📍 Panciu

Panciu is a small town and wine zone in Romania, in Vrancea County, on the slopes of the Vrancea mountains. The zone belongs to the larger Moldavian Hills region and is known for its sparkling wines. The slopes warm up well, summers are warm, autumn is long and dry, and nights are cool, which keeps acidity in the berries.

Mostly white grapes are grown in Panciu: Fetească Albă, Riesling and others. They make still white wines, fresh and fruity, as well as sparkling wines, which need high acidity and light aromas. Sparkling wines are made both by bottle fermentation and in large tanks. The Panciu name refers to a zone with a protected origin.

Nearby lie the well-known winegrowing areas of Vrancea, the largest wine area of Romania by vineyard surface. Panciu is surrounded by hills of vineyards visible from afar.

For comparison with its neighbours: to the south lies Odobești, better known for its white wines, to the north Cotnari with its sweet wines, and to the west the Vrancea mountains, beyond which Transylvania begins.