Feteasca regală

The modern sovereign

For a variety believed no further than last year to be less than a century old (it was believed to have appeared only in the third decade of the previous century, in Transylvania, as a breed between Grasa de Cotnari and Feteasca alba – but the latest research shows that not the Grasa, but the Francusa was its genitor, some decades before  – I want to thank Tiberiu Onutu again for flagging this), Feteasca regala had a big success: it currently covers 16% of the total area under vine in our country. The reasons? The average yield of 15 tonnes/hectare, strong adaptability to various climates, good olfactory and taste characteristics. The acidity gives it freshness, the wild flower, apple and citrus aromas are highlighted by a full body, where tannins are more present that in other white varieties, ensuring an average shelf live in the bottle, when properly made. It is a multi-faceted variety – it can be drank fresh, but it is also suited for contact with oak – and I have recently heard several foreign experts saying that, processed and promoted with increased care, it could become an emblematic variety for Romania, generating high profit and a good image.

source: Cezar Ioan – Connaisseur fara ifose