Although not a country to usually pop to the forefront of one’s mind when considering notorious wine producing countries, Romania has in fact been producing wine since the 7 BC. It would shock you to put, what most would consider one of the European Union’s poorest and most backward countries, on a par with Portugal for sheer quantity of square metres of vines, but this is indeed the case.
This particular bottle hails from the town of Turnu Severin, formerly known as the ancient city of Drobeta which took its name from the tower built to commemorate the death of the Roman emperor, Septimus Sever. The cellar is run by Italian winemaker, Fiorenzo Rista, who after gaining vital experience in northern Italy, came to Romania, fell in love with a Romanian woman (now his wife) and never returned home.
The Domaine Danubiane is a crisp aromatic white produced purely from Sauvignon Blanc. The cool climate of Vanju Mare has ensured it is packed full of grassy herbal aromas, a characteristic of many East European tipples, in addition to boasting vibrant gooseberry tones and lively passion fruit flavours.
While, the Domaine Danubian Sauvignon Blanc would not suit the palette of those who prefer to drink a very dry Pinot Grigio or Chablis unaccompanied, it will prove a particularly pleasing purchase for those who desire to indulge in seafood, particularly oysters, moules marinierès or grilled white fish.
It is tangy, zesty with what can be considered a relatively low alcohol content in comparison to some of its contemporaries, and for just £6.29 a bottle, worth every penny. If you can bear to spare half a glass, heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add a teaspoon of olive oil, place a whole small seabass, seasoned with sea salt, into the pan. Then add a small amount of butter which will ensure the skin browns. Turn the fish. Then add the wine and a generous squeeze of lemon (and lemon zest if you want an extreme lemony flavour). Season the fish with black pepper. Serve with some steamed carrots, spinach wilted in a small amount of butter and a crushed clove of garlic and baby new potatoes. This is one of my favourite quick, luxury dishes and never fails to disappoint whether it be on a cold wintery night, or a bright, warm, summer evening.
Bottle Info:
Dry white wine
Sauvignon Blanc grape
Romania
13% alcohol
750ml
Domaine Danubiane Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is available from £6.29 a bottle, from Laithwaites at www.laithwaites.co.uk.
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