There are few oenologists in Romania, men or women, who can boast the experience of Lorena Deaconu, who today holds the position of chief winemaker. For 30 years, she made hundreds, maybe thousands of wines, in millions of bottles, with a significant contribution to the growth and evolution of the wine market in Romania.
Which was the moment when you realized that your personal destiny is linked to wine?
A visit of a few hours to the Stefanesti-Arges Viticulture Research Station. There I had the great chance to meet great specialists, both from the research area and from production, state-of-the-art technology, laboratories, as well as well-trained chemists.
In Stefanesti, I also prepared my State Thesis, for 5 months. I came back as a junior and had the opportunity to learn what grapes, winemaking and wine really mean.
Initially, I wanted a military career, but from that moment I definitely fell in love with oenology.
What style of wine do you prefer, in general?
Red wine is the one that fascinates me the most, but white wine also challenges and delights me.
I want the wine in front of me to be very honest, fruity, easy to drink, but with personality and elegance on the finish. Barrel aging, I think, matters more than the moment, the person you have with you and what you want to achieve from that moment.
How do you choose different wines (brands or styles of wine) according to certain moments – seasonal, anniversary, warm or friendly chats, sophisticated dinners or everyday?
I don’t pretend to be a good sommelier, so I choose the wine according to the basic rule depending on the menu. More important are the moment and the people who surround me. Anyway, wine, regardless of variety and complexity, brings only joy. There is a moment for every wine, just as there is a wine for every moment.
How much decision-making power do women have in the Romanian wine market?
I think we have already established ourselves, through seriousness, knowledge, sensory acuity and the elegance of the wines we produce.
What do women know about wine that men don’t know (yet)?
Maybe they don’t know that a part of our heart and feelings are transferred in the wines we create and end up in their glasses…
In March, Wines of Romania set out to honor the role of women in the world of Romanian wine. We are therefore preparing a series of materials – interviews, articles and social media posts – to draw the public’s attention to the role of women in oenology. Come back for more portraits, and until then you can read below about:
