Wine & Brews

Sips & Tips – We Start with a Little Known White Wine from Romania

One needs four senses to appreciate good wine. First, look at the color. That gives anticipation to smell it, getting the tang of the oak barrel in which it matured. Then comes the sip. I roll it in my mouth and then I wish I had a longer neck to confirm what my nose and eyes have already said. This is not a quick sensation. Drinking wine in such a way gives it future. Finally, one needs a heart. Wine is not just something we consume. We must love and understand it. It is a marriage in a glass and a strong feeling in the heart. I want to sip it again and again.”

Alaine Guerre, Chateau Montbousquet, St. Emilion

TeamWine began with a little-known white wine from Dealu Mare, Romania. Dealu Mare is a small village between Bucharest and Brasov in central Romania, on the south slope of the Carpathian Mountains. Winemaking in Romania has a rich tradition in vinification, dating since the time of the Dacians (700 B.C.) or even their ancestors, the ancient Thracians (1000 B.C.). It is recorded in history that, acting on the advice of his priest, Burebista, a famous Dacian king, decided to burn the country’s vines. The reason behind this seemingly careless act was not to prevent his people from consuming wine, but to diminish the invaders desire to raid his country. They were known for excellent wines and by burning the vines, he protected his people from enemy invasions.

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