Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The country's wineries turn out both reds
(
negru
and
roşu
) and whites (
alb
). There are
five traditional wine-making regions: Târnave
plateau (outside Alba Iulia; whites), Cotnari
(outside Iaşi in Moldavia; whites), Murfatlar
(near the Black Sea coast, whites and reds),
Dealu Mare (south of the Carpathians; reds)
and Odobeşti (in southern Moldavia; whites
and reds).
For day-to-day tippling, though, Romanians are beer drink-
ers at heart, with quality ranging from passable to pretty good.
Most breweries are owned by international brewers and it's
sometimes easier to find a Tuborg or a Heineken in a pub than
a Romanian label. That said, some of the better Romanian
brands to look for include Ciuc, Ursus, Silva and Timişoara's
local favourite, Timişoreana. All are broadly similar pilsner-
style pale lagers, but each has its passionate defenders. Ursus
and Silva both produce highly regarded darks.
In Bucharest, be sure to stop at the Caru' cu Bere (
Click
food uncommonly well, it brews its own beer - and it's very
good.
Outside of the main winemaking regions,
Drăgăşani in Wallachia is home to one of the coun-
try's most promising new wineries, Casa Isărescu,
owned by the governor of the national bank. Also
new and highly regarded is the Nachbil winery in
the northwest near Satu Mare.
Wines to
Watch
»Cotnari's Fetească neagră
(slightly sweet red)
»Grasă de Cotnari (a sweet
white)
»Fetească Regală (sparkling
wine)
»Murfatlar (quality reds)
