Statiunea de Cercetare Pietroasa

Pietroasa – The Cathedral of Romanian viticulture

The great professor I.C. Teodorescu called the Pietroasa Research and Development Station for Viticulture and Winemaking as a true "Cathedral of Romanian Viticulture". And, for those who know that the real treasure of the place lays in the grapes, not the worldwide famous „Closca cu Puii de Aur” (a 4th century Gothic golden treasure), there is no exaggeration. 

The Pietroasa Research Station is one of the key points on the Romanian wine map, even if there are too few those who know the history of the local wines. We could say that Romanian wine, as a whole, could have been completely different or could not have existed at all, had not the researchers from Pietroasa existed.

The Station was founded in 1893, after the phylloxera – a pest accidentally imported from the USA – destroyed a large part of the vineyards in Europe and, implicitly, in Romania. It was the first unit of this kind in Romania and, although it started with only 10 hectares, it had an impressive collection of 737 vinifera varieties, collected from all corners of the world. 

A year later, in Pietroasa, the first school of grafters was already operating, with an essential contribution to the saving of local varieties and the replanting of areas affected by phylloxera. In 1924, the school of agricultural apprentices was opened here, representing the first step towards learning the viticulturist profession.

In 1928, in Pietroasa was established one of the first three warning stations for downy mildew in the country. The research carried out in these resorts was the basis for establishing the warning method of the downy mildew attack prevention and treatments. 

According to its model, other resorts were later organized with the purpose of warning in the main vineyards in Romania. Similarly, after 1957, with the passing of the Pietroasa Station under the Horticultural Research Institute, research was undertaken on grapevine powdery mildew and its control. The warning method and the prevention and control measures were developed here, both in the Dealu Mare Vineyard and in the other vineyards in the country, where the disease can still cause great damage

At its peak, the Station carried out research activities on more than 500 hectares, of which 203 ha are still preserved today, after the retrocession processes. Since 2019, SCDVV Pietroasa has joined Pepiniera Istrita, managing over 400 hectares of vineyards, fruit trees and nurseries today.

Over time, the research carried out here led to the refinement of quality clones of some traditional varieties – Tamaioasa Romaneasca 36 Pt and 5 Pt, Grasa de Cotnari 4 Pt and 45 Pt., Busuioaca de Bohotin 26 Pt., Babeasca Neagra 94 Pt., Feteasca Neagra 10 Pt., – but also new varieties of table grapes, for raisins or for wine – Otilia, Timpuriu de Pietroasa, Centenar Pietroasa, Istriţa, Mihaela or Alb Aromat, the latter also producing a wine commercially available. The variety, approved in 1999, has already been adopted and is about to be launched by other producers.

For those who visit the resort, the cellar houses over 80,000 wine labels produced in the past 50 years, selected from wines that have won prestigious awards at national or international competitions. 

The tour of the winemaking area includes, after the vineyard tour, a detailed presentation of the old winemaking technology, used in the 80s, in contrast to the new, modern line, installed in 2019 – an excellent opportunity for those who want to discover the secrets of wine to understand the major differences between the wine available on any shelf today and the wines that defined the taste of previous generations. A lesson even easier to assimilate during the subsequent tasting, in which the Station also offers wines from the 60s, 70s or 80s, at more than affordable prices (10-25 euros / person, depending on the chosen package).