20 years of good wines - Aurelia Vișinescu
In May 2023, Aurelia Vișinescu and Domeniile Săhăteni celebrated 20 years of good wines. Today I am happy to tell you the story of the Domeniile Săhăteni winery and Doamnei Fetească Neagră (“The Black Maiden Lady”).
In 2003, the oenologist Aurelia Vișinescu founded together with Steve Cacenco, her associate and cousin through alliance, Domeniile Săhăteni winery located in the town of Săhăteni, Buzău county. The winery is located on the site of a former farm that was restored in 2006 and takes the form of the winery that we find today in the Dealu Mare region.
Domeniile Săhăteni Winery owns 82 hectares of vines in the villages of Săhăteni, Năeni and Fințesti in Dealu Mare region and has a production capacity of 650,000 bottles per season. Both Romanian varieties are cultivated - Fetească Albă, Tămâioasă Românească, Fetească Neagră, as well as international varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
In 2006 the winery had its first harvest from its own vineyard, the first wine being bottled in 2007 under the name "Divin". This was the beginning, the first step towards wine consumers. In 2010, the company underwent a rebranding, the winery taking the name of Aurelia and launching the wine ranges that are still known today:
Anima – represents the range of top wines that are released only in the most suitable years for each type of grape
Artisan – is the range dedicated to Romanian grape varieties
Nomad – the range dedicated to young, fresh wines.
A year later, in 2011, Karakter range was launched, bringing together wines from international varieties. Also in 2011, the first wine called "Anima 3 Fete Negre" appeared, an assemblage created with wines from Fetească Neagra from 3 different harvests, namely 2007, 2008 and 2009, which would later be known as Aurelia's signature wine.
In 2003, the oenologist Aurelia Vișinescu founded together with Steve Cacenco, her associate and cousin through alliance, Domeniile Săhăteni winery located in the town of Săhăteni, Buzău county. The winery is located on the site of a former farm that was restored in 2006 and takes the form of the winery that we find today in the Dealu Mare region.
Domeniile Săhăteni Winery owns 82 hectares of vines in the villages of Săhăteni, Năeni and Fințesti in Dealu Mare region and has a production capacity of 650,000 bottles per season. Both Romanian varieties are cultivated - Fetească Albă, Tămâioasă Românească, Fetească Neagră, as well as international varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
In 2006 the winery had its first harvest from its own vineyard, the first wine being bottled in 2007 under the name "Divin". This was the beginning, the first step towards wine consumers. In 2010, the company underwent a rebranding, the winery taking the name of Aurelia and launching the wine ranges that are still known today:
Anima – represents the range of top wines that are released only in the most suitable years for each type of grape
Artisan – is the range dedicated to Romanian grape varieties
Nomad – the range dedicated to young, fresh wines.
A year later, in 2011, Karakter range was launched, bringing together wines from international varieties. Also in 2011, the first wine called "Anima 3 Fete Negre" appeared, an assemblage created with wines from Fetească Neagra from 3 different harvests, namely 2007, 2008 and 2009, which would later be known as Aurelia's signature wine.
Feteasca Neagră (Black Maiden) is the variety that Aurelia works with the most and also a native grape variety that has begun to represent Romania beyond the country's borders. Originally from Moldova (both the Moldova region on the territory of Romania and the Republic of Moldova), this type of grape is cultivated in over 3000 hectares on the territory of our country.
Aurelia Vișinescu is one of the oenologists in love with this grape variety and she has been vinifying it for 20 years. She is called “ Doamnei Fetească Neagră” ("Lady Feteasca Neagră", “Black Maiden Lady”) due to the fact that she was the first oenologist in Romania who managed to vinify Feteasca Neagră as a dry wine. Today, Aurelia Vișinescu signs the wines from Domeniile Săhăteni and of the 82 hectares of vines owned by the winery, Feteasca Neagră occupies 19.4 hectares, being the most extensive plantation.
"I started this road 20 years ago full of enthusiasm, hope and with a huge force for work. I thought I could move mountains. I didn't move the mountains, but with your help, I think we managed to move a smaller hill from the great Dealu Mare...
I started with a dream, a dream so big that I didn't have the courage to follow through to the end, but with your help I managed to turn it into reality.
I started with limited financial resources but with a great love for this product called wine."
The above words were said by Aurelia at the anniversary party that took place in May 2023.
And, because in the anniversary year it is time for memorable wines, on this occasion Aurelia launched the 10th edition of "3 Fete Negre" Series 009 wine (the first edition of this wine had no number, it was considered point "0" and the second edition received the number 001, so now the 10th edition has the number 009 on the label). The guests invited to the party had the opportunity to taste the wine from this anniversary edition and the surprise of the evening was the invitation addressed to all those present to leave a message on a barrel that will be filled with the best wine from the 2023 harvest, which will be served at the next important anniversary of the winery, 10 years from now.
During the anniversary event, Aurelia also declared:
"The road was not easy, nor difficult if I look back now, there were ups and downs, there were many challenges but also many achievements. We entered the market with the left, in the midst of the economic crisis with a brand that was not quite suitable. We fell but we got up quickly, we rebranded and repositioned, we were reborn stronger. I learned that attention to detail is very important.
Today we are very proud of what we have managed to build. We have built a healthy company, with beautiful and dedicated people, we have built a brand that has reached not only the whole country but also all corners of the world.
Today I look to the future with even more hope and optimism than I have ever had."
Aurelia Vișinescu signs the wines from all the winery ranges: Anima, Signature, Artisan, Karakter, Promessa, Arbora, Signum and Nomad. The wines are distributed both in the country and abroad in the EU, USA, Asia but also in Brazil.
In 2021 the winery had its first BIO certified harvest, understanding the importance of organic agriculture and the impact it has on the environment and wine. In the future we expect the launch of BIO wines and, of course, other novelties.
You can find more details about the Aurelia Vișinescu/Domeniile Săhăteni winery on their website.
Carmina Nițescu
Winesday.ro & Winesday App
Aurelia Vișinescu is one of the oenologists in love with this grape variety and she has been vinifying it for 20 years. She is called “ Doamnei Fetească Neagră” ("Lady Feteasca Neagră", “Black Maiden Lady”) due to the fact that she was the first oenologist in Romania who managed to vinify Feteasca Neagră as a dry wine. Today, Aurelia Vișinescu signs the wines from Domeniile Săhăteni and of the 82 hectares of vines owned by the winery, Feteasca Neagră occupies 19.4 hectares, being the most extensive plantation.
"I started this road 20 years ago full of enthusiasm, hope and with a huge force for work. I thought I could move mountains. I didn't move the mountains, but with your help, I think we managed to move a smaller hill from the great Dealu Mare...
I started with a dream, a dream so big that I didn't have the courage to follow through to the end, but with your help I managed to turn it into reality.
I started with limited financial resources but with a great love for this product called wine."
The above words were said by Aurelia at the anniversary party that took place in May 2023.
And, because in the anniversary year it is time for memorable wines, on this occasion Aurelia launched the 10th edition of "3 Fete Negre" Series 009 wine (the first edition of this wine had no number, it was considered point "0" and the second edition received the number 001, so now the 10th edition has the number 009 on the label). The guests invited to the party had the opportunity to taste the wine from this anniversary edition and the surprise of the evening was the invitation addressed to all those present to leave a message on a barrel that will be filled with the best wine from the 2023 harvest, which will be served at the next important anniversary of the winery, 10 years from now.
During the anniversary event, Aurelia also declared:
"The road was not easy, nor difficult if I look back now, there were ups and downs, there were many challenges but also many achievements. We entered the market with the left, in the midst of the economic crisis with a brand that was not quite suitable. We fell but we got up quickly, we rebranded and repositioned, we were reborn stronger. I learned that attention to detail is very important.
Today we are very proud of what we have managed to build. We have built a healthy company, with beautiful and dedicated people, we have built a brand that has reached not only the whole country but also all corners of the world.
Today I look to the future with even more hope and optimism than I have ever had."
Aurelia Vișinescu signs the wines from all the winery ranges: Anima, Signature, Artisan, Karakter, Promessa, Arbora, Signum and Nomad. The wines are distributed both in the country and abroad in the EU, USA, Asia but also in Brazil.
In 2021 the winery had its first BIO certified harvest, understanding the importance of organic agriculture and the impact it has on the environment and wine. In the future we expect the launch of BIO wines and, of course, other novelties.
You can find more details about the Aurelia Vișinescu/Domeniile Săhăteni winery on their website.
Carmina Nițescu
Winesday.ro & Winesday App