In today’s talk of our wine magazine, we have a friendly chat with Isabelle Tudor, of the Limone.ro portal, a platform of authentic Italian products to the market in Romania. We had a virtual wine glass and a nice chat!
Limone means lemon in Italian. A curious name for a platform aimed at Italian food enthusiasts in Romania. What was the idea behind it?
It is a portal that was born 5/6 years ago and started to promote Italian cuisine, especially artisanal products, and we have changed over time, not only having very small producers, but also featuring wine. Since many Romanians returned from Italy to Romania, we have also adapted with the trends and requests. Initially, I knew very little about wine! We made a first selection of wines with an importer, we started doing our own research, expanding the portfolio, we started to collaborate with the HoReCa sector (hotels and restaurants), especially in Bucharest, to always have interesting products to be presented in Romania. A job of this kind requires one resources and time, above all because it is an educational action toward the public. When you see the results, then, it is a great satisfaction. Having paved the way is a pleasure.
Here another question arises. What is your relationship with restaurants in Bucharest?
My first passion is for food, so I would say excellent! In Bucharest there is a huge number of Italian restaurants, perhaps more than the Romanian ones. Italian cuisine is very popular, we have many customers as Italian restaurants, both with Italian and Romanian owners.
With regards to your work as a forerunner, which is the bravest part of a business adventure, could you tell us why did you choose Cincinnato?
With Cincinnato, the choice was easy! The public immediately fell in love with the Charmat method sparkling wine. Not only that – the story is everything, as well as the use of a very rare grapes like Bellone. So, I can talk about the value of what a territory gives and the curiosity is all about it, and the audience must be cultivated making it closer to what you are selling. We are as open as Romania, both toward wines and toward cooking. Among other things, with Cincinnato we organized a Master Class where Giovanna was present! Another advantage of Cincinnato is the aesthetic beauty of the bottles, which makes it more and more popular.
So, can we say that new wine trends are emerging in Romania, can’t we?
The demand for wine is growing, the sommeliers are more and more, and people want to know what they drink, and learn about tastes. Until a few years ago, sweet wines were the popular ones, while nowadays dry wines are the most requested. In addition, wine shops and importers have allowed a wider range of choice. Another interesting thing is the rapid growth of Romanian wine producers, both in terms of product quality and plantation techniques.
What openings for Cincinnato?
The quality-price factor and the quality of the wine, also because in the end the taste of the public is the real award.The real surprise is Castore wine which, despite not being aromatic, has had a great success.
How would you match Cincinnato wines with some of the Romanian delicacies?
I would opt the Cincinnato red wines, especially since traditional Romanian cuisine is really about meat. Grilled meat or cabbage rolls with minced and seasoned meat, what we call sarmale, are just perfect with Polluce wine or with an excellent Ercole bottle. They manage to balance the taste, as well as enhancing each other.
Thank you so much for sharing your time and experience! Above all, congratulations on your perfect Italian.
Thanks and see you soon in Romania!
