Almost a year after Vintruvian Estates group acquired the Mennini winery, the rebranding process is nearing completion, the investments in the winery are, for the moment, finished, and the future plans are sparkling! A brief dialogue with the group’s general manager, Alin Lazarescu, about the current status and future of the Olterra winery.
Investment of 1.2 million euros
WOR: From publicly available figures, it appears that the number of employees and expenses at Olterra have increased. Does this imply that there have been investments?
Alin Lazarescu: Since August 2023, when the Vintruvian group took over Crama Mennini, and until April this year, the first part of an investment program has indeed taken place. Firstly, we acquired sparkling wine fermenters, which also required modernizing the bottling line – we now have a new isobaric line, which includes all steps from bottling to labeling, capping, and palletizing. We also invested in new barrels and vats, approximately 180 barrels from France, the USA, and Romania, but predominantly from France, from Seguin Moreau and Baron, and four vats with capacities between 3,000 and 5,000 liters. We also have a new press, new scales, everything needed to get started. In total, 1.2 million euros have been invested so far.
60% Cramposie selectionata and Negru de Dragasani
WOR: And will this continue?
Alin Lazarescu: At some point, we will start a restructuring of the vineyard when the right moment comes. We should develop certain varieties, maybe give up others… We will definitely have the local varieties, selected Cramposie selectionata and Negru de Dragasani, which we hope to plant on approximately 60% of the vineyard area, but we will also have a lot of Feteasca regala.
WOR: Why did the Vintruvian Group choose to expand its activities in Dragasani and not in another region?
Alin Lazarescu: Each of our wineries has a specific and unique identity, from size to style or performance varieties. Crama DeMatei, for example, is synonymous with superpremium Feteasca neagra and Merlot, wines with significant international recognition, and this is reflected in the business dynamics, with almost 70% of the wines produced here going to export. At Crama Histria, we have the story of wild yeasts, we have wines with skin maceration, it is a boutique winery for at least initiated wine lovers. At Sarica Niculitel, we already have known performances with Aligote, Feteasca Neagra, babeasca neagra, but also many accessible, expressive wines for the general public. So the next logical step was a winery with a new variety in a region with identity. There were several options, it is true, but I think the increasingly notable performances of Negru de Dragasani and the fantastic potential Cramposie selectionata has for sparkling wines ultimately mattered.
Two New Ranges: Luturi and Scoarte
WOR: You have new lines, new barrels, new forces – do you also have new wines?
Alin Lazarescu: Yes and no. The group’s philosophy is not to intervene immediately, as we saw with the takeover of the winery in Zoresti, now known as Crama DeMatei. The first thing we do is let a campaign pass to better understand the potential of the place, what it can offer, what it demands, which plots are high-performing… So far, we have intervened very little compared to how things would have usually gone. But yes, we have worked on rebranding and are even preparing to launch two new ranges on the market – Luturi and Scoarte. Luturi (clays) – because this is the soil of the place, rich in clays, and because the ancient civilization in the area managed to elevate clay to an art form through painted ceramics. Scoarte (rugs) – because these rough, symbol-laden carpets are a cultural element specific to Oltenia – and Olterra, meaning Olt and Terra, aims to convey the values of the place.
Luturi will have five wines for now, two whites, a rosé, and two reds, while Scoarte will have two whites and two reds, probably a rosé after the next harvest. For the autumn, we have also prepared some special wines, which will be grouped in a unique range called Vadastru – a reference to Vadastra, one of the earliest sedentary Eneolithic civilizations in Europe, dating back 6-7 thousand years, from which the craft of ceramic vessels was transmitted.
Aromatic white wines
WOR: What style can we expect?
Alin Lazarescu: A winemaker owes it to the land and the grapes to make the best wine that the harvest year allows. However, the wine produced must appeal to everyone, and here lie the greatest challenges… For example, people want white wines to have aroma, the idea of neutral white wines no longer exists. And we are making a significant investment in Cramposie selectionata, which has acidity, length, elegance, but not aromatic intensity. So we need to study, to learn how to exploit the full potential of this variety, from harvest to fermentation and maturation, to meet the tastes of the public. As for the reds, things are simpler here; we will have wines with the same elegance and complexity as the wines from the other wineries in the Vintruvian group.
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Vintruvian Estates has become, in the last ten years, one of the most important players in the Romanian wine market, currently owning four wineries – Sarica Niculitel – Caii de la Letea, Crama Histria, Crama DeMatei, and Olterra, resulting from the acquisition of Crama Mennini in 2023. Vintruvian Estates is also one of the significant exporters, with growing figures for the markets in Belgium, Germany, and the United States.
