Visit and tasting at Domeniul Aristite (Dealu Mare, Romania)

My coverage of the wineries visited during our #winelovers 14th Anniversary Celebration in Dealu Mare will not follow any specific order. That being said, I relate our visit to Domeniul Aristite (English translation Aristite's Domain) in this post.

We arrived at the estate a little after 10:00 am and were introduced to our host for the visit, the winemaker Tudor Cristian. We met Tudor in the courtyard and he immediately launched into the story of the estate.

Tudor flanked by Karin and Iulian

The estate is located in Valea Cǎlugǎreascǎ in Nicovam Village (Later on in our conversation Tudor talked about Valea Nicovani having been a part of the town since the 15th century and having a grape growing and winemaking tradition that stretches even further back.).

The estate had historically belonged to the Bijou family but was expropriated by the authorities in 1947. It was returned to the family heirs in 1989 and they, in turn, sold it to Bianca Ionitǎ who named her purchase in honor of her mother Adina Aristita Ionitǎ.

The current estate is comprised of 4 ha of vineyards -- planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, Feteǎsca Neagrǎ, and Cabernet Sauvignon -- and a boutique winery with production capacity of 100,000 liters.

Our next stop was at the receiving area. Grapes are hand-selected and destemmed here prior to transit into the cellar for traditional red and white wine fermentation.

After a tour of the cellar, we repaired to the tasting/dining room for snacks and tasting of three wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, and Feteǎsca Neagrǎ.

The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc was yellow-green in color and showed sweet white fruit, lime, a sage-lychee-gewurtz note, and minerality on the nose. High acidity along with lime, salinity, a bitter character and clayey minerality on the palate. Peppery, mineral finish. These notes are not characteristic of a cold-weather Sauvignon Blanc.

The 2024 Rosé is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with approximately 2 hours of skin contact. Sweet red fruit on the nose along with a creaminess, mint and spice. I felt that it was too sweet on the attack for a high-quality Rosé. Mineral with a drying sensation at the end.

The 2023 Feteǎsca Neagrǎ soent 14 months in Romanian oak barrels. Black licorice, smoke, and tomato on the nose. High-toned. Juicy black fruit, plums, red pepper, and minerality on the palate. Great acidity.

#Winelovers with Tudor

This visit started slowly but increased in intensity over time as the winemaker became more comfortable in his shoes. I especially like the Feteǎsca Neagrǎ, a variety which blipped on my radar at the Wine With Me tasting. 

#MagicalDealuMare26

#WineloverAnniversary14

wineloverromania2026

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

GastroLab (Bucharest, Romania): Off the Beaten Path, with Zoltan Szabo

After a memorable day of food and wine experiences, I was fully convinced that "Off the Beaten Path" (with Zoltan) was the way to go in Bucharest. But now it was Day 2 and my schedule would only allow lunch before I had to turn to my real reason for being in Bucharest: the #Winelovers' 14th Anniversary Celebration.

I met Zoltan and Daniel in the lobby and we were all kind of subdued, a combination, I think, of the effects of the prior day's excess and the sense that a good thing was coming to an end. Once in the car, Daniel sliced through the traffic effortlessly and we were soon looking for parking in the shadow of what he identified as a Romanian government building. We got out of the car and walked onto a plaza into an open courtyard which adjoined a glass-plated interior. The sign in the ceiling identified the establishment as GastroLab.

Zoltan is a high-energy guy but, as we stepped through those doors, his energy went to another level. He seemed to know everyone and there was a lot of hugging and backslapping. He took me on tours of various nooks and crannies and, as we toured through the cellars, it was revealed that he had a history with the place.

There are two instances of GastroLab: One at the Balvanyos Resort in Székely Land and the other in Bucharest at Aviatorilor Boulevard No. 8. The Owner and Wine Curator of the establishment is Lóránd Szarvadi, a childhood friend of Zoltan's. When Zoltan came back to Romania, he worked at the original GastroLab at Balvanyos Resort helping out his "old" friend. When Lóránd decided to open a branch of the restaurant in Bucharest, Zoltan commuted between Székely Land and Bucharest to help set up the wine program at the latter. The Bucharest GastroLab was launched in 2018 and Zoltan stayed on for 5 years during which time the restaurant gained the Wine Spectator's 2 Glass designation.

What exactly is GastroLab and what is its philosophy? The tag line on the company's logo refers to a Wine and Food experience. Beginning with the food aspect, Chef Costel Horga:

We made this menu using old recipes from Moldova, Transylvania and the Szeklerland. We tried to bring a little bit of cuisine from these lands ... where mangalita pork, ... hold the supremacy of authentic taste. Since modern cuisine has no borders, we did not shy away from proposing classic ingredients from all over the world ... We present all these dishes to you, in a way that befits an urban and innovative restaurant.

In re the wine experience, Lóránd describes the program as containing "carefully selected wines that perfectly match our menus, enhancing your culinary experience ... if the wine is correctly paired with the dish, the two will be much tastier than tasted individually. The GastroLab team's dedication is to guide you towards a gastronomic experience by transposing aromas and sensory textures."

After I had fully digested the sights, sounds, and stories of the place, we took our seats. Zoltan was positively glowing and took on the task of ordering our initial drinks.He ordered Csikisor, a Székley Land IPA-style beer and a Székley Land plum brandy Pǎlincǎ.

Then my two companions began a discussion as to what we should eat. They settled on a starter which included "a variety of Transylvanian salamis (including deer and Carpathian Brown Bear); Eggplant; Eggs; amazing butters, lard, and cracklings; fried Mangalica pig's brain; and home-made bread."

Pic courtesy Zoltan

Zoltan's picture showed that we had the 2024 Davino Blanc as our wine with the meal. I am unable to find a description of this wine on the Davino website. They do have a white called Ceptura Blanc, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Feteasca Alba, and Riesling Italico, but it is not clear that this is the same wine.

This starter was quickly followed by Eggplant, grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes, and mountain trout filets.

The team

Another phenomenal experience. My first time tasting Carpathian Bear. It was brawny. My first time tasting Pig's brain; I held onto the table. Wonderful atmosphere. Wonderful service. Wonderful company. And the food and wine paired admirably.

Well, the time had come to say goodbye to Zoltan and Daniel. And it was difficult. These guys had become like brothers over the past two days: Daniel, the sane, level-headed one; Zoltan ... well who knows. I kid. He is a lot of fun. Thank you guys. Until we meet again.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Off the Beaten Path with Zoltan Szabo in Bucharest (Romania): Soro Lume

The day had already been a rip-roaring success having to its credit the monumental tasting of Romanian wines at Wine With Me, followed by a similarly spectacular traditional Romanian lunch at the historical Restaurant Casa Doina. Now, after a period of rest, we reconvened in the hotel lobby to venture off on the next steps Off the Beaten Path with Zoltan Szabo. Our original team remained intact.

The Team: Daniel Topan, Zoltan Szabo,
and Author
(Picture taken at a subsequent date)

After a fair amount of driving -- and an equal amount of chatter -- we arrived at our destination: Soro Lume. Wanderhog.com describes this locale as "a charming restaurant ... housed in a beautiful neoromanian-style old building ... Owned by Chef Mihai Toader and Melinda Teohari, the restaurant aims to serve delicious open-flame cooked food that changes with the seasons."

On arriving, we walked through a narrow gate into a leafy, open courtyard which terminated at a bar beyond which was an open flame. Zoltan engaged in a meaty hug with someone whom I eventually came to realize was the Chef/Owner Milhai.

After the greetings and salutations in the courtyard, we were led upstairs into a more serene, less light-intense environment. This was the "neoromanian-style old house" of which wanderhog.com had spoken. We were seated in a cozy corner where we could fully soak up the ambience of the environment while still being fully accessible by the wait staff.

Our Sommelier, who, it turned out, would be our guide for the entire evening, asked about drinks to start. After a lengthy discussion -- nothing is easy with these two guys -- we settled on a Pǎlincǎ and beer to start. Of course I had to receive a full education on the drink prior to even picking up the glass to taste the concoction. According to information provided by Daniel,

Pǎlincǎ is Romania's traditional fruit brandy -- strong, authentic and deeply connected to village hospitality. In Translyvania and Maramures, it is offered to guests as a welcome drink ... made from plums, pears or apples and usually enjoyed before a traditional meal."

Zoltan, Author, and Daniel

Pǎlincǎ and beer

The Somm described our upcoming experience as a nine-course tasting menu of Romanian dishes using ingredients from various Romanian territories. "With every dish you will feel the smoky flavor because they are cooked over fire in the outside kitchen." The dishes would include an amuse bouche plus four appetizers, three main courses, and two desserts and would be accompanied by paired wines if we so desired. We also had the option of buying our drinks separately. After some consideration we opted for the paired wine selections.

The courses were deployed as follows.

Amuse Bouche

Amuse Bouche: Canned cabbage roll
surrounding a cauliflower purée, pickled
green peppers, and Romanian goat cheese.
The white crown is pickled cold Rabé.

Cold Spinach Borsch

The wine that was paired with the Amuse bouche was a PetNat from Crama Ferdi. The wine is called Chef's Choice because of the involvement of Chef Milhai and a Chef from another establishment. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and then aged in oak barrels. After 1.5 months in barrel, hops are added, giving the wine an elderflower aroma.

Wine Pairing for the Amuse Bouche:
Crama Ferdi Sauvage H. Chefs Choice

Appetizers

Appetizer #1: Nettle Stew -- cooked
on a fire and served with a cream
that included macerated cheese and an
emulsion made from wild berries,
radishes, and spring herbs.
Accompanied by bread made at
the restaurant

Wine #2: Prince Stirbey Tǎmǎroasǎ
Romǎneascǎ 2023

The second wine -- Prince Stirbey Tǎmǎroasǎ Romǎneascǎ 2023 -- was paired with the Nettle Stew. According to the Somm, the winery had a lengthy history in the Dragasani region, a history which was disrupted by the requirements of the managed economy. It was reconstituted in its current form in 2001 when a member of the former owning family returned to Romania and restarted a Quality Wine operation. 

The wine, according to the Somm, has a floral smell and aromatic notes, qualities which would stand it in good stead when paired with the dish. Zoltan agreed, insisting that the dish was very smoky and so needed the aromatics to complement. Zoltan was very impressed with the pairing both in terms of the strategy and the results.

Appetizer #2: Polenta boiled in cheese
leftovers then burnt and topped with a
mushroom ketchup. On the side, smoked
sour cream topped with mushroom powder
and sauteed mushrooms

Wine #3: Nachbil Rhine
Riesling

Appetizer #3: Catch of the Season --
Corvina Filet cooked on the fire.
Served on a green sauce and with a leafy
topping which adds acidity to the dish

This was a powerful fish which overwhelmed the palate and the wine. It probably could have spent a little more time under heat. Not my favorite of the dishes tasted that evening.

Appetizer #4: New Cabbage
-- Cabbage cooked on the grill
and topped with a Spring Herb
Sauce. The sauce includes green
onions, green garlic, wild garlic,
spinach, sunflower seeds, and a
reduction made of borsch. Some
spring herbs added.

The New Cabbage dish is 100% vegan and its heightened acidity vis a vis the preceding dishes is intended to serve as a separator between those dishes and the meat dishes to follow. There is no specific wine paired with this dish so we used the Rhine Riesling from the preceding dish. Zoltan thought this was the best pairing that he had had since returning to Romania seven years ago.

Main Courses

Main Course #1: Sheep Loin cooked
on a fire and glazed with a concoction
containing eggplant, eggplant mousse,
chocolate and tomato sauce, and
pickled onions

The dish was paired with a Dagon First Barrel Bǎbeasca Neagrǎ 2025. this wine is similar in body to a Pinot Noir but does not possess the latter's flavor or agability. This wine characteristically shows sour red fruits and is best drunk young. Zoltan mentioned that this light-bodied red would have probably gone well with the previous fish course; the Somm agreed but said he would tell us later why he chose not to go that route.

Wine #4: Dagon First Barrel
Bǎbeasca Neagrǎ, 2025

The second main course is called Fannah and is comprised of beef tongue fried on wood fire served on top of a leek sauce that is made with spring herbs and a demi-glace that is made from olives. This is accompanied by a Grilled Cucumber Salad.

Main Course #2: Fanah -- Beef Tongue
with leeks and olives

Grilled Cucumber Salad

The pairing for the dish was 2020 Syrah reserve from Nachbil, the producer of the Rhine Riesling drunk earlier. According to the Somm, this is the oldest Syrah vine in the country. The wine was aged in 50% first-passage and 50% second-passage oak.

Wine #5: Nachbil Syrah 2022

At about this time, Chef Mihai Toader stopped by to see how things were going and got into a discussion with Daniel about the restaurant cooking process.The upshot was that a dish could be subjected to one or more cooking processes -- charcoal, open fire, smoker, and wood oven -- but, in all cases, beechwood was the fuel source.

Chef Mihai Toader

Main #3: Pork with Cabbage --
Slow-cooked Pork with a Mushroom
Glaze and a wild-garlic emulsion.
Accompanied by a Cabbage Roll with
innards to include Cabbage Pureé and
Pickled Cabbage and with green
(mushroom) and white toppings

This dish was paired with the Davino Rouge 2020. This wine is an equal-parts blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Feteascǎ Neagrǎ. Each variety is fermented and aged separately in 50% first-pass and 50% second-pass oak barriques.

Davino Rouge 2020

***********************************************************************************************************

The evening clicked on all cylinders.

Somm, Zoltan, Mihai, Author, and
Daniel at the conclusion of a superb
dinner

First, the locale. The restaurant sits outside the hustle and bustle of the downtown area, a calming effect in its own right. Within the restaurant, a number of seating choices open up to the customer: courtyard seating; the bar fronting the cooking area; or the serenity of upstairs dining.

The staff is courteous and well-attired, with a wealth of training visible in their every action.

Zoltan still cannot stop raving about our Somm. And I am in agreement with him. The young man presented well on a persona level but, beyond that, his knowledge of the dishes and the wine, and how they worked together, was fulsome. His delivery was impeccable. His choice of pairings was perfection, except for the one case that he promised to explain later (he forgot to do same). Zoltan had raised the issue of whether the Dagon Bǎbeasca Neagrǎ would have been a better pairing for the Corvina. That fish had been so strong that we set it aside. 

Outside of the fish, all of the dishes were outstanding. And these were not simple dishes. It was wonderful to see how the Chef weaved these multi-ingredient dishes together, ending up with tasteful, smoke-etched masterpieces. I loved the way he used the vegan dish as the dividing line in the dinner: white-wine-sympathetic dishes before, red-wine dishes after.

The courses were hearty and I can't remember us getting to the desserts. 

Awesome evening that put the Beaten Path to shame.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

A tasting of selected Dealu Mare (Muntenia, Romania) Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines

I began the discussion of the Dealu Mare Feteascǎ Neagrǎ (FN) Masterclass by describing both the region and the variety. I will now turn to the wines and the tasting.

The tasting was organized by the Winelovers Romania team for the mutual benefit of participants in the #winelovers 14th Anniversary Celebration and willing Dealu Mare producers who would not, due to timing issues, be visited by the celebrants. The intent was to showcase these producers' instances of the region's most famous native variety.

The Wines

A total of eight Feteascǎ Neagrǎ wines were included in the tasting. In order:

• Crama de Pietra Poama Feti Negri 2023
• Crama Ferdi Lady Black Limited Edition 2024
• Villa Metamorfosis Cantvs Primvs 2023
• Lacerta Feteascǎ Neagrǎ Limited Edition 2020
• Crama De Matei Patima Feteascǎ Neagrǎ Single Vineyard 2021
• Davino Purpura Valahica 2021
• Lartist de Gabi Lacureanu 2020
• Crama SERVE Cuvée Guy de Poix 2012.

Seven of the eight wines fit the bill of "producers not visited." We had visited Crama di Pietra earlier in the day but had not had the opportunity to taste the Poama Feti Negri. Some botles were secured and included in this tasting.

The below map shows the approximate location in the Dealu Mare region where the grapes were grown and the wines made. The map also provides information on the producers and the wines. 

At this time I would like to revisit an observation I have made previously. The information showed on the map above was gleaned from winery websites but Romanian winery websites are, for the majority that I have seen, not up to international standards when it comes to information curation and dissemination. The information that I have encountered is, in most cases, poor in quantity and quality. In my opinion, a winery website should provide information on the estate's physical and built environments, viticultural and vinicultural practices, and, if possible, plot maps by variety. Romanian winery websites tend to be rich in language and poor in wine substance.

The Tasting

The tasting was led by Liviu Gheorge --- WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits and Level 2 in Beer -- and Iulian Grigorescu. These gentlemen detailed how the tasting would proceed, introduced the wines, and poured the wines for the tasting team.

Iulian Grigorescu and Liviu Gheorge

Tasting Group

Ana Crudu and Luiz Alberto

The first wine tasted was the Crama de Pietra Poama Feti Negri 2023. Crama di Pietra is an 8-year-old boutique winery with 20- to 45-year-old vines in its portfolio. This wine spent 14 months on Romanian oak.

On the nose, sweet black fruit, blue fruit, sage, lychee character, and baking spices. Perfumed. On the palate, bright acidity, richness, spice, creaminess, mineral. Persistence.

The Crama Ferdi Lady Black Ltd Ed 2024 is the product of a limited-intervention winemaking environment and spent 14 months in oak. Complex nose to include sweet sage aromas, fudge, and coal tar. Leaner on the palate than the previous wine. Sour cherry, grippy tannins, bitter note, and a long, black-fruit finish.

Villa Metamorfosis is a part of the Antinori Group and draws on 9.5 ha of organically farmed Feteascǎ Neagrǎ vines for its FN wines. The nose on the Cantvs Primvs 2023 was affected by the wine being poured into a glass which had just hosted a corked wine. Sour cherry on the palate and not as rich as the preceding wines. Deep, dense black fruit, tar, minerality and persistence accompanying smooth, silky tannins.

The Lacerta FN spends 12 months in French, American, and Romanian oak barrels. The 2020 FN was rich on the nose and complex. Rich on the palate with muted acidity. Tomato character and bitterness. Persistence. 

The Crama De Matei Patima FN Single Vineyard 2021 is sourced from a single vineyard of 40-year-old vines. Saline, acetone, and dried bark on the nose. Sweet, medicinal, and liturgical on the palate. Not my favorite of the wines tasted so far.

I had previously tasted a Davino FN blend (Flamboyant) and was singularly impressed by the quality of the material presented on the website and the quality of the wine. The Purpura Vahilica 2021 was more of the same. This 100% FN wine was vinified in small stainless steel tanks and aged in second-passage Romanian oak barriques for 9 months and bottle for an additional 12 months.

Complex, sweet-fruit nose. Power on the palate with dark fruit and pepper. Persistent with a long finish. Elegant wine.

The Lartist 2020 is sourced from 35-year-old vines, according to the literature, but while I found the name of the winemaker, I could not find an associated estate. This leads me to think that the wine is produced by a negociant. 

Tar, rubber, sweet, fresh blue fruit, and a lille bit of VA on the nose. VA on the palate also. Sour cherry character, akin to Messorio's Paleo. Short finish.

The final wine tasted was a magnum of 2020 Crama SERVE Cuvée Guy de Poix. This wine was donated to the tasting by Liviu who had himself received it as a present  from the wife of the founder on him securing his WSET Diploma accreditation.

The wine is named after one of the founders of the winery and has been aged in barrel for between 3 and 18 months and in bottle for 5 years.

Truffles on the nose along with hints of oxidation and VA. Coal and baking spices on the palate. Somewhat porty.

The lineup

The Masterclass was revealing, from my perspective, in that it surfaced three separate styles of this variety in the marketplace: A thick, rich style that brings to mind Opus 1 (not unpleasant, by any stretch of the imagination); a leaner, more food-friendly style; and a style which, to me, is reminiscent of the Messorio Paleo Cabernet Franc (a Tuscan wine). With a few exceptions, the wines showed beautifully. This is a variety that has the potential to be a major player on the world stage.

At the conclusion of the Masterclass Karin showed a video of tributes from fellow #winelovers to the late Razvan Stonescu, organizer and host of this particular trip. At the conclusion of the video, Karin presented an Award of Appreciation to Razvan.

*Note: Pictures without captions were sourced from a community Whats App chat.

#MagicalDealuMare26

#WineloverAnniversary14

wineloverromania2026

©Wine -- Mise en abyme