🥃 Vinars Segarcea

Vinars Segarcea is an EU-protected geographical indication for a Romanian wine spirit from around Segarcea in Dolj County, in southern Oltenia. It is distilled only in copper stills, aged for at least a year in oak barrels of up to 1,000 l and sold from 38% vol., higher than the 37.5% of other Romanian vinars.

All stages except bottling take place in the zone: Segarcea, Lipovu, Lipovu de Sus, Cerat and Malaica. The wine is made only from DOC Segarcea grapes of at least three varieties, at least one of them a traditional Romanian variety such as Fetească Regală or Tămâioasă Românească. No nitrogen fertilisers are applied on these plots. The soils are rich in calcium carbonate and iron oxides, and rainfall is 565 mm a year.

The grapes are pressed only in a pneumatic press; maceration lasts up to 8 hours, and sulphur dioxide after fermentation is limited to 15 mg/l. The wine, at 8.5–12.5% vol., is kept on its lees below 15 °C and distilled by 31 May in a fire-heated Charentais pot still or an Armagnac-type continuous still, made of pure copper only, to no more than 80% vol. The spirit is diluted to 60–65% vol. and aged below 18 °C at 75–92% humidity, then stabilised for at least three more months.

Vinars has been made in Segarcea for more than 100 years. The technical file was sent to the EU on 17 May 2017.

Why it matters for you. Natural extracts of linden, acacia and vine blossom are permitted to improve the taste; the vinars is bottled only in glass bottles of five sizes. WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.