The Danube Terraces wine-growing region was specialized before 1989 in the production of table grapes, both for consumption and for raisins, due to a theory according to which the sandy lands would limit the quantitative and qualitative potential of the types of wine. Oenological progress has infirmed this theory, so that this region now specializes in the production of high quality white and red dry and half dry wines. The region includes island-type plantations of vines, on the sands and sandy soils of the Danube terraces, the Jiu terraces, the basins of the Calmatui, Buzau and the Baragan Plain, with a total of 400 hectares of vineyards. According to ONVPV, only one vineyard in the region produces wines with controlled origin, Oltina.
(a) The Oltina vineyards
lies to the south-west of Dobrogea, in the angle of the Danube (the Ialomita Pond) and the border with Bulgaria. The vine plantations are located on low terraces, on the slopes of the Danube banks, with northern, north-eastern and northwestern exposure. The climate is temperate-continental, with hot summers (2300 hours of sunshine per year) and with weak rainfall, cold winters and strong winds.
The soils of the area belong to chernozem molisoils of the plateaus (brownish chernozems, typical chernozems, cambic and argillo-luvial chernozems, grey soils), and the azonal ones, on the strongly eroded slopes belong to regosoils and erodisoils.
The types of grapes cultivated in the Ostrov Domains are the following: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvingnon, Black Fetească, Pinot Noir, Syrach and Rebo for red wines. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Grey Pinot, Whiyte Fetească, Royal Fetească, Italian Riesling, Muscat Ottonel and Crâmpoșie for white wines.