Important wine-growing area in the southwest of Romania in the region of Oltenia. Viticulture was already practiced here 3,000 years ago by the Gatern and Deken, who are considered the ancestors of the Romanian people. The vineyards extend for 60 kilometres in the foothills of the Transylvanian Alps at an altitude of up to 700 metres above sea level. It is an area with high precipitation and hail, which often endangers the harvest. The most common varieties are the indigenous Braghinâ Albâ(Bagrina), Crâmpoșie and Fetească Albă for rather simple wines, as well as the international Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Muscat Ottonel, Tamâioasa Romaneasca (Muscat Blanc), Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.