Appellation Guide: Târnave DOC (Transylvania, Romania)

Appellation Guide: Târnave DOC (Transylvania, Romania)

Târnave DOC is one of the most important and well known premium wine growing areas in Romania. It produces a number of interesting, aromatic and fresh white wines from a number of varieties but generally they are Sauvignon Blanc, Rhine Riesling and local grapes such as Feteasca Regală.

Much of viticultural life in the Târnave DOC area focuses around the towns of Blaj and Jidevi but there are a number of mechanisms in place to bring attention to multiple sub zones of the appellation.

There are still not enough producers operating at an international level, or even commercially, to merit this sort of system but it is a statement indeed that the Romanian government has organised things in this way. They are building for growth.

Climatically the DOC doesn't differ much from others in the region. Very hot summers, long cooling autumns and rough, cold winters are the norm. There is very little rainfall and as a result the infrequent need to combat rot means that producers rarely spray.


Despite it's unfamiliarity internationally the DOC is already broken down into a number of different subs zones, the likes of which can be found occasionally on the labels. A producer can finalise the labelling of the wines according to their commercial interests, so, often you might see a reference to both Jidevi for example, as a subzone, followed to by a further reference to a viticultural position. All of these are approved in the DOC regulations. I have set them out below followed by the list of Here are the villages that correspond to each sub zone.

Jidevi:

  • Bălcaciu
  • Cetatea de Baltă
  • Sona
  • Sânmiclăus
  • Căpâlna

Can be produced in the vilalges of Jidvei, Bălcaciu, Căpâlna de Jos, Feişsa, Veseuş, Baltă, Sântămarie, Tătâriaua, Şona, Sânmiclăus, Lunca Târnavei and Biia.

Târnave Blaj:

  • Crăciunelu
  • Valea Lungă
  • Mănărade
  • Sâncel
  • Cenade

Can be produced in the villages of Blaj, Veza, Mănărade, Petrisat, Tiur, Spăratc, Crăciunelu de Jos, Bucerdea Grânoasă, Sâncel, Iclod, Pănade, Valea lungă, Glogovăt, Lunca, Lodroman, Cenade, Mihalţ, Cistei, Cergău Mare, Cergău Mic, Lupu, Roşia de Secaş, Ungurei and Tău.

Târnave Mediaş:

  • Daneş
  • Seleuş
  • Şeica Mică
  • Şeica Mare
  • Agârbiciu
  • Valea Viilor
  • Moşna
  • Richiş
  • Aţel
  • Blăjel
  • Biertan
  • Axente Sever
  • Dupuş
  • Şoroştin
  • Gura
  • Câmpului
  • Ruşi
  • Dumbrăveni
  • Şlimnic

Can be produced in the villages of Mediaş, Târnava, Ighişu Nou, Aţel, Dupuş, Axente Sever, Agârbiciu, Biertan, Richiş, Blăjel, Păucea, Dumbrăveni, Şaroş pe Târnave, Moşna, Nemşa, Şeică Mică, Şoroştin, Şeica Mare, Slimnic, Ruşi, Veseud, Valea Viilor, Motiş, Boian, Velţ, Bazna, Dârlos, Hoghilag, Micăsasa, Ţapu, Albeşti, Bârlibăşoaia, Jacu, Şapartoc, Daneş, Seleuş, Cris, Stejăreni, Saschiz and Mihai Viteazu.

Târnavesi:

  • Adamus
  • Băgaciu
  • Seuca
  • Idrifaia
  • Gănesti
  • Mica
  • Suplac
  • Coroisânmartin

Can be produced in the villages of Adamus, Crăieşti, Dambău, Corneşti, Băgaciu, Deleni, Găneşti, Păucişoara, Sub Pădure, Seuca, Mica, Abuş, Căpâlna de Sus, Haranglab, Ceuaş, Deaj, Suplac, Idrifaia, Laslău Mare, Laslău Mic, Bahnea, Bernadea, Gogan, Cund, Lepindea, Coroisânmartin, Coroi, Odrihei and Şoimuş.


Recommended Producers: Crama Villa Vinea