The best restaurants in Bucharest

If you know very good yourself and you are aware of your tastes (which you really should), Bucharest has for sure something for you. There are so many restaurants in Bucharest, it is simply impossible not to find the right one for you!

If you are on the go, take a satisfactory meal in a popular restaurant, e.g. Springtime

First, let's see what is your favorite kitchen. Due to the many expats from Bucharest, there are a selected brunch of restaurants catering at high quality levels in a foreign style: oriental, Lebanese,French, Italian,Hungarian etc. Nevertheless, stay to the Romanian Kitchen, I recommend it from the heart, and it is really normally to be set on this kitchen, because it is an intrinsic part of Romania. And there is another advantage, a major one, at the popular restaurants you can find the house wine, unbottled, but a very good one, at an excellent report quality/price. Also, if you are lucky enough, you will find the offer of the day (look after Meniul zilei) , which means a three course menu for 4-5 Euros. Really a bargain, but at the rush hours these restaurants are overcrowded with students, of course! Discover please the hidden restaurant Gara Lipscani, while having a walk in the old downtown on Lipscani street. You will find there a relaxed atmosphere and a wide assortment of salads, grills etc!

A student cosy atmosphere and a good Romanian kitchen in Gara Lipscani

Also to visit for a frugal meal, Spring Time, in the center, near University, on Academy street, or in the Railway station. Very beloved among students, you can eat very good and very cheap pizza, salad, deserts, and even shaowarma.

Carul cu bere on Stavropoleos street is really special

 If you are not necessary on a budget, visit the exquisite Carul cu Bere, which is traditionally the meeting point of the local intelighentsia since 100 years. It has interesting Neogothic interiors and glassworks, and the prices are still democratic. The kitchen is also excellent, but you need a prior reservation, otherwise is difficult to get a table.

Casa Doina is one of the most exquisite locations in Bucarest

Enjoy further the tasty juicy Romanian kitchen in some exquisite location, e.g in House Doina, on Kiseleff street. The house hosting you is totally special, from 1889, and represented Romania to a Paris exhibition. Excellent careful service, and exquisite Romanian kitchen, really at its best. A good place for celebrations, special invitation, etc.

Maybe I should stop the list, as I am terrible hungry. I will try today a good portion of beans with sausages, enjoying also a good glass of exquisite wine ( Grasa de Cotnari, a half dried white). Cheers.

Alba Iulia, a symbol for any Romanian

Visiting Alba Iulia means a lot to any Romanian, and I could compare with some well known pilgrimages. Even if you are not a Romanian, the town of Alba Iulia is a visit worth.

Roman walls in Alba Iulia, antic Apullum

Alba Iulia (hungarian Gyulafehervar; German Karlsburg or Weissenburg) has a wonderful fortress, build by the Habsburgs in the XVIIIth century. Much earlier, in the antic times, on the place was the city of Apullum, already a capital and the most important local city. In Middle Age,during  the XVIth century, Alba Iulia was again the  capital of The Transilvania Principality. Newer, on the 1st December 1918, 100000 people representing the Romanians and the Saxons of Transilvania, the unifying of Transilvania with Romania. Maybe you understand now why is the town so important in the Romanian history.

The main entrance gate in the Fortress of Alba Iulia has a baroque tower; pls observe back the Orthodox Cathedral

Much better for you if visiting Alba Iulia have not this very high emotional charge. Drive in the city, see the impersonal blocks of flats, pass through center to the fortress (Cetate) and take a wonderful walk in the area. Admire the Catholic Cathedral, build in the XIIIth century, a model of Medieval architecture. Admire the Orthodox Cathedral, bild in 1921, where the King Ferdinand was crowned in 1922 as King of all Romania. Admire the gate of the fortress. All these walls are full with history, allow me giving another example: in 1784 the Romanians lead by Horea, Closca and Crisan fought for their social and national rights against the leading Hungarians. Very successfully in the beginning, but at the end the Hungarians defeated the Romanians and executed the leaders inside this fortress, through lugging on the wheel!

The Catholic Cathedral from Alba Iulia is very old (XIIIth century) and constitutes a model of Medieval architecture

Visit the interesting Unity Museum, and if you need a rest after all these cultural adventures, you are welcomed one of the many Restaurants inside the fortress. Please avoid fast-food, and make a wiser choice, take a Romanian menu (soup, main dish,desert), with a glass of wine, costing 9-10 Euros.

Replacing the Guards in Alba Iulia is a coloured show

After that relaxing lunch, if you are still in the mood, continue discovering the town of Alba Iulia, searching the well known Bathyaneum library, a really sanctuary hosting a vast collection of Medieval books. Really a must for any culture freaks. From Alba Iulia you can drive to Arad, or in the neighboring mountains, offering some interesting places (need only to hurry up,the winter is coming!). Jidvei and Blaj are also in the area, and you can take part there to exquisite wine tasting!

Romanian gastronomic specialities

Romanian gastronomy is very rich indeed, and this is one of the many arguments for  taking  the decision to offer you exquisite food and wine tours here in Romania. The Romanian gastronomy is also not very original, due to successive  historic influences coming from neighboring Empires (Russian, Turkish, Hungarian and German).

The Gulash is rather Hungarian, no matter, you can eat exquisite Gulash in Romania

In Transilvania you can find very spicy paprika or gulash ( a tasteful spicy mix of meat pieces with sauce). In every corner you can find Kraut mit Wurst (German for cabbage with sausages!) with its local variation "Varza a la Cluj" (Romanian for " Cabage a la Cluj"). Cabbage a la Cluj is mixed with mincemeat and rice.

Varza a la Cluj pairs excellent with a red strong wine, as you can notice!

In Dobrogea you will be able to find the traces of the Turkish kitchen, mainly by the deserts like saraili and baclava! About the musaca (Romanian for Moussakka), it is much better represented Romaniawide, consisting of alternative layers of potatoes thin slices and mincemeat. You may observe, please, that the Romanians eat mainly pig meat, and there is an historical explanation even for that: during the Turkish occupation, the Turks took practically everything better, but they never enjoyed pig, as not recommended by their religion.

Baclavas are Turkish, and are very tasty.

Romanians were a few hundreds years ago mainly a shepherd people, and as a remaining they eat nowadays cheese at almost every meal. One kilo cheese costs 3 Euros, and a kilo tomatoes 0,8 Euros, and so you have a good idea for your menu if you are on a budget.

Sarmalute (  forc-meat rolls in cabbage sau vine leaves ) are present at any feast in Romania

An exquisite Romanian meal present at every meal during the feasts (Christmas, Eastern, etc) are the sarmalute ( forc-meat rolls in cabbage sau vine leaves). They are not very difficult for cook, the mix consisting of mincemeat, rice, eggs and spices, but you may have a problem while cooking, as the leaves go apart. This is a crucial test for the young girls when are just married, and many of them simply sew the leave after rolling! Which would be in your opinion the best wines for all these wines? Many combination possible, but your concrete one is opened for your Romanian Tour!

The people need to sell all this production!

A small tribute for a great wine

I lived up to now a peaceful, wonderful and intense life. I tried all the joys of this Earth life, and I deeply enjoyed it.

Among the Romanian vineyards you are kindly asked to find the Tarnave!

Above and before anything else I remember  a glass of a special wine, an old wine of Tarnave, the heart of Transilvania. It is the famous Traminer from Blaj, made in 1940-1960, following the same methods like the heavy Rieslings of Rhine, or the Alsacian wines. The taste of this wine is in a certain way the taste of Transilvania, if you allow me.I am deeply convinced, that you will understand the history of Transilvania deeper and better drinking this wine than reading  a few volumes about it.

A little piece from the Tarnave vineyard

I also had the privilege to open ( and even drink, to be honest) many bottles of exquisite Romanian wines. I can also mention the spectacular Grasa or Tamaioasa from Cotnari. Describing them requires a few pages, it is much simplier to drink it. Translating all the resulted sensations in words, enumerating the right smell or taste impulses, this is the real labor of the wine afficionado when meeting these wines. I would mention rather as a memory practise honey, wax, nuts, overiped fruits, late flowers, Eastern spices, etc-it is quite an experience!

This a product from Tarnave, a Riesling, but we may not forget the Traminer!

I was also very enthusiasthic discovering the classic wines of Minis, I became wiser from the Samburesti, and I let myself becoming tipsy and dizzy in Murfatlar.

As I enjoyed all these things, I also push you to spoil yourself with these exquisite wines. The opportunities will come for sure, you only need to stay eager and grab them.

But let's go back to my favorite Traminer of Blaj. This wine still holds a typical scent of fresh hay. This sortiment came in Transilvania at 1900 , and you can barely find it dried, only scented. Enjoy it with a shells soup, or a white Mediterranean chicken, cooked with butter and Provence herbs in a pan ( only for advanced connaisseurs).

Best accommodation and meals in Romania

For visiting such a nice country like Romania you need an accommodation. If you are on a business trip, or your time is short, you have the normally first choice: big luxury hotel in a big city like Bucharest, Sibiu, Iasi etc. They have good standards and strive to maintain them. Amazing, the prices for accommodation and meals are comparable with the Western Europe prices, and it is really difficult to find a good accommodation  in the peak season under 60 Euros (nevertheless, please contact me for such a delicate thing, as I can give you all the necessary insider tips).

A luxury hotel is a good solution when visiting Romania  if you are in a hurry  and not on a budget

For the meals, never forget my secret tips: you can usually find the best offer in little restaurants or inns, under the name Meniul zilei: for 3 Euros you get a good three courses menu! This is one of the things keeping Romania attractive for the professional budget travelers!

Meniul Zilei for 3 Euros is probably the cheapest way to  eat  in Romania

Another tip for a traveler in Romania having more time and not staying necessary on a budget is the accommodation in little pensions scattered all over the country, but mainly in Bucovina, Bran, Sibiu. The human contacts you can find are really amazing, as the unforgettable meals you can get ( smelling and tasting fantastic, as are mainly green products). Thus you can meat a farmer, or a craftsman or even a country teacher who will be very happy hosting you and earning also something with this occasion! In the communist times these human contacts has been banned and punished by the Securitate, but today  this is one of the blossoming industries in Romania. Finding these places is not difficult: watch after "cazare" or "Zimmer frei" in the most important touristic attractions, airports, railways etc. Even here there is a huge difference between the established pensions and the locals with some free rooms concerning the conditions of lodging and prices (between 15-40 Euros). Take all the information needed when choosing a room: go and see it, ask for the agreement from the Ministry of Tourism ( preferable) and affiliation to associations and networks, avoiding the unpleasant surprises.

A pension offers board and lodging, and very pleasant human contacts

Camping places in Romania are for sure very cheap, but overcrowded on week ends and in the peak season (July-August). Not very many, you can find them in the hills or on the Black Sea coast. The Romanian go there in mass for longer stays. Don't have big expectations from the sanitation, they are underdimensioned and not properly maintained. You have also the chance to find the wooden houses, offering a minimum comfort and a limited intimacy. For the mountains freaks looking their ways in the Carpathians, there a few chalets offering shelter. Some of them are easy reachable, other not,offering a complete isolation; mostly are closed during winter.

In Bucovina, Neamt or near Horezu the monasteries offer shelter for the pilgrim. The offer is not very wide, the little number of beds is always not sufficient. You have quiet, peace, wonderful landscape, very low prices, but don't expect to a warm welcome. And never forget the night service, which can be noisy and unpleasant for the visitors.

A floating hotel is advisable in Danube Delta.

In the Danube Delta you can find the floating hotels, offering a good lodging for good prices, as also meals. And for those who are really on a tighten budget don't forget the youth hostels, where you can find sometimes big army dormitories of 10-20 beds

Special offer for August

I have gotten another surprise/ proposition for you, which represents a special offer for August, and namely a trip at high altitude, in the Fagaras mountains, the highest romaniawide.

Transfagarasan Road is a place of intense and savage beauty

There are more things doing this trip so special:
-I strove to obtain a bargain, and hope to have succeeded
-this road is opened only in July and August, you have to hurry up, in order to find it opened! There are places of a savage beauty, impossible to ride bikes.
-I included a wine tasting, a special surprise for wine afficionado

No chance to ride bikes on Tranfagarasan, maybe with the exception of very well skilled and trained bikers

The necessary details here under.

First Day: Arrival in Bucuresti/Bucharest
    Arrival at Bucharest airport in the afternoon. Meeting with the English speaking guide and transfer to Curtea de Arges, former medieval capital of Wallachia. Lunch en route. Visit the Episcopal Church where the Romanian Kings are buried. Few kilometers away from Curtea de Arges are the ruins of so called real Castle of Vlad Tepes, better known as Dracula, and the stunning views of Arges Valley and Transfagarasan, the unique road running at 2 034m above the sea level, are worth the pain of climbing the 1 480 steps. The trip would not be complete without the stop to the 166m high Vidraru Dam with the gigantic monument of Electricity, located 4 km further.We continue our trip by visiting Vidraru Dam built on Arges river, in Fagaras Mountains. It is one of the most imortant in the country, and many cities depend on it,  but it also offers great views . Stately mountains, shy water falls and green trees, almost all year long. Dinner and accommodation in a good hotel near the dam.   Second Day: Transfagaras Mountain Road

   This entire day we will discover the wild panoramic scenery that Romania offers. The road called Transfagarasan was built between 1970 and 1974, during the rule of Nicolae Ceauşescu, mainly with military forces. A journey on this road will offer you dramatic views and breathtakingly beautiful places. Passing by the Balea Glacial Lake (2034 m altitude, through the longest road tunnel in Romania (884 m) and having the most tunnels and viaducts than any other road in Romania, Transfăgărăşanul is one attraction that must not be missed. The road became even more popular when the crew from Top Gear filmed a show on the Trasfăgărăşan, in September 2009. The host of the show, Jeremy Clarkson said that Transfăgărăşan should have the title of the best road in the world, and that they were mistaken when they gave the Stelvio Pass in Italy this title. This panoramic scenery is also host the movie Ghost Rider 2. We continue our trip to Fagaras. Here we will discover Fagaras Fortress, the most impressive monument of the town, and the core around which the town was actually built. Ladislaw Kan started to built it in 1310 on the former place of a 12th century wooden fortress strengthened by earthen walled fortifications. The former fortress had been burned down by the Tartars in 1241. The fort was enlarged and rebuilt in the 15th-17th centuries in the Transylvanian Renaissance style and came to be known, alongside with Deva, as one of the strongest fortifications in Transylvania. Dinner and accommodation in a good  hotel.   Third Day: Brasov/Kronstadt-Bran / Dracula Castle-Sinaia

   In the morning, drive on to Brasov, formerly Kronstadt, founded in the 12-th Century  by the Saxon colonists. Walking tour through the old town centre, including the Black Church, the Council Square, the Hirsch house, the baroque style buildings from the Habsburg Imperial times. Continue to Bran to visit the medieval castle built as a fortress - The "Dracula's" Castle (1377). Drive across the mountains to Sinaia, named the "Pearl of the Carpathians". Stop in Azuga for a wine tasting. Dinner and accommodation in a good hotel in Sinaia   Fourth Day: Bucuresti/Bucharest   After the breakfast, visit the famous Peles Castle the most famous royal residence in Romania, that was built between 1875 and 1883 – when it was officially opened. Walking tour in Sinaia and transfer to Bucharest airport.
End of our services.      Included services:
3x Halfbord in good Hotels in Romania
Air-conditioned car (for 2 pax), van, minibus or coach for all the above itinerary and program
English-speaking guide throughout (for parties of 2-6 pax the guide will also drive)
All entrance fees to museums and sites included in the program

Important: Transfagarasan road is open only in July and August !   Price starts from 2 Persons: 
from 299,- Euro/Person in Doubleroom
from 389,- Euro/Person in Singleroom

For booking until 15th of August you will receive 5% discount and a special present!
  

Romanian sorts of wine

As Romania has a long history in the wine branch with a lot of myths and popular beliefs, the Romanian wines have also some special properties, making them simply unique. That shall not mean that in the Romanian leading restaurants you won't wine the French Bordeaux or the Porto, or the Spanish Madera.

No, on the contrary. The Romanian oenologists, someliers and professional tasters are open minded, for sure. If you are addicted to that drops, o.k., they will strive to give you that special drops. But they will give you also the possibility to taste and even to drink some precious Romanian drops. And believe, you have a wide choice.

Cabernet Sauvignon

First of all, in many restaurants you can find the house wine. This is normally only a particular sort of wine, coming directly from the producer, unbottled and costing only 3 Euros per Liter (unbelievable cheap, I would say, if you agree! And I would please to take profit of it!). Paired with the right food, will be delightful. This way of life is very popular in Romania, similar with other wine countries.

Casselas is rather a table grape, you don't make  wine of it

Second, is something history related. After 2000 years of wine making, by the beginning of the XXth century an insect destroyed all the old Romanian vineyards, causing huge damages to the producers. All a few vineyards survived, with the toughest varieties of grapes, which I am going to mention under. The destroyed vineyards have been replaced by foreign sorts (see also under) which must be very familiar to you.

Merlot, please!

Shortly and briefly, let's mention all the sorts of wine you can find in the Romanian vineyards. And let's start with the old Romanian varieties:
Feteasca (young girl wine) is available as white, black and royal. The white one is a yellow-greenish wine, dried or half dried, depending of the harvesting time and the upcoming treatments, also fruity and velvety.The Royal one, also known as Transylvania yellow or Danasana is a little acid, wit a discreet flavor (the flavor of wood flowers)
Grasa de Cotnari- has a long tradition in Romania, and was mentioned even on the Medium Age of Stephen the Great. Excellent wine, rich flavor, pleasant bouquet.
Babeasca (old maiden wine) is a an old wine wine; dark red, strong and nervous. It is not actually recommended for the old maiden, but for their partners!
Francusa- white easy wine, with a long tradition
Tamaioasa Romaneasca- fruity, sweet, fine

The international wine sorts must be much more familiar to you, I am not going to insist on them:
-Aligote is a well balanced wine. Very fruity, very tasty.
-Muscat Ottonel a white desert wine, with a discreet flavor
-Muscadell-similar to the French Sauvignon, is an easy flavor wine
-Pinot gris, even better results in Romania than in France
-Merlot
-Pinot Noir

Preparing the Autumn Specials

As I talled you more times, trying to warm you up, I am working on the Autumn special offers, namely a week in Romania by harvesting grapes!

25 YEARS AGO IT WAS AN OFFICIAL DUTY OF STUDENTS TO HELP
BY GRAPES HARVESTING. AND WAS NOT BAD! 

There are endless possibilities for that
-active participation, daily harvesting, grapes pressing, processing wine. You must be in the best shape and very reliable. Man, after all is a gentlemen' activity, preparing the new wine, filling the vessels etc. The antique Romans and Greeks were already celebrating The Dyonyssos feast in Autumn. It is very normal to celebrate in Autumn the completion of the agricultural cycle (and year). In the first Sunday of November there is an official celebration, the Harvesting Day (no, Sir, not for grapes exclusively, but for all the fruits of the land which feed us! Maybe poorer this year, due to the long draught, but still an official celebration!)

MANY VINEYARDS STILL USE THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF PRESSING GRAPES

-only watching, but living in the vineyard, drinking must, drinking old wine, tasting some original combinations between the young and the old wine (carcalete is a word to remember). You don't need to be in the best shape, but what you really need is a strong stomach!

-forget the wine tours in Romania, this country has so much more to offer. You can drink a glass of two of good Romanian wine at every meal, just in case. I will also have some special offers in this area, you only need some precious time from your vacation. And you will get much more than a simply vacation.

-living in luxury hotels, going tasting, only visiting the vineyards and the grapes pickers.
Which from the above mentioned tours means going wild for you? And which one would you like to join? Simply tell me by your comments, mail me, only let me know somehow, in order to organize it right.

DANUBE DELTA IS ALSO ROMANIA

Stay tuned, dear friends, and follow me as I have so many things to describe you from this piece of heaven named Romania, and its breathtaking landscapes and endless possibilities to offer you an unforgettable vacation. Danube Delta, Moldavian Monasteries, Black Sea coast, mountains, rich history and so on, I will try to make a complete description, in order to get the all picture. With a bitter mention: the political class, as everywhere in the world, is a big disappointment and also a big danger nowadays. The Bucharest leaders, President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta can't live peacefully together and govern the country. They are simply mad, or only stupid, escaladating daily a personal conflict. Meanwhile, the country is devastated by a catastrophic drought and the Romanian coin loses daily against Euro (but this could represent your unexpected advantage during a Romania Tour).

The new crop, the young wine

Every year, the new grapes crop is a fiesta. The people work hard, so hard in the vineyards from morning until evening, and believe me, it is really a hard work! Nevertheless, they find the necessary energy in the late evening for singing, dancing, drinking must ( young wine) and eating.

It is really amazing to see on their faces a magic shine, the shine of an accomplished duty. And is also amazing to observe these people during their celebrations in the late evening. They don't bother to think to the next day, when they are going to work again very hard (and the other days too, the vintage lasts 1-2 months). Finding this energy is totally a mystery, and is due maybe to the wine( did you observe that under certain circumstances the wine acts similarily with the coffee?). Would you like facing this challenge? Tell me if  you would, we can arrange and organize it.

And keep in mind that you must be very fit, in the best shape if you really wanna take part! There are nevertheless some interesting rewards: money (20 euros daily) and three meals as a bonus. Much more important, the feeling of being very useful, and the opportunity to taste the new wine (must), the old wine and to combine them. The possibilities of having contact with the locals is also to be mentioned.

The local favorite meal for pairing with the must is the smoked sheep. This combination is for long runners indeed, tastes really fantastic, but you need a strong stomach. The next day you are going to drink only water (or tea, even better!) and most probably you won't be able to work. But two or three days with this diet, your training is completed and the locals will adopt you for sure.

How to taste the young wine

The new young wine, also named must, is quite special. Not yet wine, but very close to it. Very unstable, like a baby; as it grows and matures, many diseases can hurt it.

The young wine diet, paired with the grapes diet, is very healthy as the young wine is so rich on antioxydants.  Actually, is one of the best naturally known antioxydants, and I can warmly recommend it to you. But you need only to take some precautions: the combination between must and grapes is an efficient purgative, you need a trained stomach! Not everyone can respect it. Be aware of it, and and don't exceed your personal limit.

Start your diet with no more than a glass of young wine to every meal, associated with one half kilo grape daily. After one week, if no side effects appear, you may increase the over mentioned amount.The best time and place for this special diet is of course, a vineyard by harvesting grapes (in Romania it starts in the middle of August and lasts until the end of October. I can even give you a secret tip: take part to the harvesting (grapes picking). May be not like a local peasant who is payed for it ( it is hard work, believe me! I have done it for many years. You need to be very fit if you want to do it!), but at least I strongly recommend you to live in a vineyard one or two weeks.I can organize it, for sure.

It is really spoiling your senses. The leaves change their color, and make the sight very spectacular. The smell  and taste are  also spoiled because of the grapes, the young wine, or the older wines (don't forget, you are in a vineyard, and every farmer is very proud about the qualities of his products. And is very pleased sharing them with you, this is really hospitality I'd say).

After this trip you will be surely richer (not at all because the money you can earn,Sir!) but because that spectacular atmosphere and the benefits for your health. Simply an experience you may not lose or refuse.

Basic rules for pairing food and drinks

You know, for the success of a meal, you must think in advance about the menu and about the drinks (mainly wines, if you ask me!) pairing with your dishes.
According to my experience, there are some basic rules about it, which are very generally and apply not only in Romania, but also anywhere else in the world, maybe with a few local alterations.
1.For the hors d'oeuvres you can try some appetizers, but also dry normal or sparkling wines. But let it be dry, for sure!
2.For the soups, cream soups or borsh you don't need necessary to pair them with wine; exception, the fish soups where you can use a strong dry white wine. In Romania you find these wines in the vineyards from Moldova and Transylvania.

3.For the fish,craw fish and shells I normally recommend a white wine; but won't say no to a good roze wine!
4.Pair mushrooms with half dry white wine, any other combination is wrong!
5.For the main dishes use the red wines (say it in Romanian: vin rosu). For the white meat, the light red wines; for the red meat use heavier more consistent wines; keep the best reds for the hunting meat.
6.If you use a sort of wine to the cooking of a certain dish, never forget to offer it to the dinner together with that dish!
7.For the cheese use further the  wine of the main dish, the red one.
8.For the desert use use young wine ( or must) if available; also possible to use sweet flavored wines, as Muscat Ottonel!

8. Serve always the lighter wine before the heavier consistent ones; also the first should be the young wine (must).
9.For a normal meal, you don't need more than two sorts of wine, a white one and a red one. On special occasions and sophisticated meals is permitted the third sort of wine; choice it according the upper rules.
10.No matter how many sorts of wine you offer, try not to go beyond the limits of a normal consumption (which is between half and one liter).
My basic rules and recommendations turned to be a Decalogue!Try to respect it if you want that everything go smoothly while your celebration!

Tips and tricks for the right pairing of wines and food

Nothing new under the sun, I can hear you. Who is this man thinking he can teach us pairing food and wines? We know to do this pairing, there is no problem, there is nothing easier on Earth! Sorry to insist, but a normal intelligent man has always something to learn, and admits it. And I am sure you are such intelligent people!

You received even from myself some tips and tricks for the right pairing of wine and food on many other occasions. But, you know, taking part to so many professional wine tasting in Romania makes me to forget the normal wine afficionado as you are, and as I am ( I still hope that a wine afficionado is not alcohol or food addicted! At least we in Europe use to think like that!)

But let's go back to our sheeps! How would you pair a desert, a cooked liver, a salt cheese? These are open questions, applying to normal people who cellar more sorts of wine (this is the real wine afficionado in my opinion). And these are the tips and tricks:

1. Never forget that a red wine is richer and heavier than a white one. Keep the red for the heavy dishes, but keep in mind that this mix between good food and excellent wines leads to obesity, when repeated. So, always strive to live healthy and never forget your morning gym!

2. The sweet dishes are to be completed with an easy white wine, the best is the medium dry Riesling, and avoid the Muscat Ottonel, which is simply too sweet.

3.The cheese, if is salty and spicy, must be currently paired  with a medium dry Merlot. The saltier and spicier the cheese, the drier the wine, keep in mind.

4. The jelly duck liver is a heavy meal, but not the heaviest you know. This is in my opinion to be paired with a sweet red Cabernet Sauvignon.

5.Always pair the fish with a white dry wine, e.g. Aligote which is my favorite! About chicken (you guess, an easy dish must get is white) I recommend a sweet Chardonnay

I still have many other tips and tricks, but I keep them for another occasion (not for myself, as I wanna share with you from all my heart). A special mention: you get all the above named wines as presents when taking part to the wine tasting in Romania! And I am waiting now for your feedback, hoping that all these tricks are useful to you.