The wine road from Focsani

It is an unbelievable wonderful weather at this moment in Focsani, and I must prepare the new spring season. It is very easy at 10 degrees Celsius and I am very optimist about it. For the wine addicted, I will renew the offer from former year, starting with the convincing Big Romania Wine Tour, a success program.

The trip along the Wine Road starts in Focsani

The Vrancea district, whose residence is in Focsani, is very well renowned for its huge neverending vineyards, one of the most important regional landmarks. It is actually the biggest surface of vineyards among other Romanian districts, as one of the biggest wine production. Unfortunately, other regional vineyards like Murfatlar or Cotnari, enjoy a better marketing and selling policy, but Vrancea never gives up! The vineyards are shared between more or medium sized farms, and thus everybody wins!The many and spectacular wine tastings on the way will delight you for sure, if you understand all about this fascinating branch and area.

Spectacular barracks in Odobesti

In the Wine land there are many wine roads, I personally selected one variant. We start from Focsani and travel up to Andreiasu, through Odobesti-Vartescoiu-Brosteni-Mera-Reghiu. From the many vineyards from the area we can select a few for tastings, but we could select much more. The trip is not very long, lasting a day, even if you ride the bike instead driving. Leave the town of Focsani through its Cotesti neighborhood, and discover first the village of Campineanca. Its existence is tighten with the Romanian Unification from 1859, when Wallachia united with Moldavia. The border was in this area and after is disappearance, the guardians from the both sides took the decision of setting this village. There are three churches in Campineanca, and in the center you can discover a small monuments for the people who falled during WWI.

Please observe the barrels/bariques, every household has many of them in Odobesti and on the Wine road.

Almost without notice you got the village of Unirea(Patesti), outskirt of Odobesti. please notice the vineyards stretching all over the horizon, and proof again manner and patience, before the wine tasting from Odobesti, in the Dyonyssos caves. Unirea was for the first time mentioned in a written document at 1684. Everything in the area is tighten to wine, which is the main occupations of the locals. They simply love the wine, enjoy life, and can speak uninterrupted about their fantastic product. Two important local sorts are Sarba and Galbena (Yellow), they are unique here and you can't find them anywhere else. Don't forget to ask about them, even by the tasting. Or rather don't, the host will be able to speak for hours about.

Magura Hill is the highest in Romania

Very close to Odobesti (10 km away) is the highest hill in Romania. Magura Odobestilor is rather a mountain through its altitude of 100 meters, but a hill through its structure and neighborhood. Climbing it is not very difficult, but requires skills and training, and last a few hours. Once on the top, the perfect reward: excellent panoramic viewto 10-20 kilometers. You can imagine the strategic importance of this point for military observation during the heavy fights from the WWI given in the neighborhood! On another hill, next to the town of Odobesti, namely Sarba, have been found pottery fragments from the La Tene culture (200 b.C). Already during Middle Age Odobesti has been known as a leading vineyard in Moldavia. An interesting place is the Cross Church, founded by the traders' guild.

Very close to Odobesti is the village Vartescoiu, another one dedicated to the wine, with many farms and caves. Nowadays it became an outskirt of Odobesti and simply lives in its shadow. On the same way, discover a similar village, Faraoanele, whose name has a wonderful legend. When the Turks were ruling Moldavia, and the collectors came gathering the debts, in Faraoanele no one could give much due a dramatic water shortage. Very disappointed, yet upset, they found two wonderful young girls, having the saving idea to send the girls to the sultan's khareem. But all the locals protested, and the two girls escaped somehow. The both girls' name was Oana, and in Romanian the village name means "No Oana".

A few kilometers further discover the village Mera with its old fortified monastery. From now on the roads are not easy accessible and not practicable after heavy rains. But the landscapes are more spectacular and genuine. Notice in Andreiasu the "Living Fire", caused by a gas emanation, which permanently burns. There are possible many itineraries in these area, but only possible as walking tours.

Posted in: best Romanian wines, myths and legends about wine, Romanian history, Romanian history; the history of Romanian wine, wine trips