Image Source: Unknown & Wine with Margaret - Bran Castle what is more often known as Count Dracula’s Castle, forests of Transylvania and a sparkling wine from Jidvei Winery.
There are places in the world that feels… off. You know what I mean right? As though the air itself hums with secrets. Transylvania is one of them. Locals speak in hushed tones of unseen forces—of magnetic fields so potent they twist the senses and awaken something ancient within your soul. Some say the people here are touched by the uncanny. Others believe they simply know too much to speak aloud. Or is it just all make believe?
When the veil thins—on the night of St. George, April 23rd, or the eve of St. Andrew, November 29th — the crossroads seem to come alive. Shadows shift.ing Whispers slither on the wind. Creatures of the night stir from beneath the soil.
And then, there's him...
And then, of course... there’s him. Dracula. The name hisses through history like a serpent in the dark. Noble, eternal, and cursed with a thirst that can never be quenched, he stalks the edge of legend—his silhouette never far from the mind once summoned. I am a sucker for a good scary story, like that of Bram Stoker gave form, but he did not conjure him from nothing. The Irish writer, seduced by the murmurings of Romanian lore, called Transylvania a “whirlpool for the imagination.” He dove in—and what surfaced was a tale soaked in blood and shadow, inked in 1897 and never forgotten.
But Dracula’s roots are tangled in more than myth. They’re real. And they are far more terrifying.
Vlad III—Vlad Draculea, the Son of the Dragon, later feared as Vlad the Impaler—was born in 1431 under a pale sky in the fortified town of Sighișoara. A child of chaos, raised amid betrayal and bloodshed, he grew into a ruler whose methods of punishment bordered on ritual. Thousands impaled, forests of bodies left as warnings—his thirst was not for blood, but for order. And yet the line blurred.
His legend spread like rot. The name “Dracula” still echoes with unease. In Gaelic, “Drac Ullah” is said to mean “bad blood.” A linguistic coincidence—or a whisper from the abyss?
Today, if you dare, you can walk in the shadow of the Count. Sighișoara still stands—its medieval walls silent witnesses to centuries of secrets. To the south, Poenari Fortress clings like a scar to the cliffs, a ruin built on bones, accessible only by a climb that feels more penance than pilgrimage. It’s said the wind howls differently there.
Then there is Bran Castle, perched like a sentinel above a narrow pass, its towers stabbing into a sky often cloaked in storm. Though it may not have been Vlad’s, it feels like his. It watches you. It remembers.
Further north, the Borgo Pass winds through fog-thick forests, and at its peak stands the Castle Dracula Hotel, built unnervingly close to where Jonathan Harker met his fate in fiction. Here, you can dine by candlelight on the very meal described in Dracula—and wonder what else might be watching from beyond the glass.
From Bucharest’s Old Princely Court, where Vlad once ruled with fire, to the eerie Snagov Monastery, rumoured to house his restless remains beneath its altar, Romania’s landscape is littered with echoes of the Impaler.
In Arefu, villagers still tell tales at twilight—tales not read from books, but passed down in low voices, with glances over the shoulder.
In Transylvania, the veil between history and legend is thinner than parchment—and easily torn. Wander too far off the path, and you might find that some myths do not sleep. They wait.
Because in this land of shadow and silence, one truth endures: Legends—like the dead—do not stay buried forever.
Transylvania more than just “Dracula Country”
Secretly, I wished I visited the region of Transylvania, because I like a good horror story, I like shivers running down my spine, combining parts of true history with local folklore, myths and legends. I can imagine beyond the depths of my wildest imagination writing stories as the above. But what has the land of Dracula to do with wine you say?
Well, the mid-western region of Transylvania that lies within a circle of the Carpathian Mountains, is host to over 6,000 hectares of vineyards. Representing a lot of incredible wines. Besides its ancient bloody history, there is in modern times some bloody good wine coming from here!
It hosts an incredible scenery of vineyards, the Transylvanian wine region located in central Romania, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. An impressive mountain range that cuts through the heart of the country. This range, part of the greater Carpathian system in Central and Eastern Europe, covers about one-third of Romania and is divided into three subranges featuring expansive forests. In fact, it is these very forests that give Transylvania its name, which means “beyond the forest.” That is why I found this title to my article really fitting. A forest that holds folklore as no other, history beyond believe almost.
The east side of the Carpathian Mountains are rugged, densely forested, and rich in natural resources, with picturesque monasteries and mineral baths scattered throughout. The southern part, also known as the Meridional Carpathians, are home to Romania’s highest peak, Moldoveanu (2,544 meters), and the famous Transfăgărășan Highway, often hailed as one of the most beautiful mountain roads in the world. Wish I could have seen it myself, maybe one day I’ll come back to Romania and see all this for myself, now I will just keep wondering off in creepy history with a good glass of Transylvanian Red.
In the west lie the Apuseni Mountains, part of the Western Carpathians, with Bihor Peak reaching its 1,840 meters. This part of the Carpathians is renowned for its caves, gorges, and traditional Romanian villages.
Watch this short YouTube film on the region of Transylvania to get a clear idea of its magnificence.
Image Source: Virgin Wines UK
Soil and Climate
This region, like most parts of Romania has a continental climate with warm summers and (on occasion very) cold winters. Autumns are long and mild—ideal conditions for ripening grapes. The hills of the Transylvanian Plateau lie between 400–600 meters in elevation, with annual rainfall somewhere between 500–700 mm. The Carpathians act as a natural barrier, shielding the area from strong Northerly and Siberian winds and contributing to the misty mornings of late spring and early autumn.
Grape Varieties
The cool climate makes Transylvania particularly well-suited to white wine production. Before the phylloxera outbreak in the 1880s, only native grape varieties such as Fetească Albă and Fetească Regală were cultivated, aside from a few brought in earlier by Saxon and Hungarian settlers. After phylloxera subsided, many Romanian vineyards were replanted with international varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Chardonnay.
Want to know more about the PDO’s in Transylvania, then read my article “Romanian Vine Roots Reawakening” on Romania’s wine region’s here.
Transylvanian Wines
Transylvania’s long, gentle autumns contribute to the slow ripening of grapes, allowing for high sugar accumulation while maintaining vibrant acidity and rich aromatic profiles. The average difference between day and night temperatures during ripening can be around 12°C, which helps preserve freshness and flavour complexity.
As a result, most wines produced here are crisp, fresh whites. In the past, these wines tended to be sweet or semi-sweet, but today, more and more producers are embracing the global trend toward dry wines. Due to climate change—shorter, milder winters—and improved techniques, red varieties are now gaining a foothold as well, including the native Fetească Neagră and international grapes like Pinot Noir and Merlot.
Wineries to look out for in Transylvania
Below you will find several Transylvanian Wineries that presented their wines during our stay in Romania during the rosé tasting of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Several wineries stand out for their dedication to quality and tradition. Here’s an overview of five notable Transylvanian wineries that I was lucky enough to taste their wines, during my stay.
Image source: Wine with Margaret:
Jidvei Winery
Situated in the Târnave DOC, along the Târnava rivers, in the heart of Transylvania, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. It is one of the most important and oldest wine regions in Romania.
Jidvei Winery is the largest and biggest winery in all of Romania owning over 2,500 hectares of vineyards in four different locations and can produce about 35 million litres. They have the most diversified portfolio in wines.
The region has a cool climate due to its altitude, and Jidvei’s vineyards are located at altitudes between 200 and 500 meters. The high humidity provided by the nearby Little and Big Târnava rivers. Which is why they have the right conditions to make Late harvest wines as well.
The winery is renowned for its white wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, and the indigenous Fetească varieties. The state-of-the-art modern winemaking techniques, combined with the region's favourable continental-plateau climate, contribute to the distinctive character of Jidvei's wines.
Jidvei presented their wines on several occasions during our stay, with a wine bar set up at different occasions where we were having diner, so that we could fully grasp the depth of Romanian wine throughout the country, and not only wines from the Dobrogea region, which we could taste during the day at our visits. Their portfolio was interesting, and the service was incredible. Thank you!
They offer quite a broad portfolio in wines, for every occasion,
their designs are incredible, and to my opinion they have grasped the true identities of the local varieties. I especially liked their Mysterium Sparkling wine, vintage 2021. It was juicy, refreshing, lovely delicate mousse, good depth, riper fruit characteristics and that brioche note in the finish.
Image Source: above left: Wine with Margaret, left: Villa Vinèa and right Wine with Margaret.
Villa Vinèa Winery
Villa Vinèa also called the “Little Tyrol on Târnava Micâ River”. In 2004, there was Heiner Oberrauch that is native to south Tyrol, that invested in the Târnava Micâ Valley, Mureș County which today has a modern cellar and 32 hectares of vineyards. The local varaties of Fetească are planted here as well as international ones like Gewürztraminer, Rhein Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Pinot Noir.
Nestled along the Târnava River, Villa Vinèa benefits from a diverse soil rich in limestone and minerals, imparting unique flavours to its wines. An important criterion for the winery is to keep the authenticity of the region’s terroir and grapes, benefitting the result in produced wines. They have complex soil compositions, that are very rich in minerality, it is generally sunny and windy in climate. And Villa Vinèa's commitment to quality is evident in their meticulous vineyard management and innovative winemaking approaches.
Image Source: Wine with Margaret
Crama La Salina a homage to Potaissa.
This young winery just started in 2011, when two investors bought a 70-hectare plot near the Turda Salt Mine in Transylvania. The old vines were clear-cut, about 42 hectares were being replanted with seven international varieties and 1 indigenous variety being Fetească Neagră.
Because of its unique location near the historic Turda Salt Mine on the Durgău Hills, Crama La Salina revives a viticultural tradition dating back to Roman times when the area was known as Potaissa. The name is a tribute to the ancient Potaissa settlement from Dacia, which was first a fortress, then a city and eventually taken as a Roman colony. The winery's ISSA range pays homage to this heritage, offering wines that reflect the unique terroir of the Arieș Valley. Specializing in white wines, Crama La Salina emphasizes the distinct characteristics imparted by the region's climate and soil.
Liliac Winery
Embracing Transylvanian viticultural traditions, and a modern wine making approach. Liliac Winery combines hand-harvested grapes with modern winemaking techniques to produce distinctive wines. The winery's name, meaning "bat" in Romanian, symbolizes the guardianship of the vineyards by the native bats that inhabit the area. So, nothing to do with Dracula at all, but off course a lovely ‘gimmick’ when selling your wines. Liliac offers a variety of wines, including the indigenous Fetească Neagră and its international varietals, all crafted to showcase the region's potential.
Image Source: Georgi Curnic / TheMoment.ro
Image Source: Left Georgi Curnic / TheMoment.ro, right Darabont familia
Familia Darabont
In the heart of Bihor County, northern part of Transylvania. The Darabont’s manages over 40 hectares of vineyards, scattered out over 18 different plots. A winery that has been in the family for three generations now. The winery blends traditional values with modern technology to produce wines that reflect the family's dedication and the region's terroir. Their portfolio includes a range of varietals, each crafted to offer a unique tasting experience.
The character of the Darabont wines all has to do with its priceless terroir. It is like they say, “the history of our slopes, the treasures, and the traditions of our ancestors are passed on through the unique soil of Biharia to our vines, being transformed into delicious grapes that reveal their secrets only inside your glass”.