WELCOME TO CARASTELEC WINERY!
NEWS
The winery
Carastelec Winery is the first investment in Romania aimed at producing mostly sparkling and semi-sparkling wines. It is located in Crișana Region, which is one of the oldest wine producing regions in Transylvania, close to Măgura Şimleului Mountain which is a crystalline island in North West Transylvania. The region of Carastelec, marked by this Mountain, has a particular soil from which grapes can extract minerals required to make elegant and sophisticated wines full of fineness, fresh and fruity, typical of the varieties cultivated here. And also, this crystalline terroir gives them special personality and typicality.
The winery was founded in 2011, when the 22 ha vineyard was planted. This south-facing “natural amphitheatre” near the village, on the top of a slope, is a real “treasure” hill with a specific microclimate which has been chosen by Tibor Gál, one of Hungary’s leading oenologists, years ago. As with the selection of the site, all decisions have been and continue to be taken with the same thoroughness every day and always the aim of obtaining high-quality sparkling wines.
The mission of our Winery is to create excellent wines – and the ingredients for this are, in addition to a wonderful terroir, Perseverance, Passion and Professionalism.
The cellar, a semi-underground building using partly renewable energy is designed to ensure a temperature of 14-15°C and uses modern air-conditioning technology with geothermal pumps and solar energy. The total useful area of the cellar is 1433 m2.
The cellar has the technologies for the whole process of sparkling winemaking, from the first and second fermentation through the remuage, disgorgement to labelling.
The owners are foreign investors involved in wine production, that is, they also have vineyards and cellars in Hungary: 50 hectares and 8 hectares in West Hungary and the Tokaj region, respectively, a region well known for its sweet wine production
HISTORY
Crișana (Hungarian: Körösvidék; German: Kreischgebiet), our wine-growing region lies between three rivers, Mureș, Someș and Tisa, and the heights of the Western Carpathians (Apuseni Mountains). Archaeological evidence was found of the Silvaniei wine region in the Roman military camp in Porolissum-Moigrad, as part of the Crișana wine region. The first comprehensive survey throughout the territory of the Habsburg Monarchy, Josephinische Landesaufnahme shows grapes to have been cultivated here, in Carastelec, as early as 1770.
Carastelec, a village first mentioned in 1241, is today part of Sălaj County. It was a parish in the Diocese of Oradea (Division of Şimleul Silvaniei). The first written reference to this church goes all the way back to the 17th Century when Princess Zsófia Báthori, wife of Prince György Rákóczi II, owned forests and vineyards near to those of the church. In 1650, Princess Zsófia Báthori rebuilt this church. In order to provide support for it, she donated some forests and vineyards, as well as her own castle to the vicar to accommodate his family. This was, therefore, the first document to prove the presence of vineyards here.
Terroir
Crișana Region is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Transylvania, close to Măgura Şimleului Mountain, also called "the crystalline island of Transylvania". Carastelec village, marked by this Mountain, has a particular soil - clay and mica - from which grapes can extract minerals required to make elegant and sophisticated wines. The south-facing "natural amphitheatre" above the village is a real "grand cru" with a specific microclimate designated by Tibor Gál senior in 2004, an internationally recognized oenologist. These parcels were selected and then planted deliberately as a sparkling wine vineyard.
As with the selection of the site, all decisions have been and continue to be taken with the same thoroughness every day and always the aim of obtaining high-quality products.
The region has a moderate continental climate with average rainfall. The total number of sunshine hours during the growing season is around 1200 to 1600 and the diurnal range in the ripening period is high. So all conditions are given for making excellent sparkling wines.
The grape varieties have been chosen based on the terroir and the mission of the winery, that is, to produce high-quality sparkling wines. Therefore, we have planted in 2011 the traditional varieties used for sparkling wine in Champagne region, Feteasca Regală of the local varieties for semi-sparkling petillant wines and Rhein Riesling for still wine.The Pinot Noir variety makes up nearly half of the plantation. Although Transylvania is located along a parallel that is favourable to white grape varieties, Pinot Noir likes this cool climate which enriches the wine with an abundant bouquet and an elegant style. Pinot Noir is used both for sparkling wines and semi-sparkling wines and for still red wine maturated in oak barrels.
GALLERY
Winery visits
Wine tasting should be booked 3-15 days in advance. Tour and tasting take approximately 2 hours.
Monday-Friday: 10.00 - 16.30
Saturday-Sunday: for groups of 10 pers.
The prices include wine tasting, finger food, guided winery tour and walk in the vineyard on request, if the weather is good.
(Please ask for availability via e-mail or phone)
