Romania Photo of the Day by Dreamstime: Vineyard in autumn colors
The Romania Photo of the Day created in partnership with stock photo provider Dreamstime aims to highlight the best of Romania. From stunning landscapes and popular tourist destinations and landmarks to people, traditions, and food, this series helps you discover Romania one photo at a time. This week, we put the focus on beautiful Romanian landscapes in autumn colors.
Romania is one of the largest wine producers in Europe, with its tradition of wine-making dating back thousands of years, and many medals won in contemporary international competitions – but it is underrated and prices remain affordable. (Photo source - click on the number to get to the photo 60062648 © Iulian Dragomir | Dreamstime.com)
As for the wineries and vineyards themselves, they are scattered throughout the country in beautiful locations worth visiting not only for the delicious wines, but for the local flair and enchanting scenery as well.
The country is home to more than 250 wine cellars, says rolandia.eu, which can be visited anytime during the year, for wine tasting sessions, as well as rest and relaxation.
According to tourinromania.com & theculturetrip.com, some of the best wineries to visit are:
In the historic region of Oltenia, the winemaking tradition goes back two millennia, with the vineyards of the Roman castrum of Rusidava. Here, on the vine-covered hills of Drăgășani, is a winery founded in 2012 by Oliver Bauer and his wife. They have gained recognition because they use rare or lesser-known grape varieties that are more difficult to cultivate – which means you can come here and enjoy all kinds of unique and delicious wines.
A 25-minute walk from Bauer Vineyard, Stirbey Vineyard is a project born out of love for the winemaking tradition of the region. Upon discovering her family’s 300-year-old Prince Stirbey estate, Romanian royal Baroness Ileana Kripp-Costinescu and her German husband revived the vineyard, which has been producing wine from the local grape variety Crâmpoşie since Dacian times. Wine-tasting packages that include specialties from Oltenia are available, as well as tours of the vineyards and the cellar.
Deep in Moldova is one of the best-known winemaking regions of Romania. This winery in particular is most famous for its Grasa de Cotnari, which is a wine variety that has been around since Stephen the Great (1457-1504). Grasa de Cotnari is a white wine that has high residual sugar content. The wine is golden-yellow in color and it ages well.
According to legend, during a tough battle that saw King Ladislaus I of Hungary face off the Pechenegs, the tired monarch was presented with a pumpkin filled with local wine. This is how the region got its name, Beltiug, and the local wines got their long-lasting reputation. Today, the Nachbil Winery is carrying the torch further by making certified organic wines made unique by the soil the grapes grow on.
It is located in Transylvania, where the soil is immensely fertile, allowing the Liliac grapes to be recognized internationally for the amazing wines they produce. Liliac brings to life centuries-old wine-making traditions while using the most modern techniques as well. A three-and-a-half-hour ride will bring you to the hills of Transylvania in the region of Lechința, where winemaking goes back more than 2300 years when the wines produced by the Thracians got reviews from the likes of Homer and Herodotus. Nowadays, the boutique Liliac Winery, created by Austrian wine enthusiast Michael Beck and his daughter, produces wines in limited quantities for wine lovers and connoisseurs.
Located in Corcova, a commune in the Mehedinți County, in the vicinity of the Dacian capital Sarmizegetusa, Catleya Vineyard lies where once the famous estate of Romanian prince Antoine Bibesco stood. In the days of the Belle Époque, he served French author Marcel Proust and other Parisian friends with fine Corcova wines. Proust never accomplished his wish to visit the place, but the French connection is uninterrupted, as this young vineyard was created by three French wine enthusiasts.
