Oltenia
Drăgășani
The vineyard of rare Romanian grapes.
Drăgășani is a town in Vâlcea County, in Oltenia, set on the right bank of the Olt River, in the heart of one of Romania's oldest and most respected wine regions. With a winemaking history documented since Antiquity, when the Romans cultivated the vine on these hills, Drăgășani is today a reference name for wines from native grape varieties.
The Drăgășani vineyard is renowned for rare local grapes such as Crâmpoșie Selecționată, Novac and Negru de Drăgășani, alongside the classic varieties. The region has undergone a true renaissance in recent decades, with modern, internationally awarded wineries that have put Romanian wines back on the world map. Winery visits, with tastings and tours of the vines on the gentle Olt hills, are the main attraction and turn Drăgășani into a wine-tourism destination.
The town also holds a historical dimension: here, in 1821, the Battle of Drăgășani took place, in which Tudor Vladimirescu and the Hetairists confronted the Ottomans. The atmosphere is that of a quiet Oltenian market town surrounded by vineyards. The rolling landscape, with rows of vines stretching to the horizon, has a special charm, especially in autumn.
Oltenian gastronomy — stews, cheeses, pork dishes — pairs perfectly with the local wines. Practically, Drăgășani is reachable by car and train from Râmnicu Vâlcea or Craiova. It is worth visiting for its wineries, its wines from native grapes, and a weekend of wine tourism in the heart of Oltenia.
What to see
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WineryCrama Iordache
Crama Iordache is a small family winery in the Drăgășani region, part of the new wave that brought Oltenia's native grapes back into focus. It works small quantities, with an emphasis on authenticity and the expression of place: Crâmpoșie Selecționată, Negru de Drăgășani, Novac and fresh whites, in honest wines with character. Without fuss and without loud marketing, the winery earned its regard through what's in the glass. On the hills of the Olt's right bank, in an area where every small winery has its own story, a visit here means a warm welcome, a relaxed tasting and direct contact with the people who make the wine. It's the kind of stop that appeals to those after the authentic, far from the crowded circuits.
ChurchBiserica Sfântul Nicolae Drăgășani
The Church of Saint Nicholas in Dragasani is a traditional Orthodox place of worship in the heart of the Oltenia wine country, a spiritual landmark for the local community across several generations. Built in the style typical of southern Romanian town churches, it combines a nave-based plan with towers rising above the porch and naos, while the interior preserves wall paintings and icons depicting biblical scenes and the faces of saints. The feast of Saint Nicholas, protector of the poor and of travellers, is marked each year with a service attended by the faithful of the area. Set in a town famous for its wines, the church makes a fitting stop for those exploring Dragasani and the surrounding vineyard hills. Visitors are asked to respect the quiet and the schedule of services when they enter.
WineryCrama Prince Ştirbey
Crama Prince Ştirbey is the most historic address at Drăgășani — the estate of the princely Știrbey family, which has made wine here for over a century and was the world's first bottler of Crâmpoșie Selecționată. Today, under the care of the Kripp-Costinescu family, the winery is a benchmark of authenticity: native grapes worked with respect — Crâmpoșie, Novac, Negru de Drăgășani, dry Tămâioasă — in wines without artifice that express terroir above fashion. The Genius Loci range gathers the estate's peaks. Visits include tours of the historic cellars and tastings in the manor, in an atmosphere blending old nobility with modern winemaking. It's the heartfelt stop for anyone who wants to taste the revival of Oltenian wine at its source.
WineryCrama Avincis
Avincis is the aristocratic estate of the Drăgășani revival, on the right bank of the Olt, carefully rebuilt around the historic Dobrușa manor. The Guramba family brought an old estate back to life and built a modern, elegant winery producing some of Oltenia's finest wines. Here the rare native grapes shine — Crâmpoșie Selecționată, the region's lively white, and the reds Negru de Drăgășani and Novac — alongside blends such as Cuvée Grandiflora. The estate is a destination in itself: award-winning architecture, tastings, views over the vines and the Olt, and events. For visitors it's the peak of the Drăgășani experience, a winery that ties the place's noble history to a modern wine with character and deeply Romanian roots.
LandmarkPodgoria Drăgășani
The Drăgășani wine region, spread across the hills on the right bank of the Olt in the south of Vâlcea County, is one of Romania's oldest and most respected viticultural areas. Vines have been cultivated here for more than two millennia, since the time of the Dacians and Roman colonists, and the tradition has been carried on without interruption across the centuries. Sandy soils and the sunny exposure of the slopes have favoured the development of valuable native varieties, such as the selected Crâmpoșie, alongside international grapes well adapted to the local terroir. Today the region brings together modern wineries and family estates producing aromatic white wines and reds of character, many of them awarded at specialist competitions. The rolling landscape, with rows of vines descending toward the meadow, offers walks and tastings in picturesque settings. For visitors drawn to wine tourism, Drăgășani is a rising destination where a millennia-old tradition intertwines with the ambition of a new generation of growers.
WineryCrama Ștefănești Drăgășani
Crama Ștefănești lies near Drăgășani, on the right bank of the Olt, in an area with a long winegrowing tradition tied to the research station here — a place where Oltenia's native grapes have been studied and preserved. It works **Crâmpoșie Selecționată**, Drăgășani's lively white, alongside the reds **Negru de Drăgășani** and **Novac** and classic varieties, in honest wines with local character. In a region living one of the finest revivals in Romanian wine, Ștefănești helps rediscover the potential of the terroir on the Olt's hills. The estate welcomes visitors for relaxed tastings in an authentic setting, far from the crowded circuits. A stop for anyone who wants to know Drăgășani beyond the big names.