Wallachia — Prahova & Buzău
Dealu Mare
Romania's great reds, an hour from Bucharest
On the sun-drenched slopes between Ploiești and Buzău — the same latitude as Bordeaux — lies Romania's most prestigious red-wine region. Dealu Mare — "the big hill" — catches sun all day on limestone-and-clay soils, and it shows in the glass: Fetească Neagră, the flagship native grape, alongside Cabernet and Merlot that take on a particular elegance here.
The historic cellars of Urlați, Ceptura, Tohani, Dealu Mare and Pietroasele welcome visitors for tastings, manor-house lunches and walks among the vines. It's the country's easiest wine escape: leave the capital in the morning and you're glass-in-hand among the vines in under two hours.
Pietroasele is also the home of the legendary Tămâioasă Românească, a perfumed sweet wine and an heir to the Dacian "treasure" unearthed on this very hill.
Signature grapes
Good to know
The closest to Bucharest — an ideal self-drive day trip.
Wineries to visit in Dealu Mare
WineryCrama Ceptura
At Ceptura, in the heart of the Dealu Mare region, the winery bears the name of the village that became synonymous with good wine in Wallachia. On the sunny hills here, with clay-and-limestone soils at the same latitude as Bordeaux, it works both native grapes — Fetească Neagră, Fetească Albă, Tămâioasă — and international ones, in balanced, accessible wines. Ceptura is one of the most frequent stops on Prahova's "Wine Road", less than two hours from Bucharest: tastings, walks among the vines and often accommodation and dining on site. It's a comfortable, pleasant choice for a weekend escape in the country's most popular red-wine region, and a good one for a first-ever winery visit.
WineryLacertA Winery
LacertA is the boutique winery on the hilltop at Fântânele, in Dealu Mare, where the name (lacerta, the lizard) comes from the creatures that bask among the vines — a sign of a clean, carefully worked vineyard. The Fabian family estate bets on small quantities and attention to detail: Cuvée X, its signature blend, alongside single varietals of Fetească Neagră, Cabernet and aromatic whites. The view from the tasting terrace, with the vines rolling down toward the plain, is among the finest in the region. Visits include a cellar tour, a guided tasting and often lunch with local produce. It's the choice for anyone after an intimate experience, far from the factory-wineries, less than two hours from Bucharest.
WineryLicorna WineHouse
Licorna WineHouse is a young, ambitious winery in Urlați, in Dealu Mare, that quickly caught critics' attention with characterful wines and knowing labels. The range starts from everyday wines and climbs to serious selections of Fetească Neagră, Merlot and fresh whites, cleanly made, with fruit and balance. The estate is modern and built for wine tourism too: tastings in a room overlooking the vines, cellar tours and seasonal events. Its location on the Dealu Mare wine trail makes it easy to combine with neighbours SERVE, LacertA or Basilescu in a single day of tasting. It's a good stop for anyone after honest, friendly wines and a warm welcome, close to Ploiești and the capital.
WineryVitis Metamorfosis
Vitis Metamorfosis is the winery born from the meeting of Dealu Mare and one of the world's great winemaking families — the **Antinori** Marquesses of Tuscany, with over six centuries of wine history. From this Romanian-Italian partnership, on the hills of Ceptura, come wines of great finesse that blend the native Fetească Neagră with Tuscan know-how, in ranges such as Cantus Primus and Via Marchizului. The result is an elegant, mature style, with fine tannin and serious ageing potential. The estate welcomes visitors for tastings and tours among the vines, in a setting that breathes refinement. It's one of the most interesting addresses in Dealu Mare for anyone who wants to taste what happens when Romanian tradition meets the Italian school of wine.
WineryDomeniile Săhăteni
Domeniile Săhăteni is the home of **Aurelia Vișinescu**, one of Romania's most respected and awarded winemakers — a woman who built her own estate in Dealu Mare, at Săhăteni, and took it to the top of Romanian wine. Her wines have character and refinement, from Fetească Neagră to memorable blends, in ranges that have become benchmarks: **Anima**, **Nomad**, **Karakter** and Artera. Every bottle carries the mark of a clear vision and a sure hand. The estate, in the heart of the Dealu Mare region toward Buzău, welcomes visitors for tastings and tours among the vines. It's a landmark stop for anyone who wants to taste author wines and learn the story of a pioneer who changed the face of Romanian wine.
WineryCrama Budureasca
Crama Budureasca sits on one of the country's oldest winegrowing sites — the Valley of the Fairies in Dealu Mare, where wine was made as far back as Roman times, as the remains found on the estate show. Today it's a modern, high-capacity winery with state-of-the-art technology but deep roots: the Origini, Premium and Noble ranges manage to be both fairly priced and consistently awarded at international competitions. It works both native grapes — Fetească Neagră, Fetească Albă, Tămâioasă — and international varieties, from Cabernet to Chardonnay. The estate is set up for visitors, with tastings and cellar tours, and its location just over an hour from Bucharest makes it one of the easiest wine escapes in Wallachia.
WineryCrama Pietroasa
At Pietroasele, on the sunniest slope of the Dealu Mare region toward Buzău, wine has a history stretching back thousands of years — this is where the famous Dacian-Roman treasure known as the Golden Brood Hen was found, and the local viticultural station is one of the oldest in the country. Crama Pietroasa is the home of the legendary Tămâioasă Românească, a perfumed sweet wine with notes of honey, flowers and candied fruit, alongside Grasă and Dealu Mare reds. The limestone terroir and warm microclimate give concentrated, intensely aromatic wines. The estate welcomes visitors for tastings and tours among the historic vines at the foot of the Buzău hills. It's a weighty stop for anyone who wants to tie the wine to the story — and the treasure — of the place.
WineryDomeniile Tohani
Domeniile Tohani is among the oldest documented wineries in Romania, with a winegrowing tradition at Tohani, in Dealu Mare, attested for centuries. Today it's a sprawling estate that blends old cellars with modern winemaking and covers a broad range, from accessible wines to premium selections such as Princiar, with Fetească Neagră, Cabernet and regional whites. The place is designed as a destination in its own right: winery, tasting spaces, accommodation and a restaurant, set among the Dealu Mare vines. It's perfect for a wine-tourism weekend or a tasting on the road between Ploiești and Buzău. For visitors it's one of the most complete experiences in the region, with history, views and a table all in one.
WineryCrama Rotenberg
Rotenberg is a boutique winery in Dealu Mare, almost obsessively devoted to top-class red wines. On iron-rich soils — hence the name, "the red mountain" — it works Merlot, Cabernet and Fetească Neagră in small quantities, with patience and attention to every detail, for dense, velvety, long-lived wines. Ranges such as Menuet and Nabucco earned the winery a solid reputation among lovers of serious red. It's an address for connoisseurs, after structure and elegance rather than volume. The estate welcomes visitors by appointment for tastings where you can follow how a single grape takes on different shades from year to year. A stop for those who take red wine seriously, in the heart of the country's finest red-wine region.
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