Wine Note – April 2023
Solomonar Reserve Romanian Red 2020 (Majestic £7.99)
Romanian wine is unfamiliar to most of us in Britain so how can merchants persuade us to try it?
The simplest strategy is to lead us in via a grape variety that we are familiar with, Sainsbury’s House Pinot Noir is a good example. Another way is to market it using its lack of fame as a brand. M&S Found (note the name) Feteasca Regala is marketed as ‘a Romanian Discovery’. A third approach is to sell a wine made from both well-known varieties and local ones. This is what Majestic has done with this bottle.
The marketing message is a bit feeble; ‘Tried Romanian wine before? When you taste this, you’ll be glad you did.’
Don’t let that put you off; the wine, a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Feteasca Neagra, is very drinkable and, yes, u3a tasters were very glad they tried it. It’s got lots of plum fruit character balanced by tannins and acid. It’s just £7.99 at Majestic mix six rates. Buy now before Romania builds a reputation for its wines and raises the prices.
John Freeland (u3a Wine Tasting Group)
Our District Churches No.11 – St Andrew’s, Foxton
