The story of the Basilescu Winery is a fascinating one that dates back to the 1900s. Aristide Basilescu (1892-1969) was a leading member of the Political Economy Department of the University of Bucharest, where his father, Nicolae Basilescu once used to be a dean of the Faculty of Law.
About 100 years ago, somewhere between the years 1910-1921, Aristide Basilescu renovated an old Beer distillery and adapted it into a successful champagne business. The Basilescu Winery started being sponsored by the renowned champagne producer, Maison de Champaigne St. Marceau & Co. in the year 1928. This not only gave rise to its sales but also helped the winery to gain a good amount of fame due to its fine quality and taste of wine.
However, the accomplishments of the Basilescu Winery ceased its reign in the year 1949 and the winery did not see the light of day until the early 2000s.
In 2003, the wineries belonging to the Basilescu legacy were retrieved, along with the manor house and the entirety of the Urlati vineyard. Finally, in the year 2008, the Basilescu Winery, including the vineyards and the manor house was re-established and the heritage winery has been making first-class wine ever since.
Be it grade A champagne bottles or fine Romanian wine, the Basilescu Winery has accomplished a lot since then. Now, it is the producer of some of the best wine bottles that Romania has to offer.
The terroirs of Pietroasa and Dealu Mare produces a variety of great quality grapes which are tested several times in order to find the perfect blend of ingredients before a label is put on a Basilescu bottle. Everything beginning from the selection of grapes to the first drop of wine in a glass is calculated cautiously to ensure that the quality and standard of the wines produced by Basilescu Winery is always up to the mark, hence, upholding the tradition of devotion, passion, ethics.’Basilescu Winery is the manufacturer of some of the most outstanding bottles of both red and white wine, which include – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Fetească Neagră, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Burgund Mare, etc. With over 60 hectares of vineyard situated in the Southern Subcarpathians in the region of Dealu mare, the locally grown Fetească Neagră in the Basilescu Winery is a must-have for any wine lover out there!
Closest Airports to Basilescu Winery
Basilescu vineyards are part of the famous Dealu Mare region (located in the Southern Subcarpathians) and spread over an area of 60 ha of vineyards in the viticultural center of Urlaţi, with a high viticultural potential for high quality red and white wines: Feteasca Neagra, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Burgund Mare, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Feteasca, etc.
Driving direction to Budureasca Winery
Getting to Basilescu Vineyards is quite easy via Sibiu (SBZ), Bucharest (OTP) or Constanta (CND) airports with short transfer times from all three airports. Transfer options include car hire, private transfer, public bus and train services directly to the Budureasca domain. More information https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Bucharest-Otopeni-Airport-OTP/DC73B-Romania.
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Drive from Bucharest Airport (OTP). Distance 69 km. 1 hour drive.
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Drive from Constanta Airport (CND). Distance 241 km. 3 hour 3 mins drive.
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Drive from Sibiu Airport (SBZ). Distance 287 km. 4 hour 23 mins drive.
From any of the 3 airports you can rent a BMW car from Bavaria Mobility.
Basilescu Winery
Wine tasting
From the grape-vine scion to the pearl of wine within the glass, the wine covers a long road, blessed by sun glow and cold, rain and wind, richness of the soil and chapped hands of the reapers. Arriving further through multifarious wine-making processes, in the stainless tanks, with a controlled temperature, continuing further on with the fermenting, filtration, ageing in oak barrels and bottling processes. After a long journey, wine ultimately arrives to delight our senses and to carry us into a fascinating world.
Wine Tasting Tour
The world evolves owing to visionaries, who feel and act before their time. We invite you to discover Basilescu Winery’s story, with a tradition of over 100 years and to take delight in our wines.
Schedule:
- Monday – Friday – from 9:00 to 15:00
- Saturday – from 9:00 to 14:00, if available
- Sunday and legal holidays – closed
The reservation should be made in advance, at least 2 days before the desired date.
Maximum 80 people at the wine tasting.
For custom packages, ask for the offer at the winery.
Optional services:
- transport – offer based on number of km
- cold buffet – 9,5 euro/pers, hot buffet – 12 euro/pers
- conference room rental – 10,5 euro/hour
Payment options: cash/card for the events during the week and payment order for the weekend tastings and packages with optional services.
Prices to the services offered by wineries, hotels and specialty stores listed on the website may not be accurate and may be altered at any time.
Launch / Diner menu recommendations
The 3 criteria of wine tasting:
– Colour;
– Fragrance;
– Taste;
Must know about wine:
– the colour divulges part of the wine’s secrets: variety, age, matureness;
– lucidity of the colour and limpidity of the wine represent its health barometer;
– white wines acquire darker golden shades with the passing of time;
– in time, red wines change their colour by brightening up to red with tile-coloured shades;
– at least 70% of a wine’s qualities may be perceived through its fragrance;
– stirring the wine in the glass helps to emphasise its bouquet and to unfasten its taste;
– in order to perceive the full savour of a wine, retain it inside the mouth for a few seconds;
– the consistency of the wine, be it light, medium or full, feels as the consistency of skimmed to fat milk;
– the taste of a good wine is maintained long after swallowing – this is the highly yearned aftertaste.
Book your tour
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Romanian Currency – A Brief Cost Guide
The only currency used is the Romanian leu. Despite being a European country, euros are not accepted anywhere in Romania.
- Set aside approximately 10 – 30 RON per day for attractions.
- On average 50 – 60 RON for a dorm bed, or 120 RON for a room in a modest hotel.
- Between 40 – 80 RON a day for food, depending on your appetite.
If you’re into luxury accommodation and expensive meals, these costs will be higher!
Tipping in Romania
Tipping is expected as Romanian waiters are paid a very low wage, so be sure to also factor this in when drawing up your budget.
Do I need a VISA?
Regardless of your country of origin you need proper and valid passports.
More information can be found here:
http://romaniatourism.com/entry-requirements.html.
For US Citizens:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Romania.html.
Looking for luggage storage in Sibiu?
If your room check-in is late or check-out is too early, if you are waiting for your flight or for your room to be cleaned you can leave your luggage with heytourist.ro and enjoy Sibiu.
They offer traveling tips for Sibiu, must see tourist attractions, information about ongoing events and concerts along with free leaflets, brochures and business cards. You can use their free Wi-fi, have a cup of hot tea or water, print your boarding pass or weight your luggage.
5 lei / hour / bag
30 lei / 24h
24/7 video surveillance
Security tags for every bag
- Tuesday – Saturday: 9.00am – 5.30pm
- Sunday, Monday: Closed
If you have any special request outside the opening hours, you can send them an email to info@heytourist.ro and the team will try their best to help you with your enquiry.
* Pricing and availability are subject to change. All itineraries/tours/guides are based on airlines, travel agencies, hotel, tour policies, schedules and operational conditions at the time of booking.