• DAY 1 – BUCHAREST

  Arrival in Bucharest and accommodation at Grand Hotel Continental or similar. Walking tour within the historic city center (Calea Victoriei – University Library – Art Museum – Romanian Athenaeum – Museum of National History – Manuc’s Inn).

• DAY 2 – DRAGASANI

  Bucharest – Pitesti – Dragasani. Visiting the Stirbey and Avincis cellars. Accommodation will be provided at Vila Dobrusa or similar, located in the Avincis Cellar area. Dragasani vine area is located in Southern Romania, on the right bank of the Olt River, spread over a length of 60 km. It has a mild climate, with Mediterranean influences and clay soils of limestone bedrock. It has a long tradition in cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon and Black Dragasani varieties. Avincis winery occupies an area of 40 hectares and is located on the hill Dobrusa, where the vine has been cultivated since the fifteenth century, on the property of a monastery. Stirbey Cellar, also situated in Dragasani vine area own its reputation from Prince Stirbey family, who has been growing vines for 300 years. There are several varieties which are produced here, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, The Black of Dragasani, Sauvignon Blanc and sparkling wine made by Champenoise method.

• DAY 3&4 – TIMISOARA

  Dragasani – Timisoara (the largest city in western Romania, situated on the banks of the Bega River). There will be two nights accommodation at Casa del Sole Hotel or similar and a visit to the Recas and Petrovaselo cellars. The cellars of Recas, located at 30 km away from Timisoara, have a long tradition in vine culture as the first document dates in 1447. Currently vines are cultivated on a 950 hectares area with different varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Muscat Ottonel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Black Feteasca, Cadarca, Syrah. Petrovaselo Cellar is a new one, located in an old vineyard region, near the city of Timisoara. The name of the winery and the village itself derives from its Serbian founder since the thirteenth century. The current winery current young plant between 2005-2009, in 2011 participating in the first international contest – Vinitaly, where it obtained the first prize.

• DAY 5&6 – CETATEA DE BALTA

  Day 5: Timisoara – Jidvei. There will be two nights of accommodation at the Jidvei Mansion or similar in ”Cetatea de Balta”. The vineyard area of Tarnavelor was mentioned by the historian Herodotus ever since the Geto-Dacian period, and later on in the Middle Age, known as the “Wine Country” – or Weinland in German. Since 1958, the wines of the area Tarnavelor have received international awards for Traminer Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Feteasca Regala. Currently, the winery produces some varieties of wine within Jidvei Cellar and various sparkling wines and vinars (Brandy) obtained from the noble wines distillation.
  Day 6: Cetatea de Balta – ”Liliac” Wine Cellar, located in Batos village, within the vineyard region of Lechinta. Lechinta vineyard is located on a hilly area that reminds us of the Tuscan hills. Here viticulture has been an occupation since the Thracians times. In the twelfth century, German settlers revived viticulture in this area, and now the winery was taken over by Austrian winemakers.

• DAY 7&8 – IASI

  Cetatea Balta – Iasi. Accommodation will be provided for two nights in Iasi at Grand Hotel Traian or similar and then the tourists will visit Cotnari Cellar. Cotnari wine cellar is situated at the same latitude with Tokay Cellar from Hungary and Souterne Cellar form France. It was firstly mentioned in documents in 1250, although the viticulture dates from pre-Christian period. The specific of Cotnari Cellar is the cultivation of the exclusive Romanian varieties (Francusa, Tamaioasa Romaneasca, Grasa de Cotnari, Feteasca Alba) on an area of 1400 ha. In the seventeenth century the wines produced in Cotnari wines were highly appreciated by the noble families from Paris, Vienna and Warsaw.

• DAY 9 – FOCSANI

  Iasi – Focsani. Accomodation will be provided at Sara Pension or similar. Visit at Girboiu and Father and Son Cellars, located in the largest Romanian viticultural area. Girboiu cellar holds an acreage of 200 ha and is a family business that began in 2005 in an area with tradition in viticulture. Father and Son Winery is located in the Sub-Carpathian area, with an acreage of 150 ha, where there are grown both Romanian and international varieties (Feteasca, Black Babeasca Tamaioasa Romaneasca) (Merlot, Canernet Sauvignon, Riesling).

• DAY 10 – CONSTANTA

  Focsani – Constanta. Accommodation will be provided in Constanta at Carol Hotel or similar, a city located on the Black Sea shore, founded by Greek colonists under the name of Tomis. The Murfatlar and Alira Wine Cellar will be visited. Alira winery is situated in the Dobrogea Plateau, an area with old traditions in viticulture, mild climate and limestone substrate prompting the Dacians to plant vines 2000 years ago. The name Alira comes from two villages, Aliman and Rasova, the perimeter of the vine plantations. Alira wines are created with Romanian tradition, combined with French passion. Murfatlar Cellar, one of the most famous Romanian wine cellars, has an area of 3000 hectares cultivated with vineyards of different varieties – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. The story of this winery goes back in time with over 2000 years of culture of vine in Dobrogea, a land located between The Danube River and The Black Sea.

• DAY 11&12 – URLATI

  Constanta – Urlati. There will be a two nights accommodation at ”Conacul dintre vii” or similar (The Mansion between the Wineries). The will be a tour visit at Budureasca, La Certa, Aurelia Visinescu and Rotenberg cellars which are located in the vineyards of Wallachia. Cellar Budureasca is found in an area with a long history of vine culture. Due to its reputation, it was even mentioned by Homer, who said, “The Greeks went to Thracia to find wine.” The vineyard covers a surface of 275 ha and the warieties obtained such as Merlot, Cabernet, Feteasca Black, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, are appreciated highly by collectors and those and wine lovers alike. Budureasca was built in 2005 and is one of the most modern winery in Romania, with a storage capacity of 2.5 million l of wine. Aurelia Visinescu Cellar, founded in 2003, in Dealul Mare area, has an acreage of 82 ha, with indigenous varieties, such as: Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Neagra,  Tamaioasa Romaneasca, and alos with the international Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot and Syrah. Oenologist and co-owner, Mrs. Aurelia Visinescu aims to bring on the market limited series of wines having a comparable stadard with the ones produced Tuscany and France. Cellar Rotenberg has an acreage of only 23 ha that benefits of similar physical and geographical conditions to those of Bordeaux and Saint Emillion. Grape harvest is done manually and the wine making process focuses merely on quality rather than quantity. The wine is aged in evergreen oak barrique and the filtration is not mechanical. Sometimes, if necessary, it can be done using egg albumin.

• DAY 13&14 – BUCHAREST

  Day 13: Urlati – Bucharest. Accommodation will be provided in Bucharest at Grand Hotel Continental or similar. There will a day tour of palaces and mansions around the city, ending with dinner and wine tasting at the Mansion Manasia.
  Day 14: Bucharest – Henri Coanda Airport Shuttle.

Included services

• Meals – 13 breakfasts, 2 dinners
• Transport – Minibus 16+1 places, classified 3*, climate, sound system, cargo bay storage
• Accommodation – 13 night in hotels & pensions (4* or daisies – local system classification in rural tourism)
• Included activities:
  • visiting and wine tasting in the 15 Romanian wineries
  • guided walking tour: Bucharest, Iasi, Timisoara
  • one day tour – mansions and palaces around Bucharest
  • professional English guide during the whole tour

Departures