Photo: Andrei Stroe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Muntenia & Oltenia Hills · Sub-regions

Dealu Mare

Romania's 'Tuscany' on the 45th parallel between Ploiești and Buzău: around 15,000 hectares of south-facing slopes, the country's red-wine centre with the centres Urlați-Ceptura, Tohani, Valea Călugărească, Pietroasa (nobly sweet Tămâioasă) and Boldești. Many of the new quality estates are based here – Davino, SERVE, Lacerta, Budureasca, Aurelia Vișinescu, Licorna, Viile Metamorfosis.

37Wineries

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Grape Varieties

Fetească Neagră, Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Fetească Regală, Sauvignon Blanc, Tămâioasă Românească

Most Famous Site

Urlați-Ceptura

Vineyard Area

15.000 ha

Harvest

September – October

TERROIR PROFILE · Muntenia & Oltenia Hills

Dealu Mare Dealu Mare – Temperate continental

☀ Cool continental⛰ Slope: moderateFetească NeagrăMerlotCabernet SauvignonPinot Noir

What is terroir? →

SOILS

Loambody-rich, velvety

Loamy soils give wines volume and a soft, velvety mouthfeel.

Marlbalanced, structured

Marl is a mix of limestone and clay — yields structured, balanced wines with acidity backbone.

Limestoneprecise, mineral

Limestone delivers tension, structure and a cooler, more mineral character.

Sandaromatic, approachable

Loose sand and wind-blown sand warm up quickly and hold little water — they give aromatic, early-drinking wines with soft tannins; phylloxera-resistant.

CLIMATE · Cool continental

Warm, temperate continental climate on the 45th parallel. The south-facing Carpathian foothills capture plenty of sun and are shielded from cold northerly air by the mountains; ripening is early and even.

TOPOGRAPHY · moderate

A long chain of hills on the southern rim of the Subcarpathians between the Teleajen river in the west and the Buzău in the east, mostly with south-facing slopes. Vineyards run along villages such as Valea Călugărească, Urlați and Pietroasele.

WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS

ripearomaticindigenousregional character

Typical Flavours of the Region

Region aroma cloud

Black plumBlackberryPruneCloveSmokeVanillaPlumBlack cherryChocolateTruffleCedarVioletBlackcurrantCedarwoodGraphiteBell pepperLeatherTobacco

→ Aroma wheel and variety profiles

Muntenia & Oltenia Hills overview

This sub-region is part of Muntenia & Oltenia Hills. The map shows all 8 sub-regions — Dealu Mare is highlighted.

Overview

Wineries37

Detailed profiles31

Typical Varieties

Fetească Neagră

Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon

Pinot Noir

Syrah

Fetească Regală

Sauvignon Blanc

Tămâioasă Românească

Terroir & Climate

Wine Character

Dealu Mare, "big hill", is a line of hills on the southern edge of the Carpathian foothills in Muntenia, between Ploiești and Buzău. The vineyards lie on south-facing slopes and cover around 15,000 hectares; centres are Urlați-Ceptura, Tohani, Valea Călugărească, Pietroasa and Boldești. Dealu Mare is recognised as a designation of origin (DOC) and is regarded as one of Romania's most important wine regions, with a focus on red wine.

The vines stand mostly on south-facing slopes. The soils consist of red-brown loams, clay, limestone and gravel. The climate is temperate continental, with warm summers and a long, dry autumn. The position on the 45th parallel corresponds roughly to that of Bordeaux.

Red dominates: Fetească Neagră, the most important native red variety, together with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Among whites stand Fetească Regală, Sauvignon Blanc and the aromatic Tămâioasă Românească, which is also made as a noble-sweet wine in Pietroasa. Numerous new quality estates such as Davino, SERVE, Lacerta and Budureasca have emerged here.

Soil Type

Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Climate

Temperate continental, warm, 45th parallel

Classified Single Vineyards

9 sites

The most important classified single vineyards in the region. Classification per VDP (German Prädikat Wine Estates Association) and traditional vineyard registers.

1Zorești

Klassifiziert

📍 Zorești

Soil:Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Varieties:Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Wine centre (centru viticol) of the Dealu Mare podgorie, DOC origin.

2Merei

Klassifiziert

📍 Merei

Soil:Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Varieties:Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Wine centre (centru viticol) of the Dealu Mare podgorie, DOC origin.

3Pietroasa

Klassifiziert

📍 Pietroasele

Soil:Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Varieties:Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Wine centre (centru viticol) of the Dealu Mare podgorie, DOC origin.

4Breaza

Klassifiziert

📍 Breaza

Soil:Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Varieties:Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Wine centre (centru viticol) of the Dealu Mare podgorie, DOC origin.

5Tohani

Klassifiziert

📍 Tohani

Soil:Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Varieties:Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Wine centre (centru viticol) of the Dealu Mare podgorie, DOC origin.

6Urlați-Ceptura

Klassifiziert

📍 Urlați

Soil:Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Varieties:Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Wine centre (centru viticol) of the Dealu Mare podgorie, DOC origin.

7Gornet-Cricov

Klassifiziert

📍 Gornet-Cricov

Soil:Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Varieties:Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Wine centre (centru viticol) of the Dealu Mare podgorie, DOC origin.

8Valea Călugărească

Klassifiziert

📍 Valea Călugărească

Soil:Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Varieties:Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Wine centre (centru viticol) of the Dealu Mare podgorie, DOC origin.

9Boldești

Klassifiziert

📍 Boldești-Scăeni

Soil:Red-brown loams, clay, limestone, gravel

Varieties:Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir

Wine centre (centru viticol) of the Dealu Mare podgorie, DOC origin.

Sources: VDP, state vineyard registers, Wikipedia vineyard articles, traditional vineyard literature.

Top profiles

31 detailed profiles — all filterable in the list below

Lacerta Winery

Muntenien & Oltenien · Dealu Mare · Fințești

GlobalRegional

SpitzenweingutBio

Fetească Neagră, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

SERVE

Muntenien & Oltenien · Dealu Mare · Ceptura

GlobalRegional

Spitzenweingut

Fetească Neagră, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Davino

Muntenien & Oltenien · Dealu Mare · Ceptura

GlobalRegional

Spitzenweingut

Fetească Neagră, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Domeniile Săhăteni

Muntenien & Oltenien · Dealu Mare · Săhăteni

GlobalRegional

Spitzenweingut

Fetească Neagră, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Domeniile Tohani

Muntenien & Oltenien · Dealu Mare · Tohani

Leitbetrieb

Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

Budureasca

Muntenien & Oltenien · Dealu Mare · Gura Vadului

Spitzenweingut

Fetească Neagră, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot