Rasova Winery

The Rasova Winery is one of the few family wineries that managed to gain almost instant fame among not only wine lovers, but also among all crossing the Cernavoda bridge, by train or by car – since the cellar is the first thing you see on the opposite Danube shore. The place was specially chosen, even though it is 20 kilometers from the company’s 61-hectares vineyard, precisely to be easily accessible for tourists.

The winery you see from the highway was built between 2014 and 2016, according to the architectural plans of Bruno Andresoiu, and the Igloo design and architecture house, and perfectly integrates the functions of the winery with those of wine tourism. The routes inside the winery are designed in such a way that guided groups of tourists can visit the winery even during the harvest period, or that events – may them be public (concerts and celebrations), private or corporate – can take place without affecting the activity in the winery. In addition, the minimalist design of the winery makes the whole building perfectly integrated into the landscape, like a natural, almost organic growth of the white rocks on the steep bank of the Danube.

The recipe for success was simple – professionals, knowledge and a good definition of the target audience. Founders and owners of the winery, Zoe and George Ghiuri already had a long experience in the field of wine and beverage distribution, so they knew intimately both the profile of the consumer and the potential and expression of Dobrogea wines. This was followed by the aggregation of a team of professionals, with experience in wine marketing and communication and, finally, the completion of the formula (in 2019) with the most awarded Romanian oenologist, Razvan Macici, whose expertise still directs the resident oenologist, young Antonio la Fata. More importantly, all the team members work today as a real family, everyone knows exactly their responsibilities, and this contributes to the optimal functioning of the entire company. Together, they may have built the most successful brands designed for the younger audiences.

At the moment, Rasova only offers glamping accommodations (glamorous camping), but the more demanding customers may find accomodation at a 4-star hotel nearby, in Cernavoda, which also offers shuttle rides to and from the winery. However, there are also plans to develop the tourist offer in the future, so that those who stop for one or more glasses of wine – along with the excellent typical Dobrogea dishes, cooked in the winery’s kitchen – would be able extend their stay.

The investment so far exceeds 8 million euros, of which 2 million from European funds. The vineyard was designed so that it can be maintained and exploited according to the principles of sustainable agriculture, with as little intervention as possible, ideally zero insecticides and pesticides.

The terroir of Rasova is defined by the clay-sandy soil, with limestone inserts, by the generous amount of sunshine hours, but above all by the proximity of the Danube, which ensures a cool breeze during the summer and many foggy days at the beginning of autumn – meaning a slow ripening, but with a great accumulation of flavours in the grapes. In addition, the vineyard is located directly on the Dobrogea wind corridor, which ensures a good prevention of diseases in the vineyard, and the proximity to the Black Sea partially moderates the continental climate in the region. All in all, perfect conditions for top wines!