Short history:
Romania, a country with a long standing tradition in winemaking, is the worlds 13th wine producer, despite losing half of its farmable lands and despite suffering a loss of prestige several decades ago, when communists favoured mass production over quality. Nowadays, the country has gone through a process of mass restoration, aiming to retake its rightful place among the Top 10 wine producers.
Itinerary description:
Crama 1777 (wine museum)
Well pick you up from your hotel in Bucharest and drive (1hour) towards Dealu Mare Romanias most famous wine region. As soon as we enter the old Wine Road, well stop to visit Crama 1777 - a wine museum and one of the oldest wooden structures in the area. Built in 1777, the former winery is a monument of medieval folk art where you can admire archaic wine making tools, very old barrels and large ceramics used for storing wine and liquor.
Bellu Manor (wine museum)
Next, well visit the beautifully restored Bellu Manor a marvel of old Romanian architecture. Built by Baron Alexandru Bellu in the 19th century, the manor is not just a great art collection, but also an important wine museum. With a great passion for wine and even owning a sparkling wine factory, the baron stored precious tools in the manors great cellar: the oldest wine press in Wallachia, enormous barrels and extremely old wine making tools going back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
Casa Colinelor (wine tasting)
After learning about the long history of winemaking in Romania, its time for some actual wine tasting at Casa Colinelor (Hill House). Well admire the beautiful vineyards surrounding the house, visit the cellars & winery and taste 5 types of Romanian wines from 1000 Chipuri (1000 Faces) producer. Lunch can be served here or at the next stop.
Lacerta Winery (wine tasting)
Same as Bordeaux and Toscana, Lacertas vine estate stretches along the 45th parallel and thus has the ideal climate for producing wines with a rich, complex and silken taste. Lacerta is one of the most modern wineries in Romania, with production techniques based on gravitational principles meant to limit the usage of pumps. Youll be able to taste high quality Romanian wines in a fairy tale location, surrounded by the endless vineyards covering the hills of Dealu Mare, at one of the most beautiful wineries in the country.