The wine of my youth is Grasă de Cotnari. It’s no longer my favorite (I’ve joined those eccentrics who believe that dry white wine is the real wine – semi-sweet ones are for others, I don’t know who anymore). But back then, when I had just passed my baccalaureate and was exploring the new realities of adult life, Grasa de Cotnari gave me special moments. It was a camp in November, 1998. I had just failed to get into university (back then, admission exams were serious), so I had a free year to get even more involved in the youth movement I had been part of since ninth grade, and I had more time to organize things. Like this boot camp for an organization that ran training sessions and developed student organizations for the Hungarian community all across Transylvania. We gathered in Băile Tușnad, about 30–35 people, from Thursday to Sunday, in a big house.
That Thursday started early. I met her around 7 a.m. in the office of the Union of High School Students in Miercurea Ciuc. With nothing else to do, we went for coffee (her and her friend). But her friend faded into the background – and then it was just her. We had only heard of each other before, but that didn’t stop us from talking for over five hours.
And then came the wine. Wine was the key element. You know that question, around 4 or 5 in the afternoon, when you buy everything so you won’t have to go out again: "What are we drinking tonight?" And Grasa de Cotnari smiled at us from the shelf for the first time. Then it smiled at us all through the evening and, later, for most of the night. I still remember how much I loved its sweet, but not too sweet, taste. It suited the moment perfectly. She was already sweet to me, but not yet too sweet. Everything hinted at something magnificent. We stayed up talking all night. I have no idea what about.
And it wasn’t just the moment and the wine – it was her eyes, the spark in them, that already announced an unique and lasting relationship. Lasting, as it turned out, for about 16 months. Then she broke my heart because she found someone else, thinking I had found someone else too. Even though I hadn’t. But hey, we were young. And the friendship remained – just as sweet as the memory of that Grasă de Cotnari. Every time I stop by a supermarket, Grasă de Cotnari is there, smiling at me. The place, the person, and the wine are forever imprinted in eternity.
A note from Wines of Romania
The good news for András Farkas is that today, we have Grasa de Cotnari in all versions—from dry to sweet, as aged wine, as fresh sparkling wine, or as a long bottle-aged sparkling wine aged. And indeed, it is one of Moldova’s most promising native grape varieties, perhaps unfairly labeled as a popular wine due to its widespread presence in those years. Over time, the variety has proven extraordinary potential and rare versatility, so we can expect even more surprises from it.
About the author
András Farkas is a social innovator, born in September 1979 (so he claims he’s technically still Generation X). He has been passionate about youth development since his teenage years when he started working with student and youth organizations. He is the co-founder of the PONT Group, a social innovation organization established in 2009 and based in Cluj, and one of the architects of the Romanian Youth Capital program. He enjoys developing social innovation systems and mechanisms, as well as participatory urban development processes. Meanwhile, he is also interested in consciousness and humanity’s relationship with time—including how we manage it. When dreaming big, he hopes to leave behind a theory of individual, community, and societal awareness in shaping and changing the future.
"The Wine of My Youth" The Wine of Youth is a series of stories about the first wines that introduced us to this fascinating world – at the legal drinking age. Even if we no longer drink those wines today, or some no longer exist, they remain tied to some of the most captivating moments of our lives. After all, those years are, in many ways, the ones that shape us as individuals and define our values.
Even if we no longer drink those wines today, or some no longer exist, they remain tied to some of the most captivating moments of our lives. After all, those years are, in many ways, the ones that shape us as individuals and define our values.
At Wines of Romania, we aim to rediscover these wines – and the values they represent – through your stories, retracing the journeys we’ve taken from then to now, both as people and as wine lovers.
Each week, we publish your stories here and celebrate nostalgia with a bottle of wine gifted to the most authentic contributors. Send us your story about your first steps into the world of wine and the variety you fell in love with – if you convince us, we’ll send you a bottle of wine to properly celebrate this memory. Who knows, it might even be THAT wine.
We invite you to share your story with us at info@winesofromania.com.
