Romanian wine question.

From a US perspective I'd say a bottle of '74 Romanian Merlot would have pretty close to zero value (maybe on Winebid they'd get $10-15 from someone desperate for a birthyear wine). You'd probably need to check if there is a Ceausescu memorabilia market- from a wine perspective this provenance would make no difference.

It strikes me that the most likely market for such a wine is in Romania itself. I'd imagine that there are some new free market tycoons who might find a Ceausescu bottle just the thing to impress their friends and colleagues. Or maybe not... If the quantity were greater, a traditional auction house would be one way to go, but for just a couple of bottles, you'd probably have to find a retailer willing to either buy them or sell them on consignment.

Mark Lipton

Thank you both for your answers! BTW, I wonder why you consider that Romanian wins have a value near zero? I mean I've tasted many of them and IMHO they are quite good, some of them I dare say they are even better than some of their European cousins! I understand that in what regards "name" they may be (almost) unknown but I wonder if name must be the main factor when buying wine or...taste/quality!

tnx

I think Mark was referring specifically to the 1974 Romanian Merlot in the subject of this text. Very few 1974 Merlot's in the world would be worth much except for perhaps Chateau Petrus.

I think Mark was referring specifically to the 1974 Romanian Merlot in the subject of this text. Very few 1974 Merlot's in the world would be worth much except for perhaps Chateau Petrus.

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If this is the case, then I retract my question!

rgrds

PS My question was related to Dale W's comment, not Mark's;-)

My comment was strictly to market value. I have no knowledge of Romanian wine, and it well may be good (the only Romanian wines I've had were those Transylvanian wines that market based on vampires). The market bases on reputation, and while they may be good, there really is no international reputation for Romanian wines. When you add in the fact that Merlot outside of a few selected Right Bank estates doesn't have a general reputation for often aging 30+ years well, it doesn't have anything more than curiosity value to a winegeek. But it might well have "dictator cachet."

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Yes, it is clear now.

Wine for tourists, just marketing;-) There are really good wines and Transylvania produces a couple of them but the best wine areas in Romania are in centre-south (Dealul Mare) and east Romania (Dobrogea)

That's exactly what I said!

This was the point of my question (and that's why I wrote that I don't know if this is the right group); the "peculiarity" of the first owner of these bottles and not the wine quality per se!

rgrds