard Bertrand’s Nature Orange from France in particular deserves a special mention
with expressions showing texture and concentration
Château Maris ‘Brama’ Grenache Gris from France and Stoneleigh’s Marlborough Chardonnay from New Zealand stand out
the rosé wines in this year’s competition were underwhelming
The preoccupation with going ever paler in colour seems to strip out some of the fruit
Château Leoube’s unoaked Secret and the oaked wines at around £25 from Domaine Mirabeau and VIK are well worth sourcing for their gastronomic qualities
the oaked red wines were of a high standard
There is excellent value to be had at £10-15 where lively fruit kissed by oak gives delightful balance and texture
Perhaps the most satisfying bracket is £15-20 where the concentration of flavours and sophisticated use of oak give layers of complexity at reasonable prices
Chile and Argentina are always a ‘safe betting option’
For oaked red wines above £20, one expects, and receives, depth of fruit flavour and beautiful oak accents framed by lively acidity and textured tannins, all the components in balance. The majority of these wines offer finesse, weight and power. Domaine Bousquet’s Malbec from Argentina, Arinzano’s Merlot from Navarra and Castello di Albola Sangiovese from Chianti are all beautiful examples found at this price.
A coda to the judging day was Fonseca’s Terra Prima Organic Porto, a delicious ‘classic’ version at around £23.
The Global Organic and Vegan Masters included a wide range of countries and styles, indicating the seriousness with which our planet’s winegrowers are taking sustainability and organics when producing their wines.
Please visit the Global Masters website for more information or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com
But as co-owner Philip Cox explains to Joe Wadsack
there is so much more to achieve.You have seen your imports into this country double over the past two years – has this pattern been duplicated in other key export territories
Philip Cox can be mighty proud of what he and his team have achieved at Cramele Recas in Romania
We have seen strong growth in many markets – over 100% in Japan
and above 20% in our largest markets Netherlands
It will be a record year for us with our highest ever sales and I think we will hit 30 million bottles sold for the first time which is pretty amazing as we only sold 15 million in 2016
What do you put the huge increased interest in the UK down to
The situation in the UK was influenced particularly by our decision two years or so ago to go direct to most customers and work with a dedicated UK sales director – Matthew Johnson
The UK wine market also suffered very badly in 2020 from the pandemic – worse than other countries we work with – so the opening up during the first part of 2021 of the on-trade has pushed growth more than we expected
We are hoping that new developments with the virus
What trends are you seeing coming out of the UK market as a key exporter
I would say overall prices are growing strongly
but at the same time costs are also growing strongly – particularly glass and packaging materials due to the transport and energy price rises
Do you still have outstanding ambitions in the UK market
The scale of Cramele Recas’ operation in Romania has to be seen to be believed
particularly developing new opportunities in the off-trade
Romania has suffered for decades from a rather negative image for wine
but I think that has changed a lot in the last five years
This is making the market more open for our more premium wines which still offer outstanding value for money and a good point of difference to wines from other regions
It’s 30 years since I started in the wine business in Romania and I am still ambitious to get Romania more recognised as a producer of serious premium wines
and to get them into the top Horeca outlets in the UK is a key goal of mine
Can you give us an insight into the big issues and problems you have faced as a wine producer in these tumultuous times
Well it’s not got any easier that’s for sure
It’s obviously much better to struggle to make enough wine to keep up with demand – rather than having too much wine and being forced to sell it at low prices
I am always exhausted and fed up by the end of each vintage
but usually by spring I am more optimistic
That’s when I start working on plans to make the next vintage easier and better
Or should I say better – it never gets any easier
We are working hard with our grape growers to plant more and to improve existing vineyards to satisfy demand
and we are working tirelessly in our three wineries to expand the team of workers and winemakers and do more training to enable further expansion
find the time in 2022 to slow growth somewhat to give us time to catch up
You have had the same winemakers for nearly two decades
Do you think it is a combination of good winemaking and brand development (you) that has been the key to Cramele Recas’ success
Cramele Recas produces a wide range of innovative wines – like this orange wine example
I do honestly think our wine quality and style is the main reason for our success
but obviously linked to the commercial proposition and price positioning which is something we work very hard on
Our winemaking team is great – particularly chief winemakers Hartley Smithers and Nora Iriate
but also Elena and Alice who have been with us for three to four years now
and of course the huge team of cellarmasters
vineyard teams without which the winemakers can’t do their jobs
Can you ever see yourselves leaving Romania and living elsewhere
I can see myself having to go somewhere else for schools – when my kids start at secondary school for a few years
but I think I will probably end up coming back to Romania
I am very sad about how the UK has evolved over the last 10 years or so and honestly it’s not a particularly attractive option right now even though I do go there from time to time to see my family
There are lots of other places in Europe with way better weather which are much more cheerful and optimistic than the UK
What do you most like about the city of Timisoara where you are based
Philip Cox has made his home for his young family in Timisoara
Timisoara I like Timisoara because it’s big enough to be a proper city with a fairly effervescent city centre
but small enough to drive around easily without the awful traffic some big cities have – like Bucharest
If you could be responsible for making one wine
I am a bit obsessed right now with perfecting the perfect Viognier and Feteasca Regala blend
I just think both varieties are very interesting and our vines are improving as they get more mature
and I think they work together very well so one day soon I think a mega blend of these two
what is your overall pitch for why trade wine buyers should buy more Romanian wine
People should try Romanian wine as it offers something different fresh and interesting at bargain price points
It doesn’t have the fame or image of other wine regions around the world – but that works clearly in favour for the consumer as you are paying 100% for great value wines rather than paying extra bucks for scarcity or history
Write off Pinot Gris at your peril – because, while high-priced examples continue to shine, cheaper wines can also delight, writes Patricia Stefanowicz MW.
HAS PINOT Grigio lost its attraction? Perhaps not. In this broad group, there was a selection of wines with definition, juicy flavours, purity and balance, mainly from the grape’s heartland of the north of Italy, but with a smattering of samples from all around the globe.
The inexpensive Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris examples have lovely, lemon custard or peach and passionfruit flavours, and fresh acidity, with accents of rose petal or orange and lemon zest adding more interest. The under-£10 wines seem best when dry or nearly dry, with balanced alcohol and sufficient acidity. De Bortoli’s 17 Trees from Australia is one good example; Cramele Recas Wildflower from Romania is another: both easy-going, crowd-pleasing wines.
At £10-15, there are quite a few excellent examples of pure Pinot Gris from Trentino and Alto Adige in the north-central zone of Italy, and from Friuli and Collio in the far northeastern reaches. But the New World comes into its own here too. Two Gold medal winners worth seeking out are Lawson’s Dry Hills Pinot Gris from Marlborough in New Zealand, and Nals Margreid Hill Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige in Italy.
Above £15, the wines performed well, many garnering Silver or Gold medals. Antonutti’s Friuli Pinot Grigio from gravel soils deserves a special mention: delicate, but intense, with lovely peach fruit and racy acidity.
The oaked white Pinot Gris examples judged were quite high-priced (£15 and upwards) and all deserving of Silvers, Golds – and even a Master. Expect beautifully-judged use of creamy oak with no splinters in evidence.
At the more expensive end, a Master medal was awarded to Prophet’s Rock Pinot Gris from Central Otago in New Zealand. Meanwhile, a Gold was awarded to Ménage à Trois Wines’ California Pinot Grigio blend. There were a few ‘non-surprise’ wins, from Italian regions including Alto Adige (Nals Margreid’s Punggl), Trentino (Mezzacorona’s Musivum), and Fruili (La Roncaia).
The rosé Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio segment is a category that is rapidly making a name for itself, given the expanding popularity of rosé wines. Mastri Vernacoli’s Rosato Vigneti delle Dolomiti is brilliant, as is Domaine de Reuilly’s top-class Les Fossiles Pinot Gris from the eastern slopes of the central Loire Valley – worthy of every cent it may cost.
All in all, this year’s tasting gave our judges plenty of room for thought – and reversed any notions of personal prejudices against inexpensive Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio wines.
leaving glass bottles only for premium and fine wines.Tell us about your experiences with the shortages in glass bottles
increased prices and the impact on your business
We have all been aware of severe problems in the glass industry for several years
lack of innovation and a cartel/monopoly of a handful of large supply groups that run the glass industry in Europe has meant both increasing costs
insufficient quantity and diversity of supply on the market for a long time
This has all been amplified massively by the Covid period and the Ukraine war and subsequent energy crisis we have seen this year
This means glass suppliers are able to increase prices
decrease availability at will and wineries have to struggle to get any bottles they can wherever and whenever they can
which has limited growth and resulted in multiple price increases during 2022
We just received our fourth glass bottle price increase in the last 12 months
meaning the cost of bottles have more than doubled in price since December 2021
This all comes just after we thought we had agreed (with great difficulty) our 2023 pricing with customers
Philip Cox works with retailers and operators all over Europe supplying them with wine from Cramele Recas – Romania’s biggest wine exporter
Glass is the biggest cost element of a bottle of wine (after the wine itself) so it’s a huge problem
and the industry is set up to work on pricing set by vintage results annually
It really cannot cope with quarterly and irregular pricing changes
It is greatly damaging our relationships with customers
much worse than all that is the sustainability of glass – which is frankly catastrophic and is the wine industries biggest source of CO2 emissions at around 40%
This has not been addressed at all by the glass industry
It uses huge amounts of energy to produce and glass factories cannot be shut down and run at molten temperatures 365 days per year – even if they are not producing
Then there is even more energy used to transport the glass
and recycling glass is heavy and dangerous to handle
A huge targeted campaign has been made to attack the issues surrounding disposal of plastic
but in environmental terms the damage done by glass is king by a long distance
It just doesn’t float and end up on pretty beaches
You are looking at different options including a new PET-based bottle
The bottles we are trialling are multi-barrier recycled PET
so they are 65% made from plastic recycled from local rivers
The balance is a new type of barrier membrane which stops oxygen transfer allowing the wine to be stored for up to 24 months with no problem
What is its carbon footprint compared to glass
During the production phase glass has about two and a half times more CO2 emissions than plastic: 434 g CO2 equivalent for glass vs 178 g CO2 equivalent for plastic
But that is amplified enormously when you add in transport
and the use and disposal phase of a glass bottle’s life
as glass bottles are at least 10 times heavier than PET – on average 500g for glass vs 50g for PET
in a regular 40 ft container you can fit 30,000 PET 75 cl bottles versus less than 20,000 for glass in order to comply with road weight limits in all countries that allows for a maximum load weight of 24,500 kg
It means a container or truck carrying glass bottles is effectively only two thirds full in volume terms
but would be completely full when using PET bottles
So overall the CO2 emissions for the lifetime of glass bottles
even relatively lightweight ones are five to 10 times more than PET
how far they travel and how many times they are moved
The new recycled PET bottle being trialled by Cramele Recas
What are you doing in terms of the trial and seeing what the potential is in the trade
1) Seeing if we can bottle the new PET bottles on existing equipment
2) Checking after bottling the evolution of the wine in this type of packaging and analysing how the wine evolves both analytically and taste wise with particular attention to oxygen and SO2 levels
3) Testing it in supermarkets to see how the consumers react to this type of package and if there is any difference to rate of sale
Have you had any interest from customers in taking part in the trial
Yes, we are working with Penny, part of the Rewe Group which is a large group of supermarkets in Germany
What do they want to know in terms of agreeing to be part of the trial
I think the retailers see the main barrier to alternative packaging is how it will affect consumer perception of the product and of course if it will limit rate of sale
if promoted correctly as a more sustainable solution than glass
have the best chance of succeeding with consumers because many people probably will not even notice the change
They look very similar to existing glass wine bottles and thus do not require any change of behaviour from consumers – which can be a problem with cans
How have you been able to source them and is there a good supply to be able to scale them up
the suppliers we work with are large European wide companies and they have plenty of capacity
also PET final production is much more small scale and flexible than glass production
we can buy a machine and make them ourselves at the winery eventually
What sort of reaction have you had from consumers
a lot of positive interest from trade customers and the press
The hardest part is getting the idea past retailers who are frightened of any such big changes
but now that glass is getting increasingly expensive and hard to find
I think that will be a factor which influences retailers and when they decide to do it
The bottling line at Cramele Recas is under severe pressure
What potential do you think there is for this bottle in the market
I see in the initial phase a quite good chances to expand into the travel sector and see how they can be used on planes
Then we can look at sports and concert venues
I also see a huge potential for online sales
as all the carbon footprint issues of glass are multiplied massively for wine sent by post and courier – both the weight issue but even packaging need for PET is nothing like that for glass
After that it depends on retailers realising that the days of relatively cheap glass for entry level wines is basically over
What proportion of bottles do you see being made from them in the future
I think glass will always be used for mid and high-end wines
It’s so beautiful and is really a craft object
But around 80% of wines are entry level products
and two thirds of that is drunk within one week of purchase
so for that market PET recycled bottles are perfect
What is the cost of the bottle compared to a glass bottle
Glass bottles cost around 28-euro cent at the moment
This is compared to 14-euro cent in December 2021
Plastic bottles produced on a small-scale cost 21-euro cent to make
for a typical full truck or container load of wine going from here to the UK
fitting in a third more wine means a further cost saving of around 6-euro cent per bottle using recycled PET
making it 12-euro cent a bottle cheaper than glass for the same wine
This means the retail price can be at least 30p a bottle cheaper
hopes its new vegan approach will bring even more customers over to its wines.So why are you making this move over to vegan wine production
So why are you making this move over to vegan wine production
Because we think it will help sell more wine and send a message of added value to consumers and traders
We found increased interest in this subject both in the wine press but also from buyers
and it’s not that hard to do so we decided to go ahead
What changes has it involved in the winemaking
We already changed the production of our red wines many years ago to avoid animal products
as part of a more general plan to make our wines more naturally and using the least amounts of intervention and fermentation/settling materials possible
Red wines are rather more simple to produce and if the grapes and winemaking are good
but even the amount of SO2 we have in our red wines is below the threshold considered ‘natural’ by the natural wine community
For white wines we used to use gelatin of animal origin as part of the juice clarification process
but will will replace that with products of vegetable origin
so it’s not that complicated really – just changing one product
Moving to vegan production has not involved too many changes says Cramele Recas
Have you taken advice/seen other winemakers doing this to know what to do
We have four highly qualified Australian and Spanish winemakers and they all work back in Australia during the winter season here
so they are in constant touch with new developments and the valuable research done by the AWRI
I do not think it would make much difference to the wine at all
Even the animal based products we were using till now for our whites do not remain in the wine and do not impart any flavour
they were just a process aid to clarify the juice
Doing it with vegetable based products will be much the same
It’s exactly the same winemaking technique
it might make the process slightly slower and more expensive a bit
but nothing that will change the style of the wine
Which wines have you changed over to vegan so far
and our reds already did not use animal products
so it’s our whole production – which we are aiming to get to 19,000,000 litres of wine this year
Are you going to promote the fact they are vegan on the bottle
We are starting to roll out information on our labels that mention the fact the wines are veggie
We have already had some interest from traders
wholesalers and restaurants both in veggie wine
and in general in more natural low intervention winemaking
We made our first orange wines in 2016 and have just listed one in Aldi UK
So we see more interest in this kind of vegetarian
I don’t believe organic winemaking is actually very natural or good for the wine
We want to make the best wines possible because Romania is not well known so we have to over deliver on quality to succeed
Cramele Recas has seen huge growth in its export markets over the last two years particularly in the UK and Germany
How has the last couple of years gone for the winery
I have been absolutely shocked by the evolution of our business over the last two years
We were a pretty successful winery in 2016 but since then things have gone crazy and our sales have doubled on the export markets and the local market is also growing at 25% per year
quadrupled the bottling capacity with state of the art equipment
bought and planted an additional 190 hectares of vineyards (on top of our existing 1,000 hectares we had in 2016 – all replanted since we started in 1998)
All of which comes to an investment of over €10 million
but worth it as otherwise we could not keep up with demand
something which had long been on my list of things to do
and the Netherlands is also growing very strongly
and surprisingly (for me) the UK market is also growing well
much better than we anticipated after the Brexit vote
We have seen new listings recently in Tesco
as well as with existing clients like Sainsbury
So at least for the moment the UK is looking very good
Have you been able to benefit from the short harvests in 2017 in much of the rest of Europe
and I think the results are only just starting to happen
This situation has caused a bit of an upheaval in the world of wine
together with other longer term things like the trade deals pushing increasing amounts of southern hemisphere wine to the Chinese and other markets outside Europe
and this depriving European markets of long time staple suppliers of value bulk wines
Our latest listings I think are all partially helped by buyers being pushed into looking much harder for new sources of great value quality wines
The German market in particular I think is open to our wines now and holds a lot of potential
Cramele Recas has had to invest over €10m to keep up with demand for its wines
If so what sort of business have you been able to pick up
Short term it’s all about fitting wines to customer demand in the key markets
be that quality Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio at ultra competitive price and quality for the UK
Then its been around providing a new source of Sauvignon Blanc
combined with great innovative packaging and high level customer support and marketing
We are also able to offer modern retakes of local varietals like Feteasca Regala and Feteasca Neagra for the Romanian market
and if we can manage to disassociate ourselves from the ugly ‘Eastern Europe/rest of the world label’
then I think we can have much greater success with the local varietals such as Fetasca Regala
These are all distinctive and great food friendly wines that consumers love once you can manage to get them to try them
We have done well already with local varietals under the Wine Atlas label in Asda
and the Nonius label in Aldi UK and I think this is something we have to push as our strong point
At the end of the day not every wine producing country has varietals that are completely distinctive and unique and that are thousands of years old and taste great at moderate prices
How do you see the future of Romanian wine
Cramele Recas is working well with chains like Edeka in GermanyRight now Germany is the fastest growing market with what I would call ‘smart labels’ and smart marketing
like our food pairing brand which we have developed together with our German partner
for the mid-range supermarkets such as Edeka and Rewe
Or our Richig Lecker label which is doing great in Penny Market and Rewe
and even has its own consumer created Instagram feed with thousands of followers
I see great opportunities for different sizes
so the half bottle size seems to be showing great potential now
driven by the rise in the number of one person families or families where only one drinks wine
We did some half bottles for Aldi UK and now we are looking to launch in Germany too this autumn
Most of our wines we sell into western Europe and the US markets are at what I would call fighting varietal prices
So €3 in the countries with moderate tax regimes
but we are strongly growing our mid-range segment which would be €6 euro in non-taxed countries
And in our part of Europe we are doing even better with more premium and ultra-premium products up to €30 per bottle
of which we are the biggest player on the Romanian market with around 1 million bottles per year over €10 shelf price
What are the biggest opportunities for you
Until recently some buyers would flat out not even want to consider Romania
That has changed a lot in the last couple of years in the UK and Netherlands
It is also changing now in Germany and the US and will probably change slower around the rest of the world
All we can do is maintain a high visibility policy using social media
Once people taste them and compare them to wine from more established countries at the same price level they are blown away
You seem to be getting stronger and stronger in the UK
I am very excited by our work with Aldi which has a fantastic team and is prepared to take risks on outlandish ideas
I can’t imagine many other large scale supermarkets trying an orange wine let alone one from Romania
Corney & Barrow has just started with our wine and they are great people too and I really believe in them to do great things with them
Spar is a great company to do business with
all our steadfast customers that have backed us for years like Tanners
We had around 30 % growth in the UK last year and 50 % in first half of this year
A special mention goes to Robin Copestick at Copestick Murray who has been integral to our success in the UK
At the end of the day we are a young company
Our vineyards are just starting to get old enough to develop great quality and also we have a great diversity of products
with over 45 styles of wine from great value varietals to super premium Amarone style reds
and we have the drive and ambition to work with our partners to do what the market wants us to produce
while building a name for ourselves and this country
the winery he had established in the Banat region outside Timisoara in western Romania
the 20th anniversary of when Bristol-born Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira founded Cramele Recas
and it would seem I was right on the money
“Indigenous varieties are clearly the way forward but it’s hard to create a trend on your own,” : Philip Cox
I really thought we would be a boutique winery,” he says
recalling that he was inspired to go into wine after meeting Robert Mondavi at the tender age of 17
Standing in front of a glass-fronted cupboard showcasing just some of his wines
looking out at the vast stainless steel tanks that cover much of his winery
Cox’s winery is now the third largest in Romania
had a turnover of €42.5 million and employed 250 people
Cramele Recas makes 65 different wines under 247 different labels
reflecting Cox’s success in cannily penetrating both the on and off-trade (“If you give some customers the same wine with a label you have sold to others
And things continue to go his way. Two years ago, the country’s largest producer – Murfatlar, a company that had its origins in the communist era – went into insolvency following a huge alleged tax fraud whilst another competitor, Halewood is being sold by its British parent
“Today we’re the biggest seller of premium wine in Romania
thanks to growing interest from abroad and because Romania hasn’t had the bad harvests other countries suffered in recent years,” he says
Cox says that there has been growing interest in Romanian wine since the 2008 financial crisis hit many wine drinkers where it hurts most
Cheap prices – Cramele Recas has become famous for providing British drinkers with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris at bargain prices
Aldi and Majestic – combined with poor harvests elsewhere have cemented the success
Today Cramele Recas has some 40% of the Romanian wine industry’s export market whilst its domestic market position has been bolstered via the 150 wine shops it owns around the country
and business doubled – that was after it had gone up 40% the year before
We’re struggling to keep up with demand,” he says
Getting the balance right between commercial and premium
Cox is clearly sensitive to the charge that he produces mainly commercial wines – aimed at western supermarkets and facilitated by the presence at Cramele Recas oenologist Hartley Smithers, better known for his work at Casella with Yellowtail – pointing out that just under one million bottles he produces are “premium” wines
“We pulled up the vines we inherited when we took over but some of the best vines we have are just in front of the winery
where we make some of our best wines,” he says
Cox is proud of Cramele Recas’ status as a Romanian winery
and is keen to promote consumption of local varieties
Tamaioasa Romaneasca and Negru de Dragasani
He also makes a sparkling wine with Kadarka – a black-skinned variety also common in Hungary and Bulgaria (where it is known as Gamza) but which is often perceived as “difficult”
“Indigenous varieties are clearly the way forward but it’s hard to create a trend on your own
Other wineries here are not really doing it
and some of the British importers in particular seem afraid of these varieties.”
“Look at Majestic: they take our Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio but it’s that Asda buys lots of our Feteasca Regala and Feteasca Alba
You would have thought it would be the other way around,” he shrugs
Cox with just some of the 65 different wines Cramele Recas makes under 247 different labels
The white Wildflower Cuvée Blanc Reserva 2017 is a big
Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat Ottonel and well worth trying (£9.95 Tanners)
the Selene Feteasca Neagra 2017 is an unfiltered
barrique-aged wine made in small quantities (20,000 bottles) and a decent expression of this grape (Tanners
More ambitious still is the Cuveée Uberland
made Amarone-style in vineyards just near the winery
made with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with three weeks skin contact
The move from international varieties to local
to trade up although the stupidity of Brexit – which has already made consumers poorer through the devaluation of sterling – doesn’t make him optimistic that they will
“My initial reaction was to turn away and focus on Germany and Netherlands – I just couldn’t believe my country would do something so stupid and self-defeating
probably because our wines are not priced in Euros
British consumers have actually been buying more of our wine
just not the more expensive stuff,” he says
The winery produces Britain’s top selling Pinot Grigio
“Romania has the best value Pinot Noir in the world – probably because of our climate and terroir – and word has gotten out,” he says, pointing to the likes of Waitrose and Corney & Barrow who were initially sniffy at the idea of Romanian Pinot but now can’t buy enough of it
his plan is to encourage customers to look at local varieties more
despite the current focus on Pinot Noir and Grigio
“Negru de Dragasani – developed in the central Dragasani region in 1993 by crossing Negru Vertos with Saperavi – has potential but I reckon Feteasca Neagra has most promise
it can be fickle in bad years because it goes rotten fast and it can be inconsistent
but when all goes well it can produce some lovely wine,” he says
when land restitution and economic crisis inhibited its growth
the Romanian wine industry is currently in a good place
Some 170 new wineries have opened in the last 10 years and an estimated 35,000 hectares of new vines have been planted
Cramele Recas has become one of the front-runners in the industry and has helped raise the profile of the industry generally
However the industry still seems to have a problem pulling together, as demonstrated at the London Wine Fair where there was a Wines of Romania stand and a Premium Wines of Romania stand, at opposite ends of the hall, seemingly reluctant to acknowledge the existence of the other. And one of the country’s best producers, Prince Stirbey had its own seperate stand upstairs
Romania had a terrible image and this impacted on lots of things
That has changed but we all have to continue trying to raise the bar and show that we really can be world class,” he says
has not lost his Bristolian lilt or dry west country humour after four decades of living in eastern Europe
last week at a virtual tasting of some new releases
how much of his sales to the UK were on-trade
it was about 25% and all over the UK with Mitchells & Butler
Austell brewery’s wine department servicing pubs and restaurants.”
With the on-trade still “all shut” as Cox puts it
he is focussing his immediate attention on the immediate arrival into off-trade multiples of wines that are certified organic for the first time after the winery received certification last year
but first both some background and an update on Cox’s philosophy
Cramele Recas has been vegan since 2018 and
although Cox was not previously a disciple of organic viticulture
pragmatic considerations were behind his conversion
“We’re making a lot of natural wine now – around 300,000 bottles this year,” he declared
“and we decided to certify them as we got into disputes with people
natural wine is called amphora wine by the Americans
no added ingredients whatsoever and no SO2 added.”
Germany has supplanted the UK as Cramele Recas’ biggest export market
and a legal issue in the former country needed resolving
“One of the regional German governments took us to court,” Cox explained
“as they said we hadn’t written ‘certified natural organic’ on the label for our natural wines; so we just certified them to make it simple for everyone
We just want to talk about the wines and whether people like them or not
We’ve increased our range of these wines – the orange ones have been going for about five years – and just launched a conventionally vinified wine
We also have red natural organic wine which is vinified in the natural ethos
We are trying to get our government to legislate so that we can have an official category of what that means.”
The UK still remains a very important market for Cramele Recas
notwithstanding the difficulties imposed by Brexit
“We’ve been developing the UK market even if the government there has been making things difficult for us,” Cox declared
“The UK’s behind both the Netherlands and Germany now – in 2016
Japan and South Korea have been going great guns
having had more success coping with the virus
Selling wine is much harder with the customs and paperwork et cetera
I think we’re going to sell much more wine in UK this year than last when we sold 2.5 million bottles.”
That brought us onto the five wines Cox made available in the virtual tasting
“These wines are an important step for us,” he confessed
“The Rosé and the Feteasca Regala are both on sale in Aldi from April 1 while the other slightly drier Feteasca will be launching on the same day in M&S at £7.50-8.50
Majestic will have the more premium red Solomonar blend at £8.99
while Alliance will be selling the Orange wine at £9-10
I think the new releases will convince people to drink a lot more Feteasca Regala
“The second one was made together with Sue Daniels
We decided with Jancis Robinson that ‘royal maiden’ is the right translation for Feteasca because of the grape’s delicacy and elegance
Feteasca means ‘young girl’ but we didn’t think it was good talking about young girls in her atlas
High praise indeed from Jancis Robinson’s Instagram feed
named after a Romanian folk legend – a kind of local David Copperfield character as Cox put it – is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon
The latter is Romania’s best black grape in Cox’s view
“Feteasca Negra has a kind of critical mass behind it,” he said
and enough people trying to grow it in a serious way
It can be made in a lot of different ways – it can be full-bodied or quite feminine and light like a Pinot Noir
and we’re quite excited about trying to get more premium wines into the English market but it’s very difficult to do it if you’re from Romania
An intriguing hotchpotch of eight varietals featuring Feteasca Negra
Strawberry and cranberry aromas on the nose give way to red cherry and raspberry notes on the palate
Very imaginative label with half an orange appearing like a setting sun on the horizon behind vineyards
with colour coming from some contact with skins and seeds
while vivacious stone fruit makes this exceedingly drinkable
An orange wine to convert even the doubters
Vibrant acidity balances 10g/l of residual sugar (as requested by Aldi for its sweet-toothed drinkers)
Aromatic and floral with whiffs of cinnamon and white pepper
Very well-made wine that is again cracking value at £4.99
but with less residual sugar (7g/l as requested by M&S) and a little more length
with greater florality and more exotic-fruit flavours like quince
Crisp acidity and some structure from skin tannins
Complexity from 25-year old vineyards on the main Recas estate near Timisoara
A very appealing mid-market wine at an excellent price
Cramele Recas is a supplier partner of The Buyer. Click here to discover more about them
You’ve got to hand it to Philip Cox, commercial director and co-owner of Anglo-Romanian winemaker Cramele Recas
Entering the drinks business as a beer salesman in Germany 30 years ago
he now finds himself in the driving seat of one of the largest wineries in Eastern Europe if not all of Europe
a country that is ideally positioned geographically (on the same latitude as Bordeaux) and financially to make huge strides in the world wine market
has also allowed him to grow the business exponentially on the back of easy drinking
value conscious wine for both the on and off trade
Making wine is ten times cheaper in Romania than it is in Italy
a factor behind Cramele Recas producing the UK’s best-selling Pinot Grigio that is released under a variety of labels
As with a lot of wine from Hungary and Romania
its origin is not always apparent on the front label
is growing the premium side of the business
In the past five years alone there have been 100 brand new wineries opened in Romania and they are all aiming to do premium
The scale of the 980 hectare estate is hugely impressive
As far as scale and mass production goes Cramele Recas has it in spades: they produce 12-13 million bottles of wine a year
with capacity to go to 20 million; they make 68 different types of wine across 300 labels using 21 different grape varieties; they turn over €30 million pa
making them Romania’s second largest winery and they export a third of their wine to the UK
making them the largest Romanian winery in export terms
From buying the winery off the Romanian government for $1 million
they have invested heavily on improvements and grown the winery to 980 hectares
As far as bulk entry level and mid-market wines go
Cramele has a business model the envy of many
helped by Philip’s seven years working on Black Tower for Reh Kenderman
At Cramele Recas there is one head winemaker Australian Hartley Smithers who oversees a team led by two other winemakers
Nora Iriarte from the Basque Country and local Florin Voloaua
Between July and January the team works on the blends from an enormous range of international and local grapes: Merlot
Cramele Recas has invested heavily in technology and now has capacity to bottle 20 million bottles a year
starts determining which labels will go on wines for the 25 countries they export to
that they export to the UK comes in 20 different labels exclusive to the likes of Greene King
Matthew Clarke and Whyte and Mackay and numerous supermarkets “Which means they can disguise how much money they make,” Cox says with a smile
“In a supermarket the same wine can be found for £4.99 but £8.99 in another outlet under different labels.”
particularly in how it has allowed the on trade to serve it by the glass “We’ve created our own market segment by doing this,” he adds
St Austell and Forth Wine also import to the UK on-trade
Cox’s strategy for developing premium wine has been to use the mass produced wines as a foothold into the market and then to build on that momentum with higher end wines
The 30,000 hectares that have been re-planted in Romania and the potential for more exporters means that the potential is there for Romania to get recognised as producing more than just bulk wine
Cox is therefore embarking on a prolonged marketing push to change the hearts and minds of the trade who he believes are more conservative than the consumer
and also teaming up with Local Wine Schools in the UK to help educate customers
Tasting the premium wines of Cramele Recas
Lunching with Cox at London’s The Balcon on the Strand
he shows a variety of his wines that best reflect the premium end of his portfolio
A quality blend of five grapes – Chardonnay (60%)
Feteasca Regala (15%) Muscat Ottonel (16%)
Sauvignon Blanc (4%) and Negru de Dragasani (2%) – this is a rich dry white wine that is given complexity by the Negru de Dragasani and a grip in the finish by the Feteasca Regala
It is not for nothing that this has won prizes internationally
We paired it with a starter of charred leeks
parmesan polenta and truffled egg yolk – the tropical notes of pineapple and light red fruits in the wine came through and made it a good pairing
My favourite of the reds was this spice bomb
Made from 100% local grape Feteasca Neagra it punches well above its weight and comes heartily recommended
We paired it with confit of duck but this would be a good match for Indian and other spicy foods
It has seen a lot of oak and it is 14.5% alcohol but you wouldn’t know it
What is so impressive is the acidity which gives the wine real structure and a brightness through the layers of rich red fruit
Making a stickie out of Sauvignon Blanc is a masterstroke with this more-ish dessert wine
but it is fresher and lighter on its feet than you would get
We paired it with yoghurt panna cotta and fresh raspberries
Philip Cox looking rather pleased with himself with his top Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine
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Transgaz CEO Ion Sterian recently had a meeting in Bucharest with the management of the counterpart state-owned company ‘Srbijagas’, represented by CEO Dušan Bajatović, to discuss details of the construction of the gas interconnector between the two neighbouring countries.
“Today’s discussions were thorough and practical. This followed the meeting two weeks ago, when the Memorandum of Understanding was signed on the project to build a gas interconnector between Romania and Serbia,” Transgaz CEO said.
“Serbia will build three gas pipelines, 13 kilometres long from the border to Mokrin, 35 kilometres from Mokrin to Banati Zvor (gas storage facility) and 110 kilometres from Banati Zvor to Pančevo near Belgrade. We are going to have a new meeting in Timisoara on September 22-23 in order to establish the work and implementation schedule,” Ion Sterian emphasized.
The project ‘Interconnection of the Romanian National Gas Transmission System with the similar gas transmission system in Serbia’ involves the construction of a new gas transmission pipeline that will connect the BRUA gas transmission pipeline to the Mokrin Technological Node in Serbia.
In early August, Ion Sterian said that if things go well, he expected the investment to be completed by 2028.
The gas pipeline will have a capacity of 1.6-2.5bcm. On Romanian territory, the gas pipeline will be connected to the BRUA Phase I pipeline (Petrovaselo, Timis County) and will be 85.56 km long (border between Romania and Serbia – Comlosu Mare, Timis County). There will also be a metering station at the border.
The gas pipeline will cross, on the territory of Romania, the following administrative-territorial units: Recas, Lenauheim, Remetea Mare, Giarmata, Pischia, Sanandrei, Ortisoara, Satchinez, Biled, Sandra, Gottlob, Comlosu Mare. The pipeline will be designed to ensure a reverse gas flow of at least 1.6 bcm/year (183 000 Scm/h).
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These orange plonks are sure to surprise you
Brook House Farm is usually found making cider and perries
with this bottle being its debut into the winemaking world – and what an entrance it is
With a big orange slice taking centre stage on the label
Romania’s Cramele Recas isn't helping drinkers who might still be confused about the inclusion of actual oranges in orange wine (spoiler: there aren't any)
thanks to its Clockwork Orange-esque label
this wine is certainly not a case of being all about looks and little substance
Made by Ancre Hill Estate in Monmouthshire
it’s another top contender from a UK vineyard
as there's certainly nothing brutal about it – rather
thanks to the influence of Georgia's historic wine region
which quickly spread across neighbouring countries and into Europe
Chilean wine producer Mauricio Gonzalez follows traditional winemaking methods
including naturally fermenting the wine in traditional qvevri clay pots – exactly how wine's traditionally aged in Georgia
Just south of France's Languedoc-Roussillon region near the Spanish border
giving the wine a distinctive mineral character
They're also free from all chemical fertilisers and follow biodynamic practices
you'll likely have seen one of New Theory's wines in a bottle shop
The brand was created by brothers Charlie and Thom Bradley with the aim of making wine more fun and inclusive
They say their wines are for sticky dance floors and candlelit dinner tables alike
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Forget funky, unpalatable and highly acidic drinks that once masqueraded as wines when orange vino first hit the shelves
It's moved on to become an exciting style that's well worth getting to know
and we’ve been busy rounding up the best orange wines from across the globe
Skin-contact wines have been having a moment for some time now, though orange wines (also known as amber and skin-contact wines) have the oldest viticulture history in the world – Georgians have been fermenting such wine in clay pots (known as qvevri) underground for more than 8,000 years
What's really pleasing to see is how strong UK winemakers are in this category, with our list including two producers from the UK who are making some really standout vinos. They've quickly become some of our favourite wines, and not just in the orange wine or British wine categories
Though some of these wines are more expensive than your average plonk
they're often made in small batches by independent producers
Keep scrolling to find out more about our pick of the best orange wines that are worth raising a glass to
9 best low-alcohol wines to enjoy without the hangover
15 best rosé wines to brighten your day and drink all summer long
9 best pét nat wines for a naturally sparkling tipple
12 best white wines for sipping all summer long
We looked for a range of expressions from across the world’s best wine-producing regions
ranging from Georgia (the home of orange wine) to Wales
We also wanted to include the breadth of different wines
from accessible styles for beginners to the more experimental and exciting
Every wine in our line-up has been taste-tested with fellow wine drinkers
body and value all being taken into consideration
We’ve tracked down the best orange wines from around the world
The team have retained the experimental style they use so well in cider-making
The small vineyard at the farm is home to two grape varieties: solaris and seyval blanc
fun and lively wine with tropical and lemony notes
There's a real tanginess with citrus notes and a good length
which makes it a very drinkable and exciting wine indeed
It's another entry-level orange wine that doesn't veer too far from white wine
its pale orange colour comes from skin contact
it's one of the most popular orange wines of the moment
there are hints of stone fruits and candied apricots
along with an elegant and dry fruity finish
for drinkers looking for something more adventurous
This gwin oren (orange wine) is a blend of albariño and chardonnay grapes that have been macerated between 30-50 days
which helps give the wine structure and a deep orange tone
It is fermented in both steel tanks and oak barrels and then sits on the lees for 10 months
It’s unfiltered and is effervescent almost
with the tiniest bubbles giving it a very lively nature
umami flavours and even chocolate puddings
Mother Rock wines are a collaboration by South African winemaker Johan Meyer and Ben Henshaw
The brand makes small batches of low-intervention natural wines that really bottle up the terroir
what's different here is this wine has been created using fruit from other vineyards
as it was not until recently Meyer bought his own vineyard and built a winery (we'll be keeping an eye out for his wines soon)
he sources the very best organic grapes from across Swartland
is made using single vineyard chenin blanc from the Paardeberg Mountain region
Although this wine has only had 10 days of skin contact
it's taken on a pale cloudy orange hue and there's an awful lot of flavour
from fresh apple and melon to peach and kumquat
Another unassuming wine-producing country is Bulgaria
a family-owned winery near the village of Harsovo in the Melnik region
It's helping revive viticulture in the country by using indigenous grapes and organic farming to make its wine
The winemaker uses sauvignon blanc and the local keratsuda grapes to create this bottle
which benefits from a few weeks of skin contact
The medium-body wine is wonderfully clean and fresh
Made with grapes grown and manually harvested in a cool climate
the wine is unfiltered and has a slight cloudiness to it
It's one of the only wines on the slightly cloudy list
with hints of peach and mango that lead into zesty fruits
intense acidity and a tannin structure that lingers on the palate
This very pale orange wine has a tinge of hay colouring
as it's only macerated for around 10-15 days
there are hints of fresh green apple along with savoury and creamy hints of vanilla
This vino is made from a blend of vermentino
malvoisie du roussillon and sauvignon blanc grapes
It’s an entry-level orange wine when it comes to flavour profiles but not in terms of cost
It's much closer to white wine than some other orange numbers and has a real crisp freshness
The brand makes clean skin contact and low intervention styles
working with South African winemakers who really know what they're doing
The White Lies wine is made with pinot gris grapes grown in granite-heavy soils in a cooler climate
Grapes are hand-harvested and have just four days of skin contact
giving the wine a pale colour and low tannins
The result has plenty of ripe fruity notes
making it a great accompaniment with white fish
resulting in a clean and fresh wine that’s hard not to love
Want more recommendations? We’ve rounded up the best red wines to enjoy chilled
The Plant It Fi Save It campaign was started by 11 students from the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) at the University of the West Indies (UWI)
in response to rising food costs during the COVID-19 outbreak
This campaign promotes backyard farming as a viable option for lowering food costs
“Our campaign is so important because food prices are increasing and Jamaican families are being financially affected
We believe that backyard farming offers a practical and low-cost solution for multiple challenges that people are facing today
It can lead to monetary savings and strengthen local food production
The materials needed for it are relatively cheap and easily accessible,” said Keryce Dookie
The Plant It Fi Save It team has partnered with well-known agricultural organisations to make their campaign effective and successful
They collaborated with the Jamaica 4-H Clubs
which is the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries youth arm
a charity organisation that helps Jamaican farmers grow organic foods to reduce the importation of food and entrepreneurship
These institutional partners are the campaign’s source for agricultural materials
“We were fortunately partnered with agricultural organisations
to grant our target audience the knowledge and resources such as organic seeds
These methods have made it cheaper for our target audience
especially since they are minimum wage earners and family breadwinners
Our primary target audience includes residents 18-45 years old living in Stadium Gardens
and our secondary target audience is the wider Jamaican population,” Dookie said
recently visited the residents of the Stadium Gardens community to distribute organic seeds and share backyard farming advice with residents
“It was a relief to know that outside of our team
there were others who believed in our initiative to combat food security and were willing to lend a helping hand
We even had a webinar hosted by a trained agriculturist from the Jamaica 4-H Clubs who shared tips on how to start a backyard garden
another member of the campaign team told The Gleaner
The students were overjoyed to have the Honourable Pearnel Charles Jr
endorse and reinforce their campaign’s message
which urged Jamaicans to grow their own food in support of the Plant It Fi Save It campaign’s initiative.“ The video we posted on our social media with Minister Charles caused a lot of traction on our social media pages
We had an increase in followers and more people started interacting with the campaign,” said Morgan
The Plant It Fi Save It team wants to raise the number of Jamaicans who understand and believe that backyard farming can help them save money on food and urge all Jamaicans to practise backyard farming to save money
View the discussion thread.
Charter broker Air Charter Service is expanding its presence in Switzerland by tripling its office space
The expansion is being made to facilitate future growth of the company in Switzerland and is being made following strong performance in the region during the last year
In 2015 the office booked 27 flights generating a turnover of CHF540,000 (£450,000)
booking over 500 flights and recording a turnover of more than CHF36 million (£30 million)
CEO of Air Charter Service (ACS) Switzerland
“This is an exciting time for ACS Switzerland – we have added several new faces to our team and celebrated our fifth anniversary last year
with only two desks – now the new office can accommodate up to 23 team members
We will continue expanding the team in 2021
which is another reason for the move to this bigger office
“The project to move here has taken almost a year to complete
in order for it to be as seamless as possible
The new office is more than double the floor space of our previous premises
“Our business in Switzerland has grown every year since it opened and this new office space allows us to continue that trend for the foreseeable future.”
Ben has worked all of his career as a journalist and now editor
In the last 20 years he has written on subjects from nuclear submarines and autonomous cars to future design and manufacturing technologies and commercial aviation
Latterly editor of a leading engineering magazine
he brings an eye for a great story and lots of experience to the team
By Daniel Woolfson2018-08-07T14:12:00+01:00
Aldi is the first UK supermarket to stock the style
which is a blend of chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes
becoming the first UK supermarket to stock the style
simply called Orange Natural Wine (12.5% abv)
It will hit the discounter’s shelves on 11 August as part of Aldi’s August Wine Festival range (rsp: £5.99/750ml)
It is a blend of 85% chardonnay and 15% Sauvignon Blanc grapes
aged in one-year-old French barriques for three months before being given a natural cold stabilisation and bottled
The liquid itself had “dark straw colour with orange hints”
with “a delicate mélange of quince” on the nose and “elegant but discreet fruit flavours of stone fruits
backed up with a powerful tannin structure and long finish”
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Following our Global Pinot Grigio Masters earlier this year
we pick out the top 15 wines from the competition
as well as refreshing whites from a range of nations
affordable Pinot Grigio from the reliably good source of inexpensive wine that is Romania’s Cramele Recas
Rich in flavours of ripe apple and chunks of pineapple
Helping to fill out the mid-palate is 5g/l of residual sugar
this is a nicely-weighted Pinot Gris with a bitter lemon edge to refresh and make you salivate
while its core characters include peach and pear
if not aromatic like Marlborough’s Sauvignons
A great example of oak-influenced Pinot Grigio
this Punggl (‘small hill’) from Nals Margreid uses large wooden vats to ferment grapes from 80-year-old
It’s a medium-weight white with a lingering
that mixes notes of peach and pear with bitter
zesty characters to offset the ripe fruit at its core
Finishes with persistent flavours of juicy lemon and rock salt
An exciting chance to taste fine Trentino Pinot Grigio with a bit of bottle age
this ‘musivum’ release from the 2018 vintage is a beautiful white gold
and loaded with notes of peaches and cream
with a lingering note of hazelnuts and marzipan
along with a hint of citrus pith to refresh
One of our top-scoring Pinot Gris of 2024 hailed from New Zealand’s South Island
where Prophet’s Rock has crafted a wine of power and precision
A brilliant producer of Pinot Grigio that always scores well in the competition
La Roncaia is a complex wine with layers of complementary flavours
from cream and hazelnut to toasted almonds
Lingering on the finish are palate-cleansing characters of lime zest
giving this Pinot Grigio an appealing bite
despite the ripe yellow fruit that features prominently on the mid-palate
this pale copper-coloured Pinot Grigio from Friuli Isonzo is a delicious
layered and indulgent drink that deserves wider recognition in the world of fine whites
Among the many flavours that feature in this complex wine are notes of vanilla and peach
with a lingering set of characters on the finish that range from bitter almond to fresh lemon
affordable and super-fruity Italian Pinot Grigio
with ripe characters ranging from passionfruit to peach
With more than 100 years of history over four generations
Antonutti Vini is making sensational wines in the western part of Grave del Friuli
with lemon zest and crushed yellow rose accents
The palate is packed with melon and pineapple flavours
bolstered by fresh acidity overlaid with limestone notes
This is a glass to join up with oysters in Champagne sauce or Dover sole in a tarragon-infused white sauce
Ménage à Trois sources its grapes throughout California
occasionally the winemakers add others – ‘one
three… lots’ – to create their blended wines
is in keeping with the grape’s northern Italian heritage
with crushed rose petal overlay and a hint of vanilla from gentle oak ageing
The palate is nearly dry (5.6g/l residual sugar) and light-bodied
Perfect on a summer’s day with fish and chips while enjoying a view of the river
Cavit has long been producing rosato wines from Trentino
and this one is based on Pinot Grigio with a little Pinot Nero for the pale peach colour
the palate has a light body and attractive fruit
framed by lively acidity and a hint of pétillance
but an excellent pairing for lighter fish dishes or cheese fondue
De Bortoli started its 17 Trees sustainability initiative in 2008
to plant 17 trees for each company vehicle in order to offset the carbon effects of the fleet
This wine is one of the tributes to that aim
still going strong with more than 69,000 trees planted so far
Dry – just (5g/l residual sugar) – and light-bodied
the palate is supported by crisp acidity and a creamy texture
Denis Jamain’s estate is located at the far eastern end of the centre of the Loire Valley
Based on marine and shell fossil soils deriving from the Jurassic period
the grapes take these mineral nuances through to the wines
almost certainly planted post-phylloxera with vines from nearby Bourgogne
has a pale lemon colour and typical lemon custard and cream flavour
this is a wine to serve with swordfish or tuna steak
Anyone for a game of boules on the grass outside Wakefield’s Clare Valley cellar door
Preferably with a glass of this delightful
the wine exudes white fruits and lemon blossom
the palate is light-bodied and has good intensity and zesty acidity
An earthy nuance shows the varietal character of Pinot Gris
and the savoury flavour suggests that it might suit seared chicken breasts with a Thai-inspired sweet red pepper sauce… after the boules
All the medallists from the Global Pinot Grigio Masters 2024
With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process
The Global Pinot Gris Masters provides a chance for your wines to shine
The 2024 competition was judged on 11 June at Rotunda in London
Silver or Bronze medals according to their result
and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Pinot Gris Master
This report features the medal winners only
Please visit the Global Masters website for more information or
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The stage has been set for the 113th staging of one of the biggest and the greatest track and field high-school championships in the world
the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships
stakeholders and student athletes got ready for five days of intense and friendly competition among high schools across the island at the launch
kicks off on March 28 with the ultimate day of competition being on April 1
Who do you think will win Champs this year
View the discussion thread.
Cramele Recas has secured its first listing with Waitrose
the Romanian winery’s new premium Sorcova range
comprising a Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Noir (rrp: £7.79)
is available from the retailer for the first time
from Romania’s biggest exporter of bottled wine
Both the wines showed a “clean and intense fruit-driven profile with a beautifully textured and balanced palate”
"I am confident that the addition of the Sorcova wines to the Waitrose & Partners range is the right step given our strategic focus on offering high-quality wines that represent great value for our customers,” she said.
founder and commercial director of Cramele Recas added: “We are so thrilled to launch our new Sorcova range in Waitrose
and very proud to be at the forefront of putting Romanian wines on the map in terms of producing quality wine.”
Since 1998, Cramele Recas has replanted on ancient vineyard sites with state-of-the-art vineyards. It said this mix of traditionalism and modernity was “perfectly expressed” through the new Sorcova collection of fruit-driven wines
In April
Cox said that a shift from traditional appellation-based
heritage and winery-focused labels to those that are “more about the market” would be hastened in the wake of the pandemic if wine is to compete with rivals drinks categories
The Regentrofen College of Applied Science (ReCAS) in the Upper East Region has donated 10 hospital beds to the Bongo district hospital and the Namoo Health Centre to improve maternal health care delivery
The intervention forms part of the institution’s corporate responsibility to ease the inadequate bed syndrome at the district’s hospital and the Namoo Health Centre that serves the people of Bongo and neighbouring Burkina-Faso
Speaking at the presentation ceremony at the Bongo district hospital
the support was in response to feasibility findings that inadequate beds at health care facilities in the district were negatively affecting service delivery
“ReCAS conducted a survey on health facilities in the district and found that most of the patients were found lying on the bare floor while receiving treatment
we come up with this donation to get more of the patients to lie on beds and not on the bare floor for treatment.”
“We are making a donation of five hospital beds each to the Bongo district hospital and the Namoo health centre at a cost of GH¢35,000 to support them to offer better services
ReCAS will soon introduce both diploma and degree health programmes in physician assistantship
midwifery and nursing by the close of 2022 to train and improve the worrying health care personnel situation in the region
Bongo District Director of Ghana Health Service (GHS)
observed that inadequate beds at health facilities
continue to affect service delivery in the district and that
the donation will help address the situation
He reiterated the district’s resolve to reduce maternal mortality
recording three (3) maternal deaths in 2021
attributing the success to a robust system
Bordotsiah commended ReCAS for the handy beds and appealed to philanthropists and benevolent organisations to come to the aid of health facilities in the district
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An innovative Romanian winery has put the country on the vinous map
Andrew Catchpole talks to the iconoclast at the helm
Cramele Recas
has reached a major landmark in its march towards organic winemaking
with its first certificated organic wines now reaching the UK
The first fully certified organic wines from the estate include an updated blend of Cramele Recas’s natural orange wine
while also adding some amphora aging into the minimal intervention mix
around 15% of the new blend has been aged in 900ltr amphoras for around a month
Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc all making it into the new blend
a handful of other new wines are also making their way exclusively to UK supermarkets
and Found Feteasca Regala and Vara Rose (M&S)
have now been made available in the UK market
circumventing Brexit-related border issues at the beginning of the year
the Bristolian-born CEO says his “whole life was ruined by Brexit
which were showcased to trade press this week
are part of an optimistic drive to transform the Cramele Recas portfolio over the past year or so
while also majoring on its status as eastern Europe’s biggest natural wine producer and leading the charge for indigenous Romanian grapes in key markets
Despite listings being lost in Asda – “I guess some of the varieties were just too much for them” – the estate has had success in several areas with improvement within the winery and abroad
As part of this, a total of €7m has been earmarked to make widespread improvements to the Cramele Recas operations in 2021
while also managing to grow sales in the UK over the past year
It has also been vegan since 2018 and was certified organic in 2020
the re-blended orange wine is now being pitted as the standard bearer for the estate’s organic wines
no fining or sulphur added,” says Cox
It’s mainly sold to specialised wine shops and bars and restaurants when and if they’re open
It’s been a growing trend that’s been good for us.”
the estate is also making headway with Feteasca Regala
a cross of Feteasca Alba with Grasa produced in the 1920s
which helped to solve problems with flowering and yields
“Some people think Grasa is maybe related to Furmint
and it’s certainly in the style of Furmint
But it’s actually a very authentic Romanian
It’s always refreshing and crisp and has good acidity,” Cox said
While it’s the most popular white variety on the Romanian market
it is little known to the UK where Cox is aiming to move into a more premium segment
The wines listed here retail from £4.99 up to around £10 for the Solomonar Reserve Red 2019 (Merlot
But he’s optimistic about pushing those varieties that are “unique to Romania”
which come from some 1,250ha of owned wholly operated Cramele Recas vineyards
“We want to grow these wines in the UK
We’re going to sell lots of wine in England this year
it’s an important step,” Cox said
Cramele Recas is a major presence in Romania
It’s the country’s biggest wine exporter and winery by turnover
It is also a major retailer in Romania where it owns and operates 130 stores
The UK has been a much more difficult sell in recent years
the market has dropped from 70% of total exports in 2016 to just 10% in 2020
Cox admits this might be partly due to his decision to focus on other markets
Germany is now Cramele Recas’s number one export market
having become “convinced that Brexit going to be a horrible **** up…we actually ended up selling more in England over the past year”
Cramele Recas is also focusing on the new launch of its of its Dealuri Premium Romanian rosé, which was a favourite at the tasting
Cramele Recas has also taken advantage of EU grants which has led to mass replantings over the past couple of decades
This will continue along with the €7m investment fund to improve operations
which has enabled the brand to “invest heavily” in biodiversity
View the discussion thread.
By Simon Gwynn2015-05-07T11:09:00
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Regentropfen College of Applied Sciences (ReCAS) at Namoo in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region has held its 5th Graduation Ceremony with a call on the graduating students to be job creators and to exhibit professionalism in the job market
He implored them to make use of the skills they had and to create jobs instead of seeking jobs
A member of the College Council and representative of the University for Development Studies
Professor George Nyarko said that many graduates are churned out every year who come out to seek jobs
He said the programmes when fully introduced will support the growth of numbers and in the provision of community services
“You are coming from a university that has taught you to be creative
and to go with a certain mindset that you can make it even if you don’t find work in the public sector.”
Agnes Atia Apusiga’s separate awards for best female graduating student for Resilience and Leadership went to Miss Paulina Apam
The Overall Best Graduating Student Award went to Master Ebenezer Agudey Akuteye
Master Ebenezer Agudey entreated his colleagues to be prepared for the different spheres of life that await them
“ReCAS as an institution has equipped us with more than what our certificates can get us
Application of our trained minds should begin from here and an exhibition of our survived instinct should be exercised irrespective of your final result,” Master Agudey said
The college affiliated with the University for Development Studies in Tamale also matriculated 58 students to study various Diploma and Degree programmes
More stories here
The state-owned monopoly Transgaz has started the assembly works of the first parts of the Romanian section of international pipeline Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria (BRUA) in Recas
the technical operator of Romania’s national natural gas transmission system
is in charge of building the infrastructure on the Romanian territory on the BRUA pipeline
a project supported by the European Commission
“The first tubes reached the site at the Recaş area
where the assembly works began,” Transgaz’s CEO Ion Sterian told Agerpres
The total value of Phase is estimated at EUR 478.6 million
Transgaz has already been working on the three gas compressing stations at Podisor
A total share of 40 percent of the estimated eligible costs were covered by the European Union through a EUR 179 million grant.
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Guests were first treated to the warmth and hospitality of the league staff before a quick peek at works of art inside the pavilion
with proceeds going to the Jamaica Down's Syndrome Foundation
The party was also a chance to say thank you to the various partners
and to launch the league's investor's edge
a new savings plan offered by the Credit Union Fund Management Company
Before DJ Kurt Riley really got guests moving to the music
there was more than enough time for a live performance
Veteran reggae act Tony Rebel showed all his qualities - from his showmanship to his usual clean lyrics - as he thoroughly entertained
He even inveigled (not that it took much) the bubbly Claudette Christie to do a couple of duets with him
going off in a Spanish version of it after the 'pull-up'
View the discussion thread.
Elevate your summer drinking with a glass of orange wine
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There are few things as refreshing as the first sip of a cold glass of wine as we enjoy an alfresco dinner in the summer heat
in the warm weather we would gravitate to a familiar rosé or white
but this summer the unexpected star of the show is orange wine
many people - us included before we embarked on this boozy investigation - have heard relatively little about it
let alone how to enjoy it or what to pair it with
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founder of Dalston Wine Club: “Georgian winemakers have been crafting skin contact wine for thousands of years
but we’re only just scratching the surface of its incredible potential
“Making orange wine follows the same process as making white wine
the grapes are crushed and pressed immediately after
the broken skins are left in contact with the grape juice after crushing — this imparts extra layers of flavour
Crosbie notes that “orange wines are often indulgently aromatic and textured
making them the ideal pairing for infamously tricky-to-pair cuisines such as Vietnamese and Thai food”
We put eight orange wines to the test and here are our verdicts
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so this wine was an immediate crowd pleaser and felt like we were enjoying a seasonal spritz
The bottle design was fun - an orange segment created to look like the sunset
and the colour of the wine was exactly bang on orange (which is surpringly rare apparently)
this dry wine gave us that instant summer feeling and we could all see ourselves basking in the rays as we sipped on a few too many glasses of this delicate Romanian wine
It was refreshing to see a vegan wine in the line-up
let alone one that had also no added sugar
yeast or sulphates (does this mean it’s hangover free?!)
Testers noted it was slightly lighter in colour - more comparable to yellow than a deep orange
If you’re after an orange wine that has a mild taste
then this is the one for you as we think it could be paired with almost anything and still taste great
If you’re anything like us and tend to purchase wine based on the aesthetics of the bottle and label (as well as the discounted price
The fun abstract design was instantly eye-catching and the bright yellow and red colours perfectly complemented the darker wine
Made from the rare grape variety Orange Muscat
it has the most distinctive flavour and shocked us with how sweet it was
coming from notes of apricots and marmalade
drinking a large quantity wouldn’t be possible
A small glass in lieu of your traditional dessert wine would work perfectly at the end of a meal
this bottle impressed us with its elegant design and upmarket label
Slightly lighter in colour than other orange wines
our testers guessed correctly that this is one of the most expensive ones in our roundup
an ancient route on the border of Spain and France
Upon tasting it felt slightly heavier and more complex with some tasters comparing it to the smoky taste of Australian wines.If you’re not a fan of a strong aftertaste
then this may be the one for you as the taste is fresh and doesn’t linger at all
our testers estimated that this one sat on the higher end of the spectrum thanks to its minimalistic design - but that is not the case at all
We were eager to get tasting but were slightly apprehensive due to the initial strong smell
We found it to have a very sharp almost acidic taste that lasted rather longer than we would have liked on the palate
After persevering through and having another glass (or two)
we became accustomed to the taste and thought it would work well with the right food pairing
Save this one for your next Pad Thai or spring roll takeaway
For those of us that don’t list sommelier under ‘skills’ on our CV
having information on the back of a bottle is incredibly helpful
This bottle was not only sleek and well designed
but it provided thorough information about the orange wine process
flavour and pairings - that we attempted to take on board as we gulped it down
The unique flavour was certainly distinct yet simultaneously unassuming - both initially and in the aftertaste
We’d recommend this for those adventurous drinkers who are keen to expand their wine tasting horizons
we have this ultra-cool orange wine featuring two retro pinup girls with green hair
cat-eye yellow sunglasses and a bold purple outfit
We found the wine just as great as the bottle - our testers liked the light and crisp flavour
making it the perfect summer drink served cold
We also thought it would work as an aperitif or with some light snacks such as a charcuterie board
we’d say this tasted like a fruit juice for adults