Best time for a Romanian vacation

Which is the best time for visiting Romania? Which is best time for a wine tasting? There are a lot of opened questions about the unknown Romania, about its wine and its people. I am going to try to give you some answers to these questions, as you must be aware and get more from your Romania trip.

Wine tasting is in my opinion a part of any  Romania trip

When it comes to wine and wine tasting, any season is advisable, as I already discussed. But, broadly speaking, what about Romania and the best time for visiting it?

First of all, depends on you and on your vacation schedules. There is no way to quit a job for a trip to Romania (don't do like me, I quitted a job for visiting Rome!). Bear in mind that Romania has huge differences between seasons, due to its continental-temperate climate (very important: the 45 degrees of northern latitude crosses through Romania. Why should this latitude be so important? It marks the half of the distance between Equator and the North Pole, the most extreme climates of the world). In spring and autumn there are strong winds; on the other hand winter ans summer are getting longer due to global heating. In summer of the last years have been registered temperature of 40 degrees Celsius; also very unusual, the Black Sea froze. But the width of Romania, the diversity of its forms of relief and the diversity of its folkloric festivals are almost a guarantee of a high quality vacation in any season.

The winter is tough in hills and mountains and a paradise for the skiers. The snowy villages are superb under a blue clear sky, while the houses and the animals smoke. The hot soups, boiling wine or brandy will warm you up. Unfortunately, the closed roads will not allow to discover the remote villages, which are by far  the most interesting. On Christmas and New Year you have the unique opportunity to see some very interesting and picturesque customs, coming from the ancestors. Also a good occasion for the families to stay together, and have traditional meals, sprinkled with wine. A wine tasting in winter is unforgettable, and sometimes even necessary to warm you up.

The winter as you like in the pictures!

The summer is the best time for discovering mountains, while the life in Bucharest is almost unbearable. It is maybe the peak season, if you allow me a cliche! The seaside is full of people, while other groups are simply invading the cities of Transilvania, Bucovina, Danube Delta and Maramures. But you must be very careful and book in advance for a hotel room.

The Summer in the romanian Carpathians

The spring means Valentines, field flowers invading gardens, and orchard in hills and mountains. The singing birds start their concert and the people clean their homes. It is maybe the best time for discovering the cities, as the blocks disappear behind the trees in blossom. Billions of birds from the all world come back in Danube Delta. Also important for Eastern, the biggest orthodox celebration.

The Spring in Romania means a total resurection 

The autumn is very cute and picturesque, mainly in the mountains, when the forest is literally on fire due to falling leaves, which take very different colors. Harvesting time, inclusive for the grapes, which will do an excellent opportunity for wine tasting.

For a skilled photograph, the autumn is by far the most beautiful season

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THE BEST ROMANIAN WINES

There is always a matter of individual taste, but also a matter of collective judgement. Someone might like the white wines, another stays for reds. In addition  comes the preparation ways, e.g. dry, medium dry and sweet with all their variations.

Another issue of individual taste: younger wine or older wines ( only a few wines can be drinked if older than 10 years). If you are tough indeed and if you know the basics about Romania and its wines, you can prefer one of its vineyards: Cotnari, Panciu-Odobesti, Murfatlar, Dealu Mare, Recas, Minis or even a special year.

But what about the vine varieties? Well, with any risk, but this is a long discussion, but we ought to have it! Thanks. First, there are the well known international varieties, needing no further presentation: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Ottonel, Riesling,Aligote, Hamburg Muscat, Chardonnay,Merlot,Cabernet Sauvignon. It was not easy adapting these varieties to the Romanian special conditions, but the tradition is now already 100 years old ! You will be maybe deep surprised drinking some of the best glasses of these noble assortment here in Romania, but I tell you that is normal!

Second, there are some traditional varieties, whose tradition goes 2000 years ago! They are rich, and tasty, they are very impressive, and you must prepare your visit and tasting in Romania knowing something about them:
1. Babeasca (Old Maid wine) is available in white and red.
2.Feteasca (Young Girl wine) also available in white and red.
According to the age of your partner, you should make the selection between Babeasca and Feteasca!
3.Cramposie
4.Frangusa
5.Sarba
I wasn't able to find any translation, and I am deeply sorry for it. Better drink and define them finding some similar with yours usually wines!

And finally something for the conaisseurs: there are some excellent old wines here around, starting with the collection of the former Romanian dictator Ceausescu (a wine afficionado, among others)! Also, in some secret hidden places you can find something really special: Aligote Bucium 1986; Pinot Noir Minis 1994; Cabernet Sauvignon Murfatlar 1937 (sic); Cadarca Minis 1970; Chardonnay Murfatlar 1938,1962, 1964; Merlot Murfatlar 1970; Sarba Valea Calugareasca 1970 etc. Cheers, dear friends, you are waited in Romania!

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Tips and tricks for the right pairing of wines and food

Nothing new under the sun, I can hear you. Who is this man thinking he can teach us pairing food and wines? We know to do this pairing, there is no problem, there is nothing easier on Earth! Sorry to insist, but a normal intelligent man has always something to learn, and admits it. And I am sure you are such intelligent people!

You received even from myself some tips and tricks for the right pairing of wine and food on many other occasions. But, you know, taking part to so many professional wine tasting in Romania makes me to forget the normal wine afficionado as you are, and as I am ( I still hope that a wine afficionado is not alcohol or food addicted! At least we in Europe use to think like that!)

But let's go back to our sheeps! How would you pair a desert, a cooked liver, a salt cheese? These are open questions, applying to normal people who cellar more sorts of wine (this is the real wine afficionado in my opinion). And these are the tips and tricks:

1. Never forget that a red wine is richer and heavier than a white one. Keep the red for the heavy dishes, but keep in mind that this mix between good food and excellent wines leads to obesity, when repeated. So, always strive to live healthy and never forget your morning gym!

2. The sweet dishes are to be completed with an easy white wine, the best is the medium dry Riesling, and avoid the Muscat Ottonel, which is simply too sweet.

3.The cheese, if is salty and spicy, must be currently paired  with a medium dry Merlot. The saltier and spicier the cheese, the drier the wine, keep in mind.

4. The jelly duck liver is a heavy meal, but not the heaviest you know. This is in my opinion to be paired with a sweet red Cabernet Sauvignon.

5.Always pair the fish with a white dry wine, e.g. Aligote which is my favorite! About chicken (you guess, an easy dish must get is white) I recommend a sweet Chardonnay

I still have many other tips and tricks, but I keep them for another occasion (not for myself, as I wanna share with you from all my heart). A special mention: you get all the above named wines as presents when taking part to the wine tasting in Romania! And I am waiting now for your feedback, hoping that all these tricks are useful to you.

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The Big Romania Wine Tasting Tour with 10 % discount in May

I have worked out a big surprise for the wine afficionados: a bigger Romania Wine Tasting Tour. Comparing to my previous wine tour ( attention pls, April discount will soon be obsolete!) I added a few wineries, and I left the dinner to the option of the tourists! But I strove to keep further a good quality of services, wines and lodging.  So, it lasts longer, more wineries, costs cheaper. You have much for paying less! Special offers for honeymooners! This program takes 8 days / 7 nights and is designed for both the tourists and the specialists in oenology, because of the link between Romanian medieval art and stepping into the universe of Romanian wines.

The tour covers the main vineyards in Romania and offers the opportunity to taste its most famous varieties, recognized worldwide: Muscat Ottonel, Feteasca Regala/Alba, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris/Noir, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grasa de Cotnari, Tamaioasa Romaneasca. The tour can be scheduled in any period of the year, by car/ minibus/ bus/ coach, covering the main tourist areas of Romania. Day 1Departure from Bucharest . Transfer Bucharest – Murfatlar (3 hrs). Wine tasting program and visit to the Murfatlar vineyard - these wineries, with total capacity of processing and storage over 350.000 hl wine/year, are famous thanks to the joining of the valuable grape varieties: Riesling, Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Neagra, Muscat Ottonel, Babeasca, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot with the modern equipment and technology, plus the professionalism of the specialists. Optional, lunch. Transfer Murfatlar – Constanta city (1 hr).Lodging at Best Western Savoy Hotel **** in Mamaia - an international famous sea resort near Constanta Day 2 Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Mamaia . Transfer Mamaia resort – Niculitel vineyard, passing through Tulcea town. Wine tasting program and, optional, lunch at Niculitel vineyard - one of the pearls of the Romanian wines where the climate is a factor determining the successful vinegrowing and high quality of the noble wines in this region.You will taste sweets of wines. Visit to Niculitel Basilique is the oldest building of this kind in Romania and its architecture is unique in Europe.   Transfer Niculitel – Focsani city. Lodging at Unirea  Hotel *** in Focsani Day 3  Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Focsani. Wine tasting at Odobesti vineyard Odobesti vineyard  It is the first vineyard in Romania - since the 17 th century. Its royal vinery hosts one of the biggest vinacoteques in Romania.Panciu vineyard this is the only place in Romania where the wine is processed after Champagne method. Wine tasting and, optional, lunch at Panciu vineyard .Transfer to Iasi city . Lodging at Traian Hotel **** in Iasi Day 4  Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Iasi . City tour of Iasi, visiting The Palace of Culture it is an impressive construction built in Neogothic style between 1906-1925, on the ruins of the ancient palace of the Moldavian Rulers. It hosts in 365 rooms one library and 4 museums: of history, ethnography, art & polytechnics. Three Hierarchs Monastery built as the French architect Lecomte de Nouy said this is 'one of the most interesting and curious religious edifices in Europe'. Built between 1637-1642, it is famous for its beautiful stone decoration and The Metropolitan Church . Wine tasting and, optional, lunch at Cotnari vineyard it is famous for its high quality wine, confirmed by numerous medals. According to the legend, the first vine stocks of this vineyard were planted in the 15th century by the Moldavian Ruler Stephen the Great. One can taste in this region the following sorts of wine: Grasa de Cotnari, Catalina - Voievodal, Tamaioasa Romaneasca, Francusa, Feteasca Alba  Transfer to Piatra Neamt - a touristic town in the valley of Bistrita river, one of the most picturesque areas of Romanian Sub-Carpathian hills .Lodging at Ceahlau Hotel *** in Piatra Neamt .                                                                                    Day 5  Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Piatra Neamt . Transfer to Poiana Brasov resort (235 km), crossing over the Eastern Carpathians through the spectacular Gorges of Bicaz . On the way, optional, stop for the lunch at The Red Lake – a beautiful touristic resort nearby the only natural dam lake, moulded because of a mountain fall in the 19th century . Lodging at Casa Viorel Hotel **** in Poiana Brasov resort Day 6 Breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant in Poiana Brasov . Wine tasting and, optional, lunch at Dealu Mare vineyard . Arrival in Bucharest Pax Rate / pax (EUR) 2 - 3 pax 881 € 4 - 7 pax 638 € 8 - 15 pax 592 € 16 - 22 pax 519 € > 23 pax 493 € For booking mail at dorugiu@gmx.net and keep in mind that spring is the best season for visiting Romania.

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Romanian myths and legends about wine

In Romania there is a long tradition about wine making and wine, lasting from proven 4000 years ago. For a Romanian living in Bucharest or other big city these traditions make no sense, they have only historical significance.

Losing traditions is one of the major arguments against globalization, and I would like to reveal all these hidden myths for a better understanding of Romanian art civilization.

First of all, when greeting a guest the Romanian show a lot of joy and hospitality, they give bread, salt and wine.

Second, wine is related since the times before Christ with fertility (remember Dyonysos and his huge long lasting celebrations!). Today, by every wedding ceremonial held in an orthodox church there is a ritual for the bride and her groom to drink more times from a  glass of wine, and eating from a slice of bread. Further, when the bride reaches the new home, she must rotate three times around a table with a glass of wine and a bread. The money donations for the young couple are collected on a slice of bread drenched with wine, hoping in a miraculous multiplication of the amount!

Wine is widely used by the orthodox church during almost all its rituals. Even a baby reaching its first oblation  receives a few drops of wine on his lips.

Similarly, by the funerals, be sure to find a bottle of wine in the coffin to be drunk in the after world. The priest splashes the coffin and the dead body with wine; it is forbidden to drink hob a nob, and before drinking be sure to a few drops on the ground in memoriam.

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The Decalogue of a trained wine taster (10 Commands for really enjoying the wine)

1.Wine is really a living drink. Avoid moving too much the bottle before opening. Don't drink the wine immediately after bringing it from the cellar. Allow him some time to relax, in order that all its component come back to their natural state.

2. Don't hold the wine longer than two hours in the refrigerator, and never forget him near heating sources.

3.Avoid the  contact of the wine bottle or wine glass with your hands; due to the temperature of your hands the wine loses its flavor.

4.The young wine is to serve colder than the old one. If one wine is too cool, keep it 10 minutes in a heated room and it will be ready to serve.

5.Serve a red wine usually to the room temperature (18 degrees Celsius), and a white wine cooler, at 8 Degrees Celsius. On the contrary, an easy red is to serve at 10-12 Degrees Celsius.

6.Pair the white wine with appetizers, fish, sea fruit, or the spicy heavy dish and keep the stronger red wine for special occasions. If you have more several dishes on your list and want using only a sort of wine use a dried rose and you won't be wrong.

7. Keep in mind that only a few selected wines are becoming better as the time goes by. The normal ones have a limited time to be drunken.

8.Before serving a red wine keep it a few days at 10-12 Degrees Celsius.

9.Don't mix the wine with juices, soda, ice, water as it will lose everything he has to say to your taste.

10.Never boil the wine.

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