Romanian gastronomic specialities

Romanian gastronomy is very rich indeed, and this is one of the many arguments for  taking  the decision to offer you exquisite food and wine tours here in Romania. The Romanian gastronomy is also not very original, due to successive  historic influences coming from neighboring Empires (Russian, Turkish, Hungarian and German).

The Gulash is rather Hungarian, no matter, you can eat exquisite Gulash in Romania

In Transilvania you can find very spicy paprika or gulash ( a tasteful spicy mix of meat pieces with sauce). In every corner you can find Kraut mit Wurst (German for cabbage with sausages!) with its local variation "Varza a la Cluj" (Romanian for " Cabage a la Cluj"). Cabbage a la Cluj is mixed with mincemeat and rice.

Varza a la Cluj pairs excellent with a red strong wine, as you can notice!

In Dobrogea you will be able to find the traces of the Turkish kitchen, mainly by the deserts like saraili and baclava! About the musaca (Romanian for Moussakka), it is much better represented Romaniawide, consisting of alternative layers of potatoes thin slices and mincemeat. You may observe, please, that the Romanians eat mainly pig meat, and there is an historical explanation even for that: during the Turkish occupation, the Turks took practically everything better, but they never enjoyed pig, as not recommended by their religion.

Baclavas are Turkish, and are very tasty.

Romanians were a few hundreds years ago mainly a shepherd people, and as a remaining they eat nowadays cheese at almost every meal. One kilo cheese costs 3 Euros, and a kilo tomatoes 0,8 Euros, and so you have a good idea for your menu if you are on a budget.

Sarmalute (  forc-meat rolls in cabbage sau vine leaves ) are present at any feast in Romania

An exquisite Romanian meal present at every meal during the feasts (Christmas, Eastern, etc) are the sarmalute ( forc-meat rolls in cabbage sau vine leaves). They are not very difficult for cook, the mix consisting of mincemeat, rice, eggs and spices, but you may have a problem while cooking, as the leaves go apart. This is a crucial test for the young girls when are just married, and many of them simply sew the leave after rolling! Which would be in your opinion the best wines for all these wines? Many combination possible, but your concrete one is opened for your Romanian Tour!

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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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Danube Delta cruise and wine tasting on the ship

Really hard to speak to someone about Danube Delta, as you must see it, in order to understand it.
But, let's try, I need your attention and I hope to be not very abstract. Maybe you know already something about Danube, having its sources in Germany,Donaueschingen, where it is only a very little brook! Afterwards, it grows and grows, receiving many rivers and going through a few of Capitals like Vienna, Budapest and Belgrad. Bucharest and Sofia are also not far away from the longest European river, after Volga (Volga has also a Delta, but Danube Delta is bigger and better preserved).

Typical view from the Danube Delta, a virgin natural paradise

Danube Delta with its 5000 sqkm is a nature miracle and paradise. The river brings with mood and the soil in  Delta is permanently forming and disappearing. There are floating islands (plaur) and the exactly place where the river goes into the sea is unknown, it changes every moment.

Danube Delta means 6000 square kilometers, 90 % in Romania. Observe on the map the three arms Chilia, Sf Gheorghe, Sulina. Not far from here the vineyards from Murfatlar and Niculitel (not visible on the map). But they are there, don't be anxious seeing only water.

On the forementioned surface of 6000 sqkm live only 12000 people (4000 in Sulina, a port to the Black Sea) resulting an average density of 2 people on square kilometer, the lowest in all Europe. All these people living in some villages like Crisan, Maliuc, Mila 23  (none is bigger than 500 people) are mainly fishermen and gain very difficult access to the sanitary network. Most of them are Lipovans, former Russian refugees after the Lenin's Revolution, and there are many legends about their alcohol addiction.

This local fishermen is probably Lipovan, speaks  Russian and drinks  a lot of spirits

You can imagine, there is no other possibility to see Delta than by ship. I will propose you a full day cruise starting from Tulcea to Sulina, and back, with little incursions on the little channels, which is the most important and picturesque thing here (most probably, we must descend from the big ship and go further by little boats) . It will be a quite relaxing day ( if not stormy) turning in an unforgettable event. On the ship, during lunch, a surprise: wine tasting with the best Romanian wines (5 sortiments and a good meal). Man, we will have a good time. The wine selection is personal and I will only reveal on place!

No way not to love Delta. Some tourists even settled here for the rest of their lifes

But maybe I should be more specific: transfer from and to Bucharest Airport, 2 nights in a 3 *** hotel in Tulcea, Delta Cruise with wine tasting compose a strong package costing only 300 Euros; for booking in September you are going to receive a discount of 5 %.

Danube Delta has a rich history, as it was a strategic position for controlling navigation and commerce on the river. You will be amazed of the strange beauty of the town Sulina. I can tell you much more about the history, climates and ecosystems from Danube Delta, but this remains open fort the trip! For bookings mail at dorugiu@gmx.net

A wind mill in Delta, another pearl you must see

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Romanian sorts of wine

As Romania has a long history in the wine branch with a lot of myths and popular beliefs, the Romanian wines have also some special properties, making them simply unique. That shall not mean that in the Romanian leading restaurants you won't wine the French Bordeaux or the Porto, or the Spanish Madera.

No, on the contrary. The Romanian oenologists, someliers and professional tasters are open minded, for sure. If you are addicted to that drops, o.k., they will strive to give you that special drops. But they will give you also the possibility to taste and even to drink some precious Romanian drops. And believe, you have a wide choice.

Cabernet Sauvignon

First of all, in many restaurants you can find the house wine. This is normally only a particular sort of wine, coming directly from the producer, unbottled and costing only 3 Euros per Liter (unbelievable cheap, I would say, if you agree! And I would please to take profit of it!). Paired with the right food, will be delightful. This way of life is very popular in Romania, similar with other wine countries.

Casselas is rather a table grape, you don't make  wine of it

Second, is something history related. After 2000 years of wine making, by the beginning of the XXth century an insect destroyed all the old Romanian vineyards, causing huge damages to the producers. All a few vineyards survived, with the toughest varieties of grapes, which I am going to mention under. The destroyed vineyards have been replaced by foreign sorts (see also under) which must be very familiar to you.

Merlot, please!

Shortly and briefly, let's mention all the sorts of wine you can find in the Romanian vineyards. And let's start with the old Romanian varieties:
Feteasca (young girl wine) is available as white, black and royal. The white one is a yellow-greenish wine, dried or half dried, depending of the harvesting time and the upcoming treatments, also fruity and velvety.The Royal one, also known as Transylvania yellow or Danasana is a little acid, wit a discreet flavor (the flavor of wood flowers)
Grasa de Cotnari- has a long tradition in Romania, and was mentioned even on the Medium Age of Stephen the Great. Excellent wine, rich flavor, pleasant bouquet.
Babeasca (old maiden wine) is a an old wine wine; dark red, strong and nervous. It is not actually recommended for the old maiden, but for their partners!
Francusa- white easy wine, with a long tradition
Tamaioasa Romaneasca- fruity, sweet, fine

The international wine sorts must be much more familiar to you, I am not going to insist on them:
-Aligote is a well balanced wine. Very fruity, very tasty.
-Muscat Ottonel a white desert wine, with a discreet flavor
-Muscadell-similar to the French Sauvignon, is an easy flavor wine
-Pinot gris, even better results in Romania than in France
-Merlot
-Pinot Noir

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How to produce a good wine and how to keep it right

You like wine, don't you? I love them too, that's why we are here as wine afficionados, as I like to repeat! At least in this point we all agree!

The grape, if you allow me

First of all, may be you are not sufficiently aware that wine, different from other alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks, is a living organism. If you are very aware while tasting or drinking wine, you can observe it. Watch it in the glass, it breathes. Smell it, taste it, enjoy it, it is really necessary to do so if you wanna get the best from your wine.

Did you ask probably more that once what makes a good wine ? The soil, the climate, the sortiment, the way of cutting the plantation. Everything counts, for sure, and here in Romania we have the best conditions for making some excellent wines. If you wish to set up your own vineyard, bear in mind some facts: you got the best grapes in the vineyards with an yearly average temperature of  more 10 degrees Celsius, with 1500 hours of sun exposure and rain fall of 400-600 liters per quadrat meters.

Further, the agricultural works play an important role. There are works on the ground, as also works on the vine; fighting diseases; harvesting at the right moment etc.

Still interested to set up a vineyard or to get one (for Romania I can get you some information) ? If yes, go to the point: you have the grapes, you must press them now (supposing, just supposing). You can still give up and buy o bottle of good Romanian wine, as you can find it in many places on Earth.(Berlin, Paris, Manchester to name just a few, ask me further if you want.).

This feeder helps crushing the membranes

Nevertheless, nothing compares with making and marketing your own wine, so let's go further! From 1 kg grapes you will get 0,7-0,8 litres of must. 60 % of it will flow almost naturally, and the rest on the press. There is a huge difference between the white and the red wine. For the white, you must separate the grape from its bunch and membranes; on the contrary, for the big Reds you need a good color and a strong flavor. You can get them by crushing first the grapes and allowing them a short fermentation of 2-3 days, without separation of the bunches or the membranes.

We will continue next time our adventure in the world of wine. The best, come in September to Romania and take part to    the new crop and you will understand more.

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Basic rules for pairing food and drinks

You know, for the success of a meal, you must think in advance about the menu and about the drinks (mainly wines, if you ask me!) pairing with your dishes.
According to my experience, there are some basic rules about it, which are very generally and apply not only in Romania, but also anywhere else in the world, maybe with a few local alterations.
1.For the hors d'oeuvres you can try some appetizers, but also dry normal or sparkling wines. But let it be dry, for sure!
2.For the soups, cream soups or borsh you don't need necessary to pair them with wine; exception, the fish soups where you can use a strong dry white wine. In Romania you find these wines in the vineyards from Moldova and Transylvania.

3.For the fish,craw fish and shells I normally recommend a white wine; but won't say no to a good roze wine!
4.Pair mushrooms with half dry white wine, any other combination is wrong!
5.For the main dishes use the red wines (say it in Romanian: vin rosu). For the white meat, the light red wines; for the red meat use heavier more consistent wines; keep the best reds for the hunting meat.
6.If you use a sort of wine to the cooking of a certain dish, never forget to offer it to the dinner together with that dish!
7.For the cheese use further the  wine of the main dish, the red one.
8.For the desert use use young wine ( or must) if available; also possible to use sweet flavored wines, as Muscat Ottonel!

8. Serve always the lighter wine before the heavier consistent ones; also the first should be the young wine (must).
9.For a normal meal, you don't need more than two sorts of wine, a white one and a red one. On special occasions and sophisticated meals is permitted the third sort of wine; choice it according the upper rules.
10.No matter how many sorts of wine you offer, try not to go beyond the limits of a normal consumption (which is between half and one liter).
My basic rules and recommendations turned to be a Decalogue!Try to respect it if you want that everything go smoothly while your celebration!

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