The Wine Road in Prahova

Today's destination, in the south of Romania, is aimed at people who enjoy a good wine and new experiences

Daniel Onea, 13.10.2022, 14:31

We spoke to Silvia Palasca, head of communication with the Dealu Mare Association, gathering together wine makers from a major wine region of Romania. She spoke to us about the wine cellars in the county of Prahova. We will be finding out about the local varieties, how a visit to a wine cellar occurs, and what the calendar of events for tourists is. They have an opportunity to be initiated into the art and technique of tasting wines, and to listen to the stories of the wines. At the end of the visit, the guests can stop over at the presentation store, where they can get souvenir bottles. Here is Silvia Palasca:

“Wine tourism, after mountain tourism, is one of the key points in tourism in Prahova Country, but also in Buzau County, because the Dealu Mare wine region stretches over those two counties. Unfortunately, the wine cellars here are less known as tourist destinations, both for locals, and for foreigners, but we have been changing that for a while now. We recommend that people come here by booking with a tourist agency, or through the events that our Dealu Mare Association organize monthly. We organize the Open Bottle Week, which anyone can attend, but they have to arrange their own transportation. You can also attend every year the Escape to Dealu Mare event, which this year is between October 22 and 23. We offer transportation from Bucharest, by bus, so that people can enjoy the wine experience without thinking of driving.”

Silvia Palasca also told us about what a visit to the cellars consists of:

“At every cellar, we usually start with a presentation that includes a history of the cellar or vineyard, the history of the place, we visit the production and storage spaces, where the vats are, after which we go to the tasting places. Each vineyard usually offers four or five kinds of wine produced right there. For the tasting we also have limited edition or special wines, so that people can get to know more than they can usually get in stores or restaurants. The Dealu Mare wine area is famous for red wines. We can find many wines from the famous lines of Feteasca Neagra, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot, but recently we had a lot of success with the white varieties, such as the Chardonnay Baricat, Feteasca Alba, or Tamaioasa Romaneasca, ifyou prefer a more high flavor wine.”

Many tourists prefer a more diversified experience, which means combining wine tourism with other kinds of tourism. We were told about it by head of communications for the Dealu Mare Association, Silvia Palasca:

“In Dealu Mare you have quite a few options for accommodation. Not necessarily agro-tourism B&Bs, but rather more elegant ones, boutique style. However, tourists who want the agro-tourism experience may also visit local producers of honey or cheeses. Tours can be organized for people to get to know local traditions, which are still kept alive by a few small producers. For instance, we have partnerships with producers of cheeses, of lavender, of honey, and we also have a horse riding center. Also, Dealu Mare is very popular with bicycle tourists. We have partnerships with several providers of such services. Cyclists can go on tour by bicycle, being better able to know the vineyards, and to have the nature experience.”

Usually, vineyards are the star destinations for autumn. What happens, however, if were unable to visit in autumn, but have the winter open? Silvia Palasca told us about visiting the wine cellars in winter:

“We also hold the Open Bottle Saturday event in winter too. In winter we aim to create that warm atmosphere around the fireplace. Some cellars also offer other ways of spending free time, so that visits there can be had in any season. We can find solutions and things to do in each season, so that the cellars are open at all times of the year. This autumn the cellars were closed, because it was harvest time, and it was very busy, and most places didnt have time for tourists. However, with October we finish the harvest, and open for tourism. In the previous editions of the Escape to Dealu Mare event we had foreign tourists who had previously visited Napa Valley, or Tuscany. They said that here they had a similar experience, but were a bit disappointed by the infrastructure in the county. So we need more investments in local infrastructure, so that we can provide an international level experience. But in terms of the vineyards, the quality of the wine, and the quality of information, they were very pleased.”

Wine tourism is on the rise in Romania, says Silvia Palasca:

“At the first edition of the Escape to Dealu Mare event we had 300 people, and last year 500, but this year we will surely have more. Some vineyards have already made investments in accommodation, we can see all over the area new B&Bs and restaurants cropping up. This type of tourism is growing, and we can see much more interest from young people, who want more novel experiences. We have five circuits, with 15 vineyards, so that, even if you have been here before, you can surely find something new and interesting this year. If this time of the year is not available to travel, as we said, we are here year long, solutions are there to be found for visiting the cellars, getting to know wine experts in person, and meeting the people behind the wine, getting to know their stories, and getting to know us right here at our home.”

Over the last few years, wine makers have also paired up with local food producers, for a complete dining experience with traditional Romanian dishes.