In the North - Western part of Romania, in the county of Satu - Mare there is a less known wine-growing area but with many wine producers, who produce wines of noble grape varieties, appreciated at the competitions in the field of wine making.
The quality of these wines is standardized by the Geographic Indication (IG) Sătmar Hills for wines from plantations on the Halmeu wine area (which includes: Halmeu, Orașu Nou, Tarna Mare, Batarici, Turlung) and wines with IG - Crișana's Hills for the grape collected from the Valea lui Mihai area (which includes the localities: Carei, Pir, Sauca, Cehal, Tasnad), Sanislau and Rătești (with the localities: Beltiug, Ardud, Viile Satu Mare, Socod, Supur, Acaș, Bogdad, Holod).
For the development and promotion of this area the local authorities have made the road of the Satu - Mare wine with three routes: Halmeu Vii - Turlung Vii - Orașul Nou Vii, Carei - Pir and Holod - Dobra - Beltiug - Rătești - Ardud - Viile Satu - Mare.
The wine road: Halmeu Vii - Turlung Vii – Orașul Nou Vii is a tourist area of rare beauty with the Natural Protected Area of Tur River, the ruins of the Citadel of Tămășeni, Piatra Cerbului, Perenyi Castle, churches, the wooden church of Lechința, Vecsey Castle from Orașul Nou, Mujdeni Lake or Portarița Monastery from Orașul Nou. Here the wine enthusiast finds at every step a small local producer ready to offer him a wine tasting.
On the wine road: Carei - Pir wine, the tourist can visit the Carolyi Castle in Carei (dating from 1482, restored in 1896), which now houses a museum of history and the sciences of nature and a library with over 80,000 volumes. The tourist inclined for relaxation can find here the thermal pools from Tășnad or the Ibranyi Mansion (1584) from Pir or he can spend a day fishing in the two nearby lakes.
The Holod - Dobra - Beltiug - Rătești - Ardud - Satu - Mare wine route offers, besides tasting exceptional wines, the possibility to visit the Wesselenyi Degenfeld Mansion (1763) or the churches from Halmeu.
Satu Mare wine road represents a wine route filled with local history and flavor, from which the visitor can choose what suits him best.
Photo credit: printrevinuri.ro
Alina Mafa
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