📍 Sâmburești

Sâmburești is a small wine area in southern Romania, in Oltenia, in Olt County. It is part of the Hills of Muntenia and Oltenia. The area lies on gentle hills, with a moderately continental climate and warm summers.

It is known for red wines, mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape ripens well on south-facing slopes, and the wines are full, with aromas of blackcurrant, spice and oak. Other red and white grapes, including local ones, are grown alongside, and both dry and off-dry wines are made.

The area is small and less known than Dealu Mare or Cotnari, but local estates try to show the taste of Oltenia. Vine-growing traditions in Romania go back thousands of years.

Sâmburești is worth visiting for those who want to get to know lesser-known Romanian wines. To the north lie Dealu Mare and the Muntenian foothills, and to the south the Danube. Reds from Sâmburești go with grilled meat, sausages and hard cheese, and rosé is best drunk in summer. A district name on a Romanian label means origin from a specific place rather than just “Romanian wine”; this helps find wines that reflect the character of the land.