Wine tour in Romania

Wine Tour in Romania

Seen by some as a fine accompaniment of a successful dinner, raised by others to the rank of art, wine is always as valuable as having a best friend with you at the table - it brings up an intense flavor and it creates feelings. Similar, a wine tour in Romania can enhance your holiday and transform it into a mindful experience.

Without being a wine expert but having the opportunity to listen to the story of most of Romania’s wine producers, once as restaurant manager, I personally fell in love with it.

History of wine making in Romania

The story of wine in Romania actually started a long before this territory was even called Romania. It dates back to B.C. ages, when wine produced here played its role in determine Romans to start a war of conquest...and so the legend begins.

Ancient period

The Dacian ruler, Burebista (82 - 44 B.C.) passed a very controversial law, prohibiting the cultivation of vines. Whether it was due to high alcohol consumption among the locals or to decrease the temptation of his enemies in conquering Dacia, this fact can only emphasize the good quality of the wine produced in this territory more than 2000 years ago.

After the conquest of Dacia, the Roman emperor, Traian made a special coin depicting Dacia as a young mother holding her two children: one holding in his hands a grape, the other a wheat ear.

Medieval period

For the following 1000 years few information were mentioned about the history of Romania, but we do know about Moldovian and Vallachian wines being served in many European capitals, like Moscow, Vienna and Constantinople.

The disaster

At the end of the 19th century, 1880 in Arad and 1884 in Dealu Mare region, phylloxera appeared for the first time. This vine disease managed to entirely destroy all local grape varieties. It was a disaster in the wine making industry.

The communist period

In the second half of the 20th century, under the communist regime, the focus was on quantity rather than quality. Romania became famous for its low-quality wines. This "stamp" is somethings that nowadays wine producers in Romania are still fighting against.

Modern period

Immediately after the fall of communism, local producers focused a lot on quality. They invested in modernizing the production lines. Nowadays, after almost 30 years, many of them discovered the tourism potential of their wineries. They built attractive facilities for wine-tasting and accommodation.

Wine Tourism in Romania

If you want to discover more about this little-known wine region, Romania has a lot to offer. It has 6 main wine regions, each with dozens of cellars waiting to be discovered.

Romanian wine has all the right reasons to stay on the same shelf with its better-known brothers in Bordeaux or Tuscany regions. This is mainly due to geographical reasons. Soil and temperatures are similar, as all three regions are crossed by the same 45 Parallel North.

So, if we managed to raise your interest in Romanian wines, check our Wine and Dine private tour, or drop us an email. We will be happy to put together a wonderful wine-tasting tour for you and your friends.