Grapes

Fetească Albă

How to pronounce Fetească Albă

A Romanian white grape authorized in appellations such as Târnave, Cotnari and Dealu Mare, and a parent of Fetească Regală.

Fetească Albă is a white grape variety with Romania as its recorded country of origin, and its parentage is unknown. It is a parent of Fetească Regală, a 1930s crossing. Romania's appellation rules authorize it in Târnave, Cotnari, Dealu Mare, Crișana and Odobești, and in Odobești it is also listed among the varieties for sparkling wine. At Cotnari it is one of the four varieties of the traditional assortment.

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Origin and parentage

Fetească Albă carries the VIVC prime name Feteasca Alba, variety number 4119, and is a white-berried variety. VIVC records Romania as its country or region of origin. Its parentage is unknown: both parent fields in its passport are blank, and no full pedigree is recorded. It does have offspring, and the one recorded in WineWiki's VIVC-derived lineage data is Fetească Regală.

VIVC prime name: Feteasca Alba; VIVC variety number 4119; berry skin colour: white
Country of origin: Romania
Parents: none recorded (parentage unknown)
Recorded offspring: Fetească Regală

Key Facts

White-berried variety, VIVC number 4119, with Romania as its recorded country of origin
Parentage unknown: no parents are recorded and there is no full pedigree
A parent of Fetească Regală, a 1930s crossing
One of the four varieties of Cotnari's traditional assortment, present in the vineyards there long before phylloxera
An authorized white variety in the Târnave, Cotnari, Dealu Mare, Crișana and Odobești controlled designations of origin
Listed among the sparkling wine varieties of the Odobești controlled designation of origin

History and Origins

Fetească Albă is a parent of Fetească Regală, a 1930s crossing. At Cotnari it is one of the four varieties of the traditional assortment that were in the vineyards long before phylloxera, and after the phylloxera invasion of 1884 the vineyard was rebuilt mainly with the native varieties of that old assortment.

Parent of Fetească Regală, a 1930s crossing
One of the four Cotnari varieties present in the vineyards long before phylloxera

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Structure and style

In the Crișana appellation Fetească Albă gives wine with a pleasant primary aroma and a palate resembling summer apple. At Dealu Mare the nose is delicate, with exotic fruit and pears, and the palate is harmonious and lightly mineral, with acacia honey. In the Târnave appellation the variety gives velvety, full-bodied and extractive wine. Fermented there at low temperature it can develop a secondary fermentation aroma that may confer an exceptional savour, and with maturation and ageing the wine takes on a honey aroma. In the Cotnari appellation its taste is elegant, with an excellent balance of the sugars, the alcohol and the acidity.

Where It Grows

In Romania, Fetească Albă is one of the white varieties authorized for the Târnave controlled designation of origin, and one of the white varieties authorized at Cotnari.

Romania: an authorized white variety for DOC Târnave
Romania: an authorized white variety for DOC Cotnari

Wine Styles

Fetească Albă makes white wines. It is listed among the varieties for sparkling wine in the Odobești controlled designation of origin. At Cotnari it is one of the four varieties blended to make the area's traditional assortment.

Sparkling: listed among the sparkling wine varieties for DOC Odobești
Cotnari: one of the four varieties blended into the traditional assortment

Sources and last verified

Primary sources: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=4119 ; https://www.onvpv.ro/sites/default/files/pdfs/caiet_de_sarcini_doc_tarnave_249ro.pdf ; https://www.onvpv.ro/sites/default/files/pdfs/caiet_de_sarcini_doc_cotnari_238ro_0.pdf ; https://www.onvpv.ro/sites/default/files/pdfs/caiet_de_sarcini_doc_dealu_mare_271ro.pdf ; https://www.onvpv.ro/sites/default/files/caiet_de_sarcini_doc_crisana_modif_cf_cerere_1221_21.06.2023_no_track_changes_0.pdf ; https://www.onvpv.ro/sites/default/files/pdfs/caiet_sarcini_doc_odobesti_316ro.pdf Reference sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/white/feteasca-alba Last verified 2026-10-27

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Flavor Profile

Character varies by appellation: in Crișana a pleasant primary aroma and a palate resembling summer apple; at Dealu Mare exotic fruit and pears on the nose with acacia honey on the palate; in Târnave velvety, full-bodied and extractive wine that takes on a honey aroma with maturation and ageing.

How to Say It

Fetească Albăfe-TYAS-kuh AL-buh

Cotnarikot-NAR-ee

Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS

Fetească Albă is a parent of Fetească Regală, a 1930s crossing
Parentage unknown; recorded country of origin Romania (VIVC variety number 4119)
At Cotnari it is one of the four varieties blended into the traditional assortment
Listed among the sparkling wine varieties of DOC Odobești; in DOC Târnave it gives velvety, full-bodied, extractive wine

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