Results of Vinul.ro Excellence Awards - spring session 2026
For 18 years, Vinul.ro has been organizing the "Vinul.ro Excellence Awards", a competition dedicated to wineries in Romania that are invited to enter their wines in the competition.
For the sixth year in a row, I had the pleasure of being part of the jury of this competition and today I come with news about the medal-winning wines.
After being divided into 2 sessions 2 years ago: one in spring (dedicated mainly to white and rosé wines) and one in autumn, the competition has maintained this format in 2026:
For the sixth year in a row, I had the pleasure of being part of the jury of this competition and today I come with news about the medal-winning wines.
After being divided into 2 sessions 2 years ago: one in spring (dedicated mainly to white and rosé wines) and one in autumn, the competition has maintained this format in 2026:
- the first in April, where mainly newly released white and rose wines were evaluated
- the second in September, where both white, rosé and red wines, as well as sparkling wines, will be evaluated.
The spring 2026 edition featured 115 wines from producers located in all wine regions of Romania. The wines were analyzed by 4 panels of professional tasters and 34 Gold Medals (90-94 points) and 6 Great Gold Medals (wines that received over 95 points) were awarded.
The evaluation of the wines was carried out blindly, the bottles being covered and arranged according to a logical tasting order so that the jurors present did not know which wines they were tasting until after the judging process was over.
Murfatlar Vinul successfully imposed an entire category of wine-based beverages (fortified wines, wine distillates and wine-based alcoholic beverages – as aperitifs or vermouth) and can be considered the big winner of the spring session of the evaluations for the Vinul.ro 2026 Excellence Awards, with a total of 6 medals (2 Grand Gold Medals + 4 Gold Medals).
The evaluation of the wines was carried out blindly, the bottles being covered and arranged according to a logical tasting order so that the jurors present did not know which wines they were tasting until after the judging process was over.
Murfatlar Vinul successfully imposed an entire category of wine-based beverages (fortified wines, wine distillates and wine-based alcoholic beverages – as aperitifs or vermouth) and can be considered the big winner of the spring session of the evaluations for the Vinul.ro 2026 Excellence Awards, with a total of 6 medals (2 Grand Gold Medals + 4 Gold Medals).
In order of the total number of medals obtained at the spring edition of Vinul.ro 2026 Excellence Awards, the most awarded wineries were:
- Murfatlar Vinul (2 Great Gold Medals + 4 Gold Medals)
- Via Domnului (2 Great Gold Medals + 3 Gold Medals)
- Crama Ceptura, (1 Great Gold Medal + 4 Gold Medals)
- Statiunea de Cercetare Pietroasa 4 Gold Medals (3 for own-brand wines and 1 for Corks Cozy Bar's private label)
- Winery Lacerta (1 Great Gold Medals + 2 Gold Medals)
Wines that obtained the Great Gold Medals:
- Cabernet Sauvignon “De viță nobilă” Via Domnului 2022
- Fetească neagră “Rezerva ediție limitată” Via Domnului 2023
- Fetească neagră “Limited Edition” Lacerta 2020
- Cabernet Sauvignon “Magnus Monte” Crama Ceptura 2023
- Pinot Noir & Fetească neagră & Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot “Lacrima lui Ovidiu 5” roșu (n/a) Murfatlar Vinul
- “Aperitiv Mamaia” Murfatlar Vinul (n/a)
White Wines that obtained Gold Medals:
- Tămâioasă românească “Selection”, Stațiunea Pietroasa 2022
- Tămâioasă românească “Rezerva”, Stațiunea Pietroasa 2020
- Pelin “Ierbar alb” (n/a), Via Domnului
- Sauvignon Blanc “EXplicit”, Cramele Recaș 2025
- Șarbă “Castel Huniade”, Cramele Recaș 2025
- Fetească regală “Schwaben Wein”, Cramele Recaș 2025
- “Lacrima lui Ovidiu 5” alb (n/a), Murfatlar Vinul
- Tămâioasă românească “Prâslea cel voinic” (n/a), Stațiunea Pietroasa pentru Corks
Rose Wines that obtained Gold Medals:
- Cabernet Sauvignon “Verité”, Beciul Domnesc (n/a)
- Pelin “Ierbar” rosé, Via Domnului (n/a)
- Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot “Motiv”, Crama Ceptura 2025
- “Spirit” rosé, Jidvei 2024
- Cabernet Sauvignon & Fetească neagră “Cuvée rosé”, Via Sandu (na)
Red Wines that obtained Gold Medals:
- Fetească neagră “3 hectare”, Murfatlar Vinul 2023
- Vermut “Mamaia” (n/a), Murfatlar Vinul
- Cabernet Sauvignon & Fetească neagră “Boian Premium”, Crama de Piatră 2024
- Cabernet Sauvignon “Tamam”, Domeniile Caraman 2024
- Rară neagră “Manuscris”, Via Viticolă Sarica Niculițel 2025
- “Băiatu’ în iarbă” (roșu, soiuri nedeclarate), Via Viticolă Sarica Niculițel (n/a)
- Cabernet Sauvignon “Limited Edition”, LacertA 2021
- Shiraz “Limited Edition”, LacertA 2021
- Fetească neagră “Selection”, Stațiunea Pietroasa 2023
- Cabernet Sauvignon “Verite” roșu, Beciul Domnesc (n/a)
- Fetească neagră “Grand Reserve”, Beciul Domnesc (n/a)
- Fetească neagră & Cabernet Sauvignon “Motiv”, Crama Ceptura 2024
- Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon “Motiv”, Crama Ceptura 2024
- Fetească neagră “Magnus Monte”, Crama Ceptura 2024
- Cabernet Sauvignon & Fetească neagră & Merlot “Vast”, Davino 2022
- Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon & Fetească neagră “Făurar”, Davino 2023
- Shiraz & Merlot & Fetească neagră & Cabernet Sauvignon & Pinot Noir “Noble 5”, Budureasca 2023
- Shiraz “Origini”, Budureasca 2023
- Pelin “Ierbar” roșu, Via Domnului (n/a)
- Fetească neagră & Syrah “Vinul principelui”, Vie-Vin Vînju Mare 2024
Gold Medals for Distillates:
“Zaraza VSOP” 42%, Murfatlar Vinul
The 4 evaluation panels were composed of wine professionals: Prof Univ Dr Arina Antoce, Dr Ing Dana Pop, Mirela Mateescu (Profa de vin, A4), Carmina Nițescu (founder Winesday.ro & Winesday App), Diana Slav (sommelier & tourism guide), Lector Univ George Cojocaru (USAMV), Drd Cornel Baniță, technical director of Stațiunea de Cercetare Pietroasa, Valentin Ceafalău (member of Team Romania, World champion in blind tasting in 2023), DipWSET Liviu Gheorghe, Alexandru Ilie (Winery director at Stațiunea de Cercetare Pietroasa), Marian Timofti (FNDA), Sergiu Nedelea (WineTaste), Constantin Drăgan (Jidvei), Teo Runceanu (Cotnari), Răzvan Zaharia (sommelier), David Sandu (Owner and oenologist of Crama de Piatră)), Ovidiu Logigan (Owner Corks Cozy Bar), Cătălin Mahu (Owner La Mama), Viorel Chelba (sommelier), Bogdan Sandu (Owner Ethic Wine & Tasting Room).
Partners of this edition were: IPPU Packaging, Agenția de Proprietate Intelectuală Weizmann Ariana & Partners, Leonte Artizan Gurmand (the host of this edition), La Mama Restaurants.
The complete list of wines that obtained medals in the spring session of the contest can be found here.
The competition will be completed with the autumn edition that will take place in September 2026, with the results to be announced on October 4, the first Sunday of October when "Romanian Wine and Gastronomy Day" is celebrated in Romania.
Carmina Nițescu
Winesday.ro & Winesday App
“Zaraza VSOP” 42%, Murfatlar Vinul
The 4 evaluation panels were composed of wine professionals: Prof Univ Dr Arina Antoce, Dr Ing Dana Pop, Mirela Mateescu (Profa de vin, A4), Carmina Nițescu (founder Winesday.ro & Winesday App), Diana Slav (sommelier & tourism guide), Lector Univ George Cojocaru (USAMV), Drd Cornel Baniță, technical director of Stațiunea de Cercetare Pietroasa, Valentin Ceafalău (member of Team Romania, World champion in blind tasting in 2023), DipWSET Liviu Gheorghe, Alexandru Ilie (Winery director at Stațiunea de Cercetare Pietroasa), Marian Timofti (FNDA), Sergiu Nedelea (WineTaste), Constantin Drăgan (Jidvei), Teo Runceanu (Cotnari), Răzvan Zaharia (sommelier), David Sandu (Owner and oenologist of Crama de Piatră)), Ovidiu Logigan (Owner Corks Cozy Bar), Cătălin Mahu (Owner La Mama), Viorel Chelba (sommelier), Bogdan Sandu (Owner Ethic Wine & Tasting Room).
Partners of this edition were: IPPU Packaging, Agenția de Proprietate Intelectuală Weizmann Ariana & Partners, Leonte Artizan Gurmand (the host of this edition), La Mama Restaurants.
The complete list of wines that obtained medals in the spring session of the contest can be found here.
The competition will be completed with the autumn edition that will take place in September 2026, with the results to be announced on October 4, the first Sunday of October when "Romanian Wine and Gastronomy Day" is celebrated in Romania.
Carmina Nițescu
Winesday.ro & Winesday App
