Romania wine tourism

Romania has an abundant crop of wineries, so no matter where you decide to spend your holiday this summer there will surely be at least one place in the area for oenophiles.

What does Dealu Mare have in common with Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion or the Tuscan vineyards? The region finds itself on the 45th parallel, along with these more famous names in European winemaking. It also enjoys similar weather conditions.
There are a few places in the region that the wine lover should not miss, one of which is the Lacerta Winery, officially opened earlier this year by a group of Austrian investors, in Fintesti, Buzau County. Tours must be booked in advance and visitors can choose between several types of tasting sessions. On the first impressions tour, guests choose three of nine available varieties of wine for RON 29. Intensive tasting offers six varieties of wine, at RON 49.
Upon request, visits to the winery where the barriques (wine barrels) are kept, the wine cellar or the estate can also be organized. The vineyard is open for visits every week, Thursday to Sunday, between 10.00 and 17.00.

Other options include the organization of seminars, team building sessions, corporate tastings and other corporate events.If you’re passing through the Prahova Valley this summer, try the Halewood wine varieties at the Rhein Azuga Cellar and Pension or the Urlateanu Manor. At Rhein Azuga, for RON 18 you will visit the cellars and learn about the history of the place and the technology used to produce sparkling wine by natural fermentation inside the bottle, as well as sample three types of sparkling wine. Appointment is required for visits outside the hours of 09.00-17.00. The pension has 15 rooms and prices start at RON 125 for a double.
And because good wine is best enjoyed with good food, you should also try the restaurant – especially the trout dishes as the fish is freshly supplied from a nearby aquafarm.Urlateanu Manor is located in the village of Urlati, about 90 km from the capital.
Wine tastings can be arranged on a daily basis and the vinification process is explained by the staff.

Tours cost RON 18 and include seeing the manor and a presentation of its history, exploring the wine cellar and learning about the ageing methods in Romanian and French oak barrels, an initiation into wine tasting and sampling five types of bottled wine.
Other places that should be on the to-do list of any wine lover are the Tohani Wine Cellar, the Rotenberg Cellars, Varfu cu Dor Winery and Seciu Winery, all of which are in Prahova County.
If you head out to Moldova to visit the monasteries there are also plenty of wine hotspots in the vicinity. In the Iasi area alone are some seven wineries and a wine museum. Those who are “religious” about their wine may wish to know that the monasteries themselves often produce their own varieties, so-called liturgical wine, which makes for an interesting choice. Wineries in the area include the Vinia Cellars, Bucium, Casa Olteanu and Cotnari, where prices vary between EUR 35 and EUR 55.

Other facilities around the country include the Vincon Vrancea winery and Beciul Domnesc Cellar in Vrancea County, the Murfatlar Winery and Restaurant in Constanta County, which also features a wine museum, plus those of Jidvei and Recas in Transylvania. And there are plenty more to sample.