Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/898117
90 / the tasting panel / november 2017 R omania is one of the top producers in Europe—and the world—when it comes to wine, but few know about this vibrant wine-producing nation outside its borders. Prior to 1989, a bulk of the production of the country's wines went to the export mar- ket, but with the fall of Communism Romania lost interest in the outside market and relied on domestic custom- ers for its core business. This would start to change in 2007 when Romania became a member of the European Union, providing this economically- isolated region with funding to invest in vineyards and cellars, as well as to promote Romanian wines overseas. The standout wine-producing region of Romania is Târnave-Jidvei, an appellation nestled right in the middle of Transylvania. Situated on a plateau and surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, Târnave-Jidvei's rolling hills with altitudes of 200–500 meters situated between two rivers—Târnava Mare and Târnava Micaˇ—create an ideal microcli- mate for wine grape production. The noteworthy producer of this appellation is Jidvei. A former state company established in 1949, the company became a family business in 1999. When privatized, Jidvei had the name and the tradition, but the area under vine was shrinking year after year, the vineyards were plagued by diseases, and the winemaking facilities were outdated and almost in a state of ruin due to a lack of investment in the winemaking sector after the 1989 Romanian Revolution. With careful planning and a well- designed investment process, Jidvei was reborn. The company pulled out many of the old vineyards—replacing them with meticulously-designed plots and carefully-selected clones—while also expanding the vineyard area and modernizing the winemaking facilities. Jidvei now owns more than 2,500 hectares (6,000 acres) of vineyard in the appellation; most of them are planted with white varieties that thrive in the cool continental climate of the region. Having such a large vineyard with a diversity of plantings means that two wines from the same variety—but different parcels—can taste like wines from totally different worlds. Take Jidvei's Sauvignon Blanc, with pungent green notes to more ripe examples full of citrus, pear, and even nectarine, but always with a zesty character thanks to its bright acidity. The Chardonnay, meanwhile, may be one of the purest in the world—a wine all about its primary aromas of pineapple and mango, since it does not go through any oak aging, and almost tart acidity thanks to an absence of malolactic fermentation. And since this region of Romania produces cool-climate, high-acidity Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, it made sense to take a swing at sparkling The Târnave-Jidvei appellation is nested right in the middle of Transylvania. Its vineyards, planted on rolling hills, are situated on a plateau and surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains.