Calusari Pinot Grigio 2025

Pinot Grigio makes an ideal companion to Feteasca Alba, one of Romania’s indigenous varieties, and in this equal-parts, unoaked blend the floral lift and stone-fruit character – white blossom, peach and slightly riper apple and citrus – from Feteasca Alba sits neatly alongside Pinot Grigio’s crisp pear and lemon. That gives a bit more detail and interest than you often get from a straight Pinot Grigio, along with an authentic thread of Romanian lineage.

Light, crisp and unoaked, this works well as a chilled aperitif or with simple grilled fish or salads, where the citrusy acidity keeps everything tasting clean and fresh.

Back in the late 1980s, as Romania began to emerge from behind the Iron Curtain, three families took on a challenge: reviving a rundown state-owned winery and 650 hectares of neglected vineyards. What began as a bold gamble has, thanks to Englishman Philip Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira, grown into Cramele Reca?, one of the most successful wineries in Romania. Today there’s no trace of outdated practices or attitudes, and sustained investment means that everything from vineyard to winery is state-of-the-art, with viticultural and winemaking expertise to match. They now produce a wide range, including organic and natural wines, all with a consistent reliability.