Romania. I’m not too proud to admit that before I began looking into it, I couldn't have pointed out Romania properly on a map (other than somewhere in Eastern Europe) and my associations were: Dracula, and Romani Gypsies. Terrible I know. But what are your connotations of Romania?
As part of the WSET Diploma in Wine, for our sins, we have to write an essay on a global business topic, and for each cohort, a new topic is set. The briefing arrives by email. Cue hundreds of Diploma students around the world opening the email trepidatiously… Will it be something rather dry like Appellation systems, or packaging?
The topic is Romanian Wine, and its future on export markets. Cue a sigh of relief; at least it’s not corks and closures.
But then… a blank look. Romania? Do they even make wine? Cue downloading a Kindle book about Romanian wine… Cue a quick scout of flights on Skyscanner….
And so it began…
This was to be a trip beginning in a city I’d never even heard of, through the wine lands of Transylvania, through the Carpathian Mountains, out to the vineyards of Dealu Mare, and finishing in Bucharest (finally, somewhere I’d heard of).
THE CITY OF CLUJ NAPOCA: HIPSTERS, HAUNTED FORESTS & HAUTE CUISINE
Cluj (pronounced Clooge) as it turns out, is a pretty happening city. Lots of students come here to study, to take advantage of the cheap prices, and flourishing arts and culture scene. (The only person I knew who had already been here is a Contemporary Arts specialist; go figure). It has the hipster-friendly feeling of a gritty but gentrifying Eastern European city.
It’s also not very far from Hoia Baciu, a forest that repeatedly makes it onto lists of the World’s Most Haunted Forests, thanks to a combination of local folklore stories, UFO sightings and some strange (apparently unexplained) growth patterns in the trees.
I’m not really into frightening myself, but I was curious to see the strange trees and learn about the folklore stories, and so we planned a daytime tour with Alex, of the Hoia Baciu Project (named for the Blair Witch project; a film I still have no desire to see).
Alex is something of a celebrity in Japan after a documentary about ghost hunters and he is the perfect person to be running these tours. As a young bloke, he's not superstitiously religious, (apparently like some older Romanians), and as a Physics graduate, he has a healthy scepticism; “The forest is only haunted if you bring your own ghosts”. But all of this is tempered with a healthy imagination and curiosity… After all why would you set up a company doing tours into a haunted forest if you weren’t slightly curious yourself?
THE ORIGINAL VAMPIRE SLAYERS: THE MYTH OF THE STRIGOI
Where did the legend of vampires begin? In the Disney animation studios of Anaheim? In fact there's a basis in Romanian folklore, but they're not called Vampires; they are known as Strigoi.
The story varies as you travel around Romania, and as Alex said “They believe in Strigoi’s the further away you get from an internet connection”. The belief goes that when you die the spirit separates from the body. But sometimes there is a problem, and the spirit doesn't fully separate. These restless spirits will haunt a village with bad happenings. The milk will go bad. Some people will suffer from fatigue. Baby animals get ill and die, children will get sick. When these symptoms are noticed, the community has to take action. The restless spirit has to be set free, and laid to rest. How? The most recent people to have died will be dug up. A wooden stake will be plunged through the heart, setting the soul free, once and for all. Alex explained the Strigoi-slaying method varies according to local tradition; one more extreme example is to entirely remove the heart, burn the ashes and then drink the ashes mixed with water.
The real problem comes when one of these newly-freed spirits decides it doesn't want to leave; it wants to stay on this earth. In which case, they go into the forests, where the other Strigois live, and come out after dark. There are people in Romania, Alex said, who will tell you not to go into the forest at night, and be very serious about it.
(In fact, many people thought he was a but crazy when he set up his business, proposing to do exactly that, taking tourists into the forest at night).
Walking through the forest at Autumn was more a beautiful, peaceful experience than a scary one. Bright orange leaves were falling gently in the most picturesque way, lit brightly in the incredibly strong sunlight, even in late October.
THE CLEARING: THE IELE AND THE UFO'S
After a short walk we reached a clearing. It was here that in 1968 a military technician photographed what he believed was a UFO. Bear in mind that during the communist era, this was a kind of social and professional death. He lost everything but stood by his claim. Other strange lights and sightings have been reported over the years, with varying degrees of veracity.
So how did the clearing come to be?
The folklore answer lies in the iele - powerful female spirits. Something between a banshee and a siren, they are beautiful women who will lure men to their ruin.
Where these iele gather to dance a hora, a traditional dance, the vegetation doesn't grow. Some believe this lies behind the clearing.
HE'S BEHIND YOU! GREENERY OR GHOST?
Alex showed us a picture on Facebook taken by another guide, as she was sitting in the clearing. When it went online, the hive mind were quick to point out a ghost-like figure in the background, seemingly lurking at the edge of the clearing. The slightly creepy thing is the impression of the clothes this apparition is wearing… a baggy-sleeved white shirt, a tunic with an embroidered border across the bottom. I dare you to now google “traditional Romanian male dress”. A trick of the light on the tree leaves surely, but the impression especially when zoomed out, is certainly convincing...
ECTOPLASMS & STRANGE SHRIEKINGS
He also showed us pictures of so called ectoplasms - most likely to be reflected infrared light from a camera flash (invisible to naked eye but picked up in a camera lens).
The crazy screams that have terrified people to death? The gekkering of foxes. Something which Alex experienced first hand - though unfortunately for him, at the time he’d never heard a fox so he was more terrified than his Swedish visitors, who knew exactly what it was. (Knowing how much a fox call can sound like a woman’s scream I can’t imagine how terrified he must have been in those moments!)
TWISTED TREES & TECHNICAL FAILURES
However, it’s not all explained away. For the trees twisted in strange shapes, and those whose trunk’s spiral clockwise (always clockwise) there seems to be no clear explanation.
And could it be that one particularly distinctive tree on the edge of the clearing has only recently twisted? One of Alex’s acquaintances seems to think so, and says he has photo evidence to prove it… Alex himself was skeptical, (he hasn't seen the pics) but admitted he’s been doing these tours for several years now and only noticed that tree when the guy pointed it out, despite its relatively prominent position. (Perhaps this is simply the definition of the phrase, can’t see the wood for the trees?)
Of the reported strange paranormal energy, Alex told us how he’s experienced situations where people have come with filming equipment only to find them malfunctioning, batteries dying for no reason. Despite his cynicism, you get the sense he desires there to be something inexplicable about the forest; a childlike desire to believe in something extraordinary.
Mostly we enjoyed a peaceful walk, soaking up the beautiful colours and the satisfying sound and sensation of the fallen leaves underfoot.
BEFORE YOU GO....
As we left the forest and returned to the car we got to talking about all the interesting people he must meet, given the type of people the forest would attract. Indeed, people with ‘sensitivities’ as Alex put it. He said he likes to ask the people who claim to have these ‘sensitivities’ whether they sense any particular energy in certain places, especially around the clearing, (being careful not to lead the witness). Apparently a shaman and two self-proclaimed American witches, amongst others, have identified the spot where the supposed ghost in traditional clothing stood. The Shaman identified a masculine energy, an energy that didn't want him near there, while the witches identified a certain strong energy, though they hadn’t seen the photograph at that point….
Whatever I beleive about the forest I was really glad when it occurred to me that Alex had waited until after we’d left the forest to tell us that. And I was also glad when we were back in the distinctly worldly hustle and bustle of Cluj a short while later.
WHERE TO EAT & SLEEP IN CLUJ NAPOCA
As well as being host to one of the world’s most haunted forest, Cluj is also home to Romania’s best restaurant, by many accounts.
Baracca is a fine dining restaurant serving up some seriously imaginative, seriously delicious fare. If you’re ever anywhere near Cluj at any point, it’s worth making a pilgrimage to. World-class cuisine priced in Lei = major bargain.
Wine, Coffee and Brunch
Meron, right by the Hotel Plantinia for excellent coffee (and brunch looked good too).
Central Park Simion Bărnuţiu had a really lively vibe, especially Carrousel restaurant, though we didn't eat there, it looked like the perfect place for a summer drink. Followed by a walk up to Piața Muzeului (Museum Square) where there were lots more bars and restaurants and a lively, fairy string lit vibe.
Bruno’s Wine Bar - a sweet little wine bar with vaulted ceiling and good selection of Romanian varieties, right on Muzuelui Square.
Enigma Cafe - the steam punk vibe is a little outdated but I noticed they had an entire page of hot chocolate options, so might be fun if you're visiting on a cold day!
Having only been to Cluj once I can only recommend the place we stayed: the brand spanking new Hotel Platinia; Not in the Old Town, but would recommend. A huge, comfortable suite for only £120/night and free parking.
INTO THE TRANSYLVANIAN WILDERNESS
“Welcome to the Transylvanian Wilderness!” a very friendly Jonas Schaefer bellowed as he came to greet us at our lunch table.
Wilderness indeed - rough roads, and many a horse and cart punctuated our 3 hour journey from Cluj through beautiful rural scenery and crumbling, but pretty villages. It is one of Europe’s last truly rural areas, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains - one of Europe’s last true wildernesses.
Did you know Prince Charles has taken quite an interest in preserving rural Transylania? Many of the renovation projects and UNESCO sites have the Prince of Wales to thank. You can in fact stay at the Prince of Wales Guesthouses, where he comes to stay once a year. They are a set of restored Saxon cottages, that look like taking an airbrushed step back in time.
“The Prince of Wales hopes that his guesthouse will encourage more people to visit Transylvania and in this way promote sustainable development,” with proceeds going to the Prince’s trust.
WHAT TO DO AND PLACES TO STAY IN TRANSYLVANIA
VALEA VERDE AND THE TRUFFLE-HUNTING CHIHUAHUA
What Jonas and Ulrike have created with Valea Verde is very clever.
They have cleverly capitalised on exactly the type of rustic chic that fair-weather travellers like me are looking for, it’s the perfect pastiche of the Transylvanian wilderness experience: folksy, cosy but also a little bit luxe and a big focus on fine dining and wine.
The activities on offer give you the picture: truffle hunting, artisan cheesemaking, horse riding, massage. “We can arrange for wilderness lunches in a wonderful forest clearing or on a great ridge-line with amazing views of the Carpathian mountains!”
Absolutely genius. Hence, I was delighted when we discovered we could squeeze in a lunch and a truffle hunt on our drive towards Biertan from Cluj.
Lunch was a dish of tender Mangalica pork in a red wine sauce - (a type of pig that is a crossing between domestic pigs and wild boars, which grows a sheep-like woolly coat) - all paired with some lovely Romanian wines from producers Petro Vaselo and Lacerta.
As were finishing our dessert, we heard a commotion on the other side of the gate. A very lively little chihuahua escaped under the fence and started greeting everyone like he owned the place. His master, making sales out of the boot of his car, was dressed in head-to-toe camouflage, a pony tail, a huge creased smile - and a T-shirt emblazoned “Truffle Hunter”. He was everything I wanted him to be and more!
THE TRUFFLE HUNTING CHIHUAHUA
He spoke no English so we got by with our rudimentary French, at times no doubt talking at completely crossed purposes, but we had a whale of a time nonetheless.
We set off in the car with Sandru and his trusty truffle-snufflers, Dick and Mucki, and soon arrived at a patch of sloped forest.
For truffles you apparently need a good mixed forest - Hornbeam, Beech and Hazel are ideal, and it seems, a slight slope. The dogs, incentivised by a constant stream of dog treats, were constantly pawing at different spots and barking to signal they found something. Dick, the larger of the dogs seemed to have a penchant for truffles himself; Sandru was frequently tussling with him to prize a truffle from his jaws, while Mucki, the Chihuahua, seemed to get away with it while Dick was creating a distraction.
Sandru also identified various mushrooms and edible plants including parasol mushrooms which he said are good to eat raw and he was not wrong, with perfectly white gills and a snakeskin pattern on the cap, they have a surprisingly delicious nutty flavour.
Despite how widespread they seemed to be, truffles are not actually part of Romanian traditional cuisine. If we understood correctly, they are also not regulated in Romania in the same way they are in Italy and France, so it’s easier, and cheaper, to go hunting for them. No licenses to pay I assume?
Before long our pockets were full of truffles, mushrooms and leaves that Sandru had foraged, much of the information as to varieties and uses entirely lost in translation in the beautiful chaos of the two lively dogs and our total elation at the whole experience. I can’t recommend it enough!
The Truffle Hunting Experience was arranged though Valea Verde Resort. Ask for Sandru!
COPSAMARE GUESTHOUSES
That evening we checked into the Italian-run Copsamare Guesthouses, another rustic chic get-up near the UNESCO world heritage village of Biertan with its stunning fortified church.
The traditional Saxon houses have been renovated very stylishly, and if I were a better photographer I could have done it greater justice.
The owner Simona is an excellent cook and makes a beautiful 3 course dinner with wine, served in the lovely, light-filled kitchen where everyone gathers for breakfast and dinner, looking out onto beautiful scenery and their kitchen garden. The rooms are stylishly simple but cosy, with a traditional fireplace and little traditional touches.
SUPERB PLACES TO STAY IN TRANSYLVANIA
A quick recap for you:
MEET THE THREE MAIDENS: ROMANIA'S NATIVE WINE GRAPES
Before we dive into the wine regions, let's talk grapes. A big barrier for consumers in English-speaking countries when it comes to wine is pronunciation. While having new, exotic varietals for consumers to discover is a strength for Romanian wine, the seemingly impenetrable language, with its many vowels and confusing glyphs, are not.
Helpfully, three of the key native grapes are, at least, linked by a memorable idea / word:
Feteasca - meaning lady, or maiden, and pronounced simply: Fet-as-ka.
So we have:
Fetească Albă - White maiden (Fet-as-ka Alba)
Fetească Regală - Royal Maiden (Fet-as-ka Regala)
Fetească Neagră - Black Maiden (Fet-as-ka Negra)
Easy really?
But then we have the floral Tămâioasă Românească (Pronounced something like Tam-oy-asa Roman-esca),
Crisp, fruity Cramposie.
Dark and spicy Negru de Dragasani.
Fetească Regală was given the regal name to try to elevate perceptions, whereas actually traditionally it’s been a workhorse grape, grown for its ability to produce massive yields, and many producers don't believe it has much quality potential. Villa Vinèa a notable exception, grown at extremely low yields.
Fetească Albă, merely ‘the white maiden’, much less exciting than a Royal Maiden, is actually the variety in which producers see lots of quality potential!
Fetească Neagră is tricky to grow, a little like Pinot Noir in being rather pernickety, but has a high quality potential. It was off the back of his first experience with this grape that the Count Guy Tyrel de Poix was convinced start a vineyard in Romania… Dark, spicy and powerful.
SCENES FROM TRANSYLVANIA
THE WINE LANDS OF TRANSYLVANIA
The Transylvanian Plateau, shares a similar latitude to Italy’s Alto Adige and at 1,500ft above sea level, favours fresh, crisp aromatic whites.
The scenery of this region is absolutely breathtaking. It’s genuinely some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen.
Our first winery visit was to be with the General Manager of Villa Vinea, Mircea Matei.
VILLA VINÈA
Villa Vinèa is a winery that wants to put Transylvanian quality wine on the map. Their first vintage was produced from this terroir in 2012, after a long journey from communism to private ownership, soil analysis and some serious relandscaping and replanting for quality viticulture.
In terms of grapes they grow the three maidens: Feteasca Regala - Royal Maiden, Feteasca Alba - White Maiden, Feteasca Negra - The Black Maiden) as well as many international varieties: Pinot Noir, Muscat Ottonel, Sauvignon Blanc, Kerner, Gewurtraminer, Zweigelt, Riesling, Chardonnay.
Winemaking is taken care of by a local winemaker who’s family has made wine for generations, in partnership with an Italian winemaker... A smart combination. They make a traditional method sparkling from 50% Feteasca Regala plus Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. It spends a full 3 years on the lees in bottle, which represents a real investment in quality. Very few sparkling producers will have the bottle (sorry) to leave them that long before cashing in.
Fetească Regală, despite its regal name, has traditionally been a bulk wine grape, with not a great potential for quality. Villa Vinèa have amongst the lowest yields per hectarage in Romania, in search of quality (2 - 3,500kg/hectare) and to show the potential that this Transylvanian native has when treated like the lady she is.
When we tasted it, it was certainly one of the best, if not the best, we tasted, with a high acidity level at 6.5 g, but still surprisingly full bodied with lots of citrusy fresh, fruity, green apple, elderflower notes and a touch of peach. Unsurprisingly, it won 6 international gold medals - the most for any Romanian winery - at the International Wine Contest of Bucharest. The retail price in the winery shop? 30 Lei… just over a fiver.
This underlies the huge potential of quality wine in Romania - at the moment, if you choose carefully, you get much, much more than what you pay for.
Around a quarter of their production is exported but none to the UK yet. “People expect if it’s Romanian it should be cheap. But we don’t make cheap wine”. A theme emerges...
The country brand of Romania really stands in the way, and it will take time to shift perceptions and build more positive associations. Authentic, quality focused brands like Villa Vinea are going to be so important on that journey.
JIDVEI
Ask any Romanian about wine and there is one name they will surely know: Jidvei.
It’s Romania’s largest producer, producing a whopping 35million litres under the Jidvei house of brands, most of which is soaked up by the domestic market. They’re also custodians of Europe’s largest single vineyard area. They have 2,400 hectares of land, surely some of the most stunning land under vine in the world, with grapes vinified across 4 cellars, employing around 1,000 people.
I had the pleasure to meet Sorin Burnete from the winemaking team, and Professor Daniela Popescu from their research team to learn about this ambitious operation and their continual drive for quality.
From 1999 it has been under private ownership, with investment every year (from the owners and the EU) in more hectarage, cellar space and improved technology. They produce 45 labels under the Jidvei house of brands, including 5 sparkling wines (3 Traditional Method, 2 x Charmat [Prosecco] method) with 15 million bottles sold into the Romanian domestic market, 1.5 million for export (Germany, China, Asia, Czech Republic, France) and the rest sold as bulk wine.
Where does the bulk wine end up? The French, whether they know it or not, drink a lot of ‘Table Wine’, which is actually Romanian. Likewise, much of the cheaper Pinot Grigio you might find in Germany will actually be Romanian, and of a higher quality than something like for like produced in Germany!
The Memory of Associations
Talk turned again to the Romanian country brand, which stands in the way of quality perceptions. Likewise the communist legacy has made it tricky for producers to come together in associations; the memory of ‘associations’ and what that meant in communist times is still too strong.
This is problematic for clubbing together resources for marketing, technology and shared best practice. Many of the vineyards in Romania are very small holdings, because of the way the land was redistributed back to private ownership after the fall of communism; hence an efficient and quality-focused cooperative model such as in France or Italy would be perfect, but they are years away from this.
We had the opportunity to taste through a great range of wines accompanied by a generous spread of charcuterie and cheeses. A couple of stand out wines included the Mysterium, (great to see an eye catching label design) which was a blend of Chardonnay, Feteasca Alba and Pinot Noir in a white wine vinification. It was initially created to be a sparkling wine, but it was decided it was too good for that, and went on to be made in to a premium still wine.
Another was a Pinot Gris, Castel Jidvei, which at 10 years in the bottle had developed beautiful honeyed, waxy, quince aromas to complement a lovely limey freshness.
TRACKING BEARS AND WOLVES IN THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS
The Carpathian mountains have one of the largest populations of bears in Europe, where they live in surprisingly close proximity to humans, especially rural shepherds, who work with large packs of dogs to keep themselves, and their sheep, safe.
It is possible to take hikes into the mountains to learn about these creatures and look for tracks and signs. There was no way we were going to miss out on that, and so we arranged to stay for two nights at the home of Danut and Luminita Marin, owners of travel company Transylvanian Wolf
Dan is a highly-qualified, and highly-respected, nature guide, with a deep knowledge of Romanian wildlife and traditional culture. He has been involved in conservation and research projects about the local bear and wolf population.
His wife Luminita is a fountain of local knowledge and folklore and each night cooked up a storm of traditional food: sarmales, (minced meat wrapped in cabbage), pork cooked in garlic and wine, polenta with sheep’s cheese, caraway soup, sour soup and not to mention all the treats at breakfast. Together they are involved in many projects in the local community, their families having lived in this area for generations.
Early the next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we drove into the Carpathian Mountains where roughly 6,000 bears live (compared to a population of just 20 bears in the whole of France) as well as a huge population of wolves.
Romania has its communist history to thank for this. The forests were protected from destruction by the communist administration, as many other countries in Europe were tearing them down, destroying natural connected habitats in the process.
BEAR TRACKS
It wasn't long before we saw our first sign of the local bears; bear hairs stuck to the sap on a tree trunk, evidence of their famous back scratching. We saw paw prints from adult bears and smaller bears, as well as wolf prints. Below you see an example of the type of place a bear might turn into his winter den for shelter during hibernation, gathering up leaves to create a soft mattress. Before they hibernate they enter a phase of hyperphagia where they eat and eat, without filling up, in order to fatten up for winter. We saw tree trunks that had been scratched in order to search for insects, and pine tree bark which had been clawed away to get at the sweet tree sap in Spring time.
We also saw examples of wolf poo, (surprisingly large!) which was so full of boar hair it almost looked like a pile of hairy tails!
So what happens if you see a bear in the wild?
Keep your distance of course. Especially if you see cubs first - do not approach, however cute and innocent they seem! Where there’s cubs, there’s a protective mamma bear.
Danut told us about one of his most amazing encounters, last July. It was after a rain, so the ground was soft, (not noisy like we were on the crunchy leaves) and they were upwind of the bear, so she couldn’t smell them coming. They spotted her feasting on a raspberry bush, and were able to watch her for quite some time. After some minutes the wind changed, she picked up their scent, and scarpered.
CHEESE-MAKING SHEPHERD HUTS
We stopped off at a dilapidated shepherd’s hut, for a glass of Luminita's fresh elderflower juice. The Shepherd's traditionally make cheese directly in the mountains, in these huts. The sheep’s milk is heated over an open fire to around 40 degrees. Rennet is added, and once curdled, sieved though muslin, to separate curd from whey. Afterwards it's pressed into fir tree bark for safe keeping, and it takes on some of the bark’s favour. It’s known as Brânză în coajă de brad - literally cheese in fir tree bark. We tried some that evening and it is indeed very sheepy - perhaps something of an acquired taste!
THE BEAR HIDE
After our beautiful walk it was off to the bear hide. These hides are run by the forestry commission. There are 6 around the mountains, and each day in the afternoon some food is left out for the bears. This means the bears have these feeding sites as a last resort, rather than needing to come scavenging in the villages where there is a high likelihood they will end up shot.
From an insulated hut with one-way glass, you can wait and watch for bears to come out with around an 80% chance that you will see them. It was incredible. We stayed there for 2 hours, completely awestruck as we were lucky enough to see 6 different bears come and forage for the food, some of them returning again later, plus two very bold foxes, a male (bright white tipped tail) and a female (dirty white tip, or no tip).
After this exhilarating experience it was back to the house to relax before another big feast cooked up by Luminita, as you can see, enjoyed with a few glasses of Feteasca Neagra.
She told us that the Feteasca Neagra grapes are quite small, close to a wild species of grape, and thus very concentrated, and that some locals call this ‘bear power’, which I think would be a great marketing approach!
Our bear-watching and nature guide experience was organised through Transylvanian Wolf .
ONWARDS TO DEALU MARE: RED WINE LAND
By the time we arrived here, Autumn had arrived. While Transylvania had been 22 degrees and sunny, the weather had changed and despite the more Southerly and lower-altitude location, all we could see was 100m in front of us, for the thick fog! It was rather atmospheric, but not so great for photography! If altitudinous Transylvania is about the whites, then the south-facing hills of (usually) sunny Dealu Mare are all about the reds.
WINERY VISITS IN DEALU MARE
SERVE
The Romanian quality wine scene has a lot to thank the Corsican Count Guy Tyrel du Poix and his wife Mihaela for. It was back in the 90’s, not long after the fall of communism, that Guy tasted a high-quality Feteasca Neagra made by Aurel Rotarescu. From that first fateful taste, convinced of the grape’s quality potential, Guy began the first private winery in the country: SERVE
His idea was to make money from the mass market export of wine made in the favourable conditions of Romania, but to also pioneer a high-quality wine from Feteasca Neagra with Aurel at the winemaking helm.
We met with Silvio Rotarescu, Aurel’s son who’s been increasingly involved in the winemaking. He told us how it was Guy de Poix himself who made a field selection to get to the best clone of Feteasca Neagra. At harvest time he would taste the grapes, and where there was something exceptional he would make a knot. Once a plant had 3 knots, he would choose it.
Handpicking continues to be the approach, even on the plains where mechanisation would be technically possible. This is a challenge in a market where there is not much labour available, due to migration. Silvio said in his village there are only 50% of the people that were there when he was a child.
Despite these challenges, the wines are truly beautiful and represent an incredible quality price ratio.
The Feteasca Alba Terra Romana was bursting with clean, crisp lemony fruit, with an aniseed warmth on the finish. For the price, and as a crisp, refreshing, delicate white, this would absolutely blow any of the usual suspects on a pub wine list - Italian Pinot Grigio, or French Picpoul de Pinet or Marlborough Sav Blanc absolutely out of the water, just given the chance!
The Feteasca Neagra was lipsmacking; full of minerality, but also had lots of plummy, pruney fruit, spice and black fruit freshness.
A 2013 Cuvee Charlotte, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Feteasca Neagra was full of classic Cabernet tertiary characters of leather, but with Feteasca Neagra’s luscious plummy fruit, and velvety soft tannins.
BUDUREASCA
Next up was Budureasca, another winery which like SERVE is represented by the association: Premium Wines of Romania, which exists to promote exactly what it says on the tin.
Winemaking is headed by Irishman Stephen Donnelly, another foreigner lured by the vinous potential of Romania. We were shown around their brand new gravity-fed wine cellar and very smart looking barrel room; a whopping 50% of the funding for the winery came from the EU.
Clearly a lot of work has gone into label design, creating a hierarchy across the range and to present something eye-catching and differentiated, which is clearly paying off; just 5 years ago, only 10% was exported. Now as much as 35% is exported, (though none of their entry level wine is exported; an enviable position) going to the UK, China, Japan, USA, Canada and the UAE.
I was interested to see they were aging some wine in Romanian wood, as you can see below. Also note the Chinese themed label for the Chinese market.
The 2017 Feteasca Neagra was a testament to the power and concentration than the grape can yield. The 2018 Fumé, a white blend of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay had generous lashings of smokey oak from 50% new American barriques, and is one of their key exports to the UAE.
THE CHALLENGE OF ROMANIAN WINES: SHIFTING PERCEPTIONS
Here again, the same theme emerged about the damaging country brand Romania. Carmel, our host told us how in one blind tasting in London, a panel was asked how much they thought one of the premium red wines was worth. £25 was the answer. When it was revealed that the wine was Romanian, the value estimate was revised to a mere £5.
In fact the most expensive wine we tried in that line up was only £14.40 - which just goes to show the incredible quality price ratio that Romanian wines can offer, if people can overcome their unfounded perceptions.
Premium winemakers are being severely punished for the sins of their forefathers.
THE SINS OF OUR FATHERS
The next evening we had a drink with Mihaela Tyrel de Poix, wife of the late Guy Tyrel de Poix and current CEO of SERVE and Rodica Capatina, the president of the Premium Wines of Romania Association, to learn more.
In the mid 90’s, 300,000 bottles of Romanian red wine were being imported to UK supermarkets. In fact, Dealu Mare was exporting 100x more Pinot Noir than they had hectarage of Pinot planted…. Because it wasn’t really Pinot Noir. The UK was the biggest market for this low quality ‘fake’ Pinot, sold under false pretences.
Eventually this caught up with them, and sadly for Romania, the wine trade, like elephants, has a long memory. The mid 90’s was also the time that cheap, exciting, varietally-labelled wine was coming in from Australia, and was about to completely change the UK consumer’s relationship with wine.
Even without these set backs, Romania had never had a high-quality image because during the communist era, Romania was the Soviet bloc’s vineyard, supplying the Soviet state with wine. For nearly 50 years the focus was on volume and price; quality did not figure. In addition, the industry was subsidised by the state, further disrupting the quality-price-volume equation.
After their 90’s hey day, Romania has never quite regained its position in one of the most desirable export markets; the UK. It will take time for perceptions to shift and for people to appreciate the honest quality price ratio offered by premium Romanian wines.
There is so much passion, engagement and potential I really hope that things will start to change. But people need to buy into the idea of Romania before they will buy into Romanian wine; when we drink wine we drink a culture, a way of life, a sense of place. I believe one of the biggest levers is the natural, pristine beauty of Romania. Europe’s last true rural wilderness, one of the cleanest countries in Europe (as Alex put it; “we skipped the industrialisation part”), as evidenced by the huge number of wild flower species that bloom in spring in the Carpathain Mountains, many long since lost to Europe.
The perceptions of Romania’s attributes in these areas has to be fundamentally shifted if these hard working, passionate producers are going to have a chance to make it, but I fear it will be a slow process.
If I have convinced just one person to make a trip out there and discover the wines for yourself, and educate yourself on the real Romania, then I will be happy!
THE PARIS OF THE EAST: TIPS FOR BUCHAREST
Our last day was spent enjoying the city of Bucharest. I have 2 restaurants to write home about, and a barrage of wine bar recommendations for you.
IDEAS FOR WHERE TO STAY, EAST AND VISIT IN BUCHAREST
SLEEP
We stayed at the art nouveau Epoque Hotel, part of the Relais & Chateaux group that rarely disappoints, which is located near the old town. You can enjoy the spa and massages for a steal!
EAT
We enjoyed two exceptional meals - incredible value for the quality of the food, service, creativity and wines:
The Artist - try the spoon tasting menu. We did it for all three courses - starters, mains and desserts all served as one perfect spoon - such a fun concept and very well executed. The vibe of the restaurant is quite traditional, elegant fine dining.
Maize - where we also tried the Chef’s Table menu and wine pairings, which was exceptional. The vibe here is a bit younger and more lively.
Interestingly Aurelia Visinescu’s wine featured heavily on both The Artist’s and Maize’s wine pairings. Her wines are beautiful, and the labels certainly look the part. Only a sample size of two, but perhaps disappointing to see a lack of diversity, or confidence in other of Romania’s top wine producers amongst the Bucharest Sommelier scene!
VISIT
Other places to consider checking off your Bucharest list are:
Caru' cu Bere - where to eat to feel like a medieval wench with fabulous Neo-Gothic architecture and decor inside. Consider making a booking, as it's very touristy, right in the Old Town.
Nearby, the Carturesti Carusel is an awesome bookshop with fabulous architecture.
And, of course the Palace of Parliament to see Ceausescu’s monstrosity of a building; the most expensive administrative building ever built, at a time when the country was struggling. (You can also visit Ceausescu’s house, which is full of stories too, though we ran out of time). Perhaps stop off for a Brutal Russian Pancake, or a bowl of retro cereal at Cereal Crunch Cafe to refuel afterwards!
DRINK
We tried out Abel’s Wine Bar, a classic in the old town. Kind of feels like a wine bar from the noughties, but fun nonetheless, and very friendly staff, and lots of local wines to try by the glass.
GastroLab Food and Wine Experience: This place feels very shiny and 2019. Part of a recent development surrounded by lots of exciting looking cafes, patisseries and restaurants along Bulevardul Aviatorilor (I really wished we had more time to explore). There are over 400 wines on their list, a huge focus on Romanian wines, and many that you can try by the glass. We enjoyed a stunning traditional method sparkling which was the perfect aperitif before our dinner at Maize.
Other recommendations I had, but didn't make it to, included: Industry Wine Bar, WineStone, LoveIn Wine Bar, Marvin Wine Shop, and Wineful Bar.
If that’s not a bar crawl, then I don't know what is!
