Walter Friedl, Lacerta: The image of Romania is daily getting better abroad and will be soon quite trendy

As the company itself presents, the vineyards where Lacerta is made produce wines “made along the 45th parallel, which positions the Dealu Mare vine estate at the same level with the Bordeaux, the Saint-Emilion as well as the Toscana vineyards, are prestigious for their rich, complex and silken taste. Positioned as premium wine, company Lacerta Winery processes 400 tons of grapes per year, resulting in around 300,000 bottles.

2014-09-23 12:53:11

Making over 250,000 liters of premium wine annually, Lacerta Winery will post a EUR 1 million turnover this year (an increase of 15 per cent in 2014 and budgeted investments of more than EUR 150,000 in its cellar. In terms of business markets, currently, 90 percent of total production goes to the local market, while 10 percent is sent to the European Union and China.

These are the real and cold numbers. But what are the company managers think about doing business? The Diplomat asked them and found out that the not all is as pin k as the rose wine. For instance, Lacerta winery's partner, Walter Friedl, points out to a certain local misconception. "It made and still makes me angry when Romanians strongly believe that everything which comes from Western Europe or from the USA is automatically better then local products, knowing that many multinational companies dump second class products in the market. Local products – especially agricultural products – but also quite a big number of agricultural and industrial products "Made in Romania" are meanwhile world class. The image of Romania is daily getting better abroad and will be soon quite "trendy". Only in Romania. Here the image is still very bad," Friedl comments.

But things are about to change, because, as the manager says in a condensed phrase, the local landscape offers: Opportunities, open, interested, educated and motivated people and the fantastic wine region of Dealu Mare. We invest in the development of "wine tourism" and constantly in the quality, development and marketing of our products. "We are focusing several export markets like Germany, UK, Denmark and China this year," says Frield.
Read more in the upcoming analysis of The Diplomat-Bucharest featuring in September the wine produvction market in Romania after agitated times.