It is said that the Greco-Roman God of wine, Bacchus, grew up in the Banat region of Romania or ‘Dacia’ as it was known as back then. Fast forward to 1447 and you will find the first recorded notarial document which confirms the Recas Domains in a written source. The following centuries saw the vineyards of Recas fall under the reign of Hungarians, Bavarians and Austrians before Romania became independent. Despite the frequent change in ownership, they all realised the cultural significance of the vines but also left their own imprint on the viticulture, in what is a symbol of the Banat region.
The company Cramele Recas was founded in 1991 but operations really started to flourish in 1998, when Englishman Philip Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira took over the Estate and invested over 20 million euros into it. Replacing 700 hectares of tattered vines, erecting a brand new winery and employing first rate winemakers in Hartley Smithers and Nora Iriarte, the result is an up to the minute winery, producing high quality wines in a large quantity.
Cramele Recas are the largest exporter of wine in Romania. Located in Romania’s western region of Banat, which has the same latitudinal position as Bordeaux, it has a Mediterranean climate, which is cooler than the rest of Romania but dryer for a longer harvesting season. This allows for a large array of grape varietals to be grown on the Estate. The actual figure is more than 20. The vines are situated on southern and western facing slopes and there is influence from the Bega River as well as mountain protection thanks to the Western Carpathians. In terms of soil, the presence of iron oxide produces anthocyanins and polyphenols, key for the colouring process of red wines. There is also a top layer of calcareous rocks which allow water to drain as well as accumulate heat to benefit ripening. Every 5 years agrochemical maps are drawn up to inform on the nutrient levels in the soil, allowing their vignerons to decipher exactly what the vines need to grow the best grapes possible.
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