Romanian myths and legends about wine

In Romania there is a long tradition about wine making and wine, lasting from proven 4000 years ago. For a Romanian living in Bucharest or other big city these traditions make no sense, they have only historical significance.

Losing traditions is one of the major arguments against globalization, and I would like to reveal all these hidden myths for a better understanding of Romanian art civilization.

First of all, when greeting a guest the Romanian show a lot of joy and hospitality, they give bread, salt and wine.

Second, wine is related since the times before Christ with fertility (remember Dyonysos and his huge long lasting celebrations!). Today, by every wedding ceremonial held in an orthodox church there is a ritual for the bride and her groom to drink more times from a  glass of wine, and eating from a slice of bread. Further, when the bride reaches the new home, she must rotate three times around a table with a glass of wine and a bread. The money donations for the young couple are collected on a slice of bread drenched with wine, hoping in a miraculous multiplication of the amount!

Wine is widely used by the orthodox church during almost all its rituals. Even a baby reaching its first oblation  receives a few drops of wine on his lips.

Similarly, by the funerals, be sure to find a bottle of wine in the coffin to be drunk in the after world. The priest splashes the coffin and the dead body with wine; it is forbidden to drink hob a nob, and before drinking be sure to a few drops on the ground in memoriam.

The Decalogue of a trained wine taster (10 Commands for really enjoying the wine)

1.Wine is really a living drink. Avoid moving too much the bottle before opening. Don't drink the wine immediately after bringing it from the cellar. Allow him some time to relax, in order that all its component come back to their natural state.

2. Don't hold the wine longer than two hours in the refrigerator, and never forget him near heating sources.

3.Avoid the  contact of the wine bottle or wine glass with your hands; due to the temperature of your hands the wine loses its flavor.

4.The young wine is to serve colder than the old one. If one wine is too cool, keep it 10 minutes in a heated room and it will be ready to serve.

5.Serve a red wine usually to the room temperature (18 degrees Celsius), and a white wine cooler, at 8 Degrees Celsius. On the contrary, an easy red is to serve at 10-12 Degrees Celsius.

6.Pair the white wine with appetizers, fish, sea fruit, or the spicy heavy dish and keep the stronger red wine for special occasions. If you have more several dishes on your list and want using only a sort of wine use a dried rose and you won't be wrong.

7. Keep in mind that only a few selected wines are becoming better as the time goes by. The normal ones have a limited time to be drunken.

8.Before serving a red wine keep it a few days at 10-12 Degrees Celsius.

9.Don't mix the wine with juices, soda, ice, water as it will lose everything he has to say to your taste.

10.Never boil the wine.