From Bucharest: Exclusive Wine Tasting Tour in Dealu Mare

Romania’s wine country feels like a day trip. This full-day private tasting tour turns a long drive into a smart, structured wine day in Dealu Mare, with museum and manor admission before you start sampling.

I especially like the quality of the visits, including guided tours at Lacerta Winery and 1000 Chipuri Winery, plus a tasting menu that totals 12 wines. I also like how the day is built around learning, not just drinking, and that guide Mihai is praised for making Romanian winemaking feel clear and welcoming.

One thing to consider: lunch is not included as a set meal. You can order à la carte at the second winery for extra cost, so plan on spending a bit more if you want a full lunch.

Key highlights to know before you go

• Private hotel pickup and drop-off so you do not spend your day wrangling taxis or trains.
• Dealu Mare, on the 45th parallel, known for producing rich reds in a climate wine people really pay attention to.
• Museum and manor admission included, so you get context before the tastings.
• Lacerta Winery’s gravitational winemaking approach, explained during a vineyard and cellar tour.
• 1000 Chipuri Winery tastings with food pairings, plus a chance to sample from stainless steel tanks.
• 12 wines total, spread across two boutique wineries with cheese, charcuterie, and dried fruit.

Dealu Mare, a wine region that really fits in your day

From Bucharest, you are heading to Dealu Mare, Romania’s go-to wine region. It sits along the 45th parallel, and the tour focuses on why that matters: the climate supports reds that tend to be rich and velvety. That framing helps you understand what you are tasting, instead of treating it like a random flight.

The timing works well if you want a full experience without overnight planning. The drive is just under two hours, and the whole tour runs about 10 hours. It is long enough to feel like a real outing, but short enough that you are back in the city the same day.

Pickup, scenic Old Wine Road, and the museum and manor stop

The day starts with private hotel pickup in Bucharest and a licensed, English-speaking guide. During the drive to Dealu Mare, you get an overview of what to expect, which sets the tone for the wine tastings later.

Once you arrive, you get included admission to a museum and a manor. Even though the itinerary does not name them, the purpose is clear: you learn about winemaking and the local wine tradition before you start tasting. For me, this is one of the smartest parts of a wine tour, because you can connect flavors to process and place.

You also get a scenic drive along the Old Wine Road with panoramic views of vineyards. This is not just pretty scenery. It gives you a sense of scale, how vineyard rows shape the area, and why these wineries are where they are.

Practical tip: this is a day with a lot happening, so wear comfortable shoes and plan for winery walking. You will be glad you did when you move from tours to tastings.

Lacerta Winery: modern facilities, gravitational winemaking, and the first six wines

Your first winery stop is Lacerta Winery, known for an elegant modern design and state-of-the-art facilities. The tour is guided and private for your group, and it includes both a vineyard and wine cellar experience.

What I like here is the winemaking explanation. You learn Lacerta’s philosophy from vine to bottle, and a key detail is their use of gravitational principles in production, aiming to minimize pumping. That matters because it is part of the story of wine integrity, and it gives the tasting a technical angle, not just a fun one.

After the guided tour, the tasting is served as 6 wines, paired with a cheese and charcuterie platter. The highlight is Fetească Neagră, Romania’s signature red variety. The pairing food is also included here, so you are not trying to find snacks while your schedule is moving.

If you want your first taste to be both educational and enjoyable, this stop is a strong start. You get the structure first, then you taste with context.

1000 Chipuri Winery: family craft, stainless steel sampling, and optional lunch

Next comes 1000 Chipuri Winery, a family-owned boutique winery that blends traditional methods with innovative production. The guided part focuses on the estate and the winery philosophy, which helps you notice differences between the two places, even when they are both focused on boutique-scale wines.

Before the second tasting, the tour gives you the option to add a traditional Romanian lunch. The important detail is that lunch is not included in the base tour price. You can order à la carte at the second winery and pay on the spot, so decide ahead of time how hungry you want to be and how much extra you want to spend.

The tasting at 1000 Chipuri includes 6 wines again, for a total of 12 across the day. Pairings include cheese, cured meats, and dried fruits. A neat extra is that you also sample a couple of wines directly from stainless steel tanks, which offers an insight into aging and how different stages can taste.

On the wine side, the tasting spotlights Fetească Neagră again, plus Cabernet Franc and Tămâioasă. If you are trying to understand Romanian wine identity, seeing the indigenous grape paired with both familiar and local variety choices helps you calibrate your palate.

How the 12-wine tastings and pairings play out

This tour gives you more than a basic flight. You are tasting 6 wines at each winery, and at both stops the food is part of the package. That means you can test how wine changes with local cheese, charcuterie, and in the second winery, dried fruits.

For you as a visitor, the key value is pacing. Instead of rushing through 12 wines in one location, you get breaks created by the tours. The winery tours, the museum and manor stop, and the drive segments all act like speed bumps that help you actually process flavors.

Also, the tasting lineup keeps things grounded in local identity. Fetească Neagră is a thread through both tastings, so you can compare how it changes depending on winery approach and production style. And because the day includes a guide who can explain what you are seeing, you can ask questions as you go rather than guessing.

One practical consideration: the tour includes wine tastings, and the minimum drinking age is 18. Even if you drink, you will want to keep your pace sensible. You are doing a full day with driving time and winery walking, so do not try to force “one more” when your body already feels done.

Price and logistics, what you are paying for and what you should watch

At $248.88 per person, this is not a budget outing, but it is also not just “buy a couple tastes.” You are paying for private end-to-end logistics: private hotel pickup and drop-off, private transportation, a licensed English-speaking guide, admission to the museum and manor, and the tasting fees and winery tour costs at both wineries.

That is why it can be good value, especially for couples or small groups who want a tailored day. Paying separately for transport, winery reservations, and entrance fees often adds up faster than you think. Here, those pieces are wrapped into one quote.

There are two cost-linked caveats to keep in mind. First, lunch is optional and paid à la carte at the second winery. Second, drinks outside what comes with tastings are not included, so if you want more wine beyond the tastings, you will pay for it on site.

Timing is also worth noting. The tour is about 10 hours and includes a drive that is just under two hours each way. Plan your day in Bucharest around that. Also, the provider recommends booking at least 24-48 hours in advance to secure winery reservations, and they note that occasional closures can happen due to private events or seasonal operations.

Who this tour is best for

This is a great fit if you:

• Want a private day with a guide instead of joining a big bus group.
• Care about Romanian wine variety, especially Fetească Neagră, and want to taste it in a meaningful context.
• Like wine tours where you get to see facilities, not just sit and taste.
• Prefer a fixed itinerary, including included admissions and scheduled tastings.

It may be less ideal if you:

• Only want a short tasting with no long drive, because this is a full-day plan.
• Need lunch included in the total price. You can order it, but you will pay extra.
• Are sensitive to day-long drinking. Tastings are built into the schedule, even though you can choose how you pace yourself.

Should you book this Dealu Mare wine tour?

I think you should book if you want a structured wine day with two boutique wineries, included winery tours and tastings, and the added learning layer from the museum and manor stop. The gravitational winemaking explanation at Lacerta Winery and the stainless steel tank sampling at 1000 Chipuri give the day enough variety that it does not feel like the same tasting repeated twice.

If you are the type who likes to plan around details, this one rewards you. You get hotel pickup, scenic drive time, guided tours, and all tasting fees included. Just go in knowing that lunch is optional and that you should plan for a long day at about 10 hours.

FAQ

Is hotel pickup and drop-off included?

Yes. The tour includes private hotel pickup and drop-off, along with private transportation from Bucharest to Dealu Mare and back.

How long is the tour?

The duration is approximately 10 hours.

How many wines do you taste?

You taste 12 wines total, with 6 wines at Lacerta Winery and 6 wines at 1000 Chipuri Winery.

Is lunch included?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. You have the option to order à la carte at the second winery for an extra cost.

What is the minimum drinking age?

The minimum drinking age is 18 years old.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience starts. If you cancel less than 24 hours in advance, the amount paid is not refunded.