Romania: History

The beginnings of Romanian viticulture are claimed to date back at least 4,000 years. The region known today as Dobrogea, on the Black Sea, was settled by the Ancient greeks in the 7th century bc and they may have introduced viticulture. It seems that Romania or Dacia had a well-established wine culture and a fine reputation for food and wine, but in an attempt to put an end to repeated invasions, the Dacian king Burebista (1st century bc), ordered the destruction of all vineyards. However, after the Roman Emperor Trajan had conquered Dacia (102 ad), coins were minted depicting a woman being offered grapes by two children, proof that not all the vineyards were uprooted.