Our History

In the heart of Dealu Mare region, in an area with sunny rolling hills, we find Budureasca vineyards - an ancient place with deep roots in the history of vine cultivation. The archaeological evidence found nearby suggests that this place has a rich tradition in vinification, dating since the time of the Dacians or even their ancestors, the ancient Thracians. It is not a coincidence that the language that Romanians speak today still holds quite a few Dacian terms of great significance in the field of vines cultivation. Words such as barrel, barley or grape show once again that the Dacian heritage in the creation of wines has been and continues to be of paramount importance.

It is well known in Romanian history that, acting on the advice of his great priest, Deceneus, Burebista, a famous Dacian king, decided to burn the vines. Less known are the reasons behind his decision. It was not only to reduce the consumption of wine among the Dacians but more to diminish the invaders' interest in his territories (known for the excellent wines found there) and thus to protect his people from enemy invasions.

Historians speak in their writings about the high-quality wines found in the region. For example, the great Homer himself mentioned in his texts that the Greek Warriors entered Thrace to find wine. Currently, Budureasca wines are known and appreciated in Romania and all over the world for their unique characteristics, uniting the historical legacy of the terroir with the modern technologies adapted to the New World of winemaking.

Vineyard

Budureasca vineyards are part of the famous Dealu Mare region (located in the Southern Subcarpathians) and spread over an area of approximately 275 hectares - of which 250 hectares were replanted, while the old vines were kept on 25 hectares.

The area includes numerous hills and valleys, from the Teleajen River in the west to the Buzau River in the east. The hilly massif, with its southern position, is an ideal place for vine cultivation. The altitude of Budureasca vineyards ranges from 175m to 400m. The conditions favor in particular the production of black grapes, but white grapes also enjoy extremely favorable conditions, resulting in very aromatic and fruity white wines.

The Southern positioning, sunny location and extremely rich soils, consisting of chernozems and limestone, offer our vines properties that are almost impossible to find in other regions of the country. The temperate continental climate, with frequent hot air coming from the Mediterranean side, also contributes to the exquisite quality of the wines produced here at Budureasca.

It is not a coincidence that Budureasca vineyards are located on Parallel 45, the same geographical coordinates as Bordeaux or Burgundy, two famous regions in the wine industry. The result is a terroir with extraordinary potential for the production of high-class wines.

Our Winemaker

An international oenologist with more than 30 years of experience in the field of winemaking, Stephen Donnelly is known around the world under the nickname "Flying Winemaker" or "Wine Trouble Shooter". Stephen began his career in Napa Valley, studying at the famous Davis University in California and since then he has confirmed his talent, skill, and experience by creating exceptional wines in England, Hungary, South Africa, India, and now Romania.

Each country's terroir has its own characteristics and its own typicity, and yet he has managed to win international medals for every producer he has worked with during all these years.

He started creating great wines in our country in 1995, and since 2007 he is our winemaker, having already won over 300 awards (gold, silver, and bronze medals) for our wines at some of the most important international wine competitions, such as Decanter World Wine Awards, like Mondial de Bruxelles, Mundus Vini, International Wine Challenge, International Wine and Spirit Competition, Berlin Wine Trophy, and many others.

"As a winemaker, my role is to bring the best out of each grape variety, and my philosophy is that when it comes to quality there can be no compromise."

Cellar

Budureasca Cellar was opened in the spring of 2013 and has a surface of 5.200 square meters, being one of the newest and largest cellars in Dealu Mare region. The construction is buried on three of its sides, in order to integrate into the scenery seamlessly, and, more importantly, to benefit from an increased and a more precise thermal control.

Its avant-garde type of construction, as well as the newest technology used to equip it, allow us to affirm that Budureasca is one of the most modern wine cellars in Romania, with a production and storing capacity of around 3 million liters of wine.

The cellar includes 3 main units: the production-fermentation section (with a processing capacity of almost 1 million liters), the conditioning-storage area (with a capacity of 1.6 million liters), and the area where the maturation and aging processes take place.

The cellar also contains office spaces and several areas where visitors can taste our wines (with a capacity of 50 people and a panoramic view of the barrels storage chamber). Inside the cellar, visitors can buy Budureasca products from our in-house shop, that includes our wine collections and personalized wine accessories.

The total investment in the cellar & vineyard amounts to 12 million euros (of which 6 million in the cellar, and the other 6 in the vineyard) - half of the investment being covered by EU funding. Everything so we can offer you authentic Romanian noble wins of the highest quality.