For lovers of Sălăj culinary traditions, there are a few landmarks, without which the configuration of a menu cannot be conceived. We found them all in Şamşud, on February 15, on the occasion of a new edition of Slană Fest (slană is a local bacon, usually just fat, without meat). The pretext is slană, always present on the tables of those who know that the real enemies of metabolism and health are completely different. But the organization of the event on the „Cellar Alley” reveals the place of viticulture in the lives of the inhabitants and the wealth of the area.
On Cellar Alley in Şamşud, where the cold stone cellars preserve the scent of noble liquors, tradition intertwines with the hospitality of the Transylvanians. Slană Fest becomes more than a gastronomic festival, it is a reverence paid to local winemakers, to those who transform the fruit of the earth into a wine with a story.
I entered Szilágyi Lajos, attracted by his cellar, decorated with a wine goblet or, rather, a liturgical chalice and the winepress that had crushed the souls of many generations of grapes, until they ended up in glasses, witnesses of joy and sadness alike. The first room welcomed its visitors with grapes hanging from the beam, with the portrait of the first owner of the cellar and bottles of wine and spirits on the right side, a component of tradition, and with a metal winemaking tank shining with pride on the left side, representing the novelty of winemaking. The open door to the second room was an invitation to the underground of history, as the cellar had been built about 150 years earlier, by the grandfather of the current owner, named Szilágyi Laszlo, as I could see on one of the barrels lined up along the walls, which had the initials of his family name carved on it. Of course, I didn’t miss the opportunity to taste a few wines, giving up on spirits.
The 8,000 vines cared for by Lajos bear fruit in several varieties: Fetească Regală, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Oporto (Blauer Portugieser). After I tasted a white and a red blend, he filled two bottles for me and I noticed what the wooden window that opened into a wall was for: the barrel stoppers were stored there.
Şamşudul is not just a name on the wine map of Sălaj. It is a symbol of continuity, a place where the vine has its roots deeply anchored in history. It is no coincidence that the heraldry of the area depicts grapes, testimony to a profession that defines the local identity. Not only here, but also in Șimleu Silvaniei, Crasna, Borla and Carastelec, the cellars carved into the hills tell the stories of generations of winegrowers, each barrel preserving the echo of years of toil and passion.
The terroir of Sălaj is a gift of nature, but also of time. The acidic soils, ideal for the champagne process, make this region a unique place on the map of sparkling wines in Romania.
This is where the effervescent wines of Silvaniei and Carastelec are born, whose fine perlage captivates the senses. They are not just wines, they are expressions of the land, of the mild climate and of the hands that know how to pick, wait and perfect.
Slană Fest does not simply promote local wines, but gives them the stage they deserve. Between the scents of smoked bacon and homemade bread, between the voices of those who appreciated the rows of sausages hanging on the porch of the cellars and those who, after long deliberation, chose the wine to take home or asked when the goulash was ready, savoring two or three sarmales, after a sip of plum, apple, pear, cherry or marc pălinca, the festival becomes a celebration of identity. Here, every glass tells a story, every sip is a journey through the gentle hills of Sălaj, where wine is not just a drink, but a living legacy.
