The site didn’t show many details, so I decided to call the phone number and asked the lady who answered if she could recommend accommodation nearby.
We found out that Conacul Apogeum would be the ideal place to stay, located right in the Tohani vineyard, where the event was being held.
Admittedly, there were other accommodations in the area, but they either involved walking through the village (we weren’t sure about sidewalks, etc.) or going by car (meaning someone couldn’t taste, someone had to sacrifice, so it didn’t make sense).
And even though the price on Booking was quite steep – €168 for a double room with breakfast – we decided to stay at the event location, especially after reading the history of the manor.
We arrived at Tohani in less than an hour from Henri Coandă Airport, in a light rain that we hoped wouldn’t last.
The weekend was forecast to be rainy, unfortunately, so we both came prepared with raincoats and rubber boots (you can tell how much we wanted to be there).

Getting close to Ground Zero…

Initially, we spotted the Valahorum sign on a building and then a sign on the roadside for “Crama Apogeum,” but no sign for Crama Tohani. Hmm…
I still took a “signature” photo with the Apogeum sign… proud to have ticked another box in the Dealu Mare area .
We plucked up the courage, went in, and left the car in the parking lot (I wasn’t quite clear on the connection between Valahorum, Apogeum, and Tohani, but we were about to find out later that evening ).
The domain was quite vast, with many buildings, green areas, and parking lots… so we decided to look for the reception. Of all the buildings on the domain, the Neo-Romanian style manor, officially named “Crama Apogeum,” stood out, and we learned that it was the residence of Prince Nicholas starting in 1930.
OK, and who was Prince Nicholas?
I initially confused him with Prince Radu because of one of the wines created by Tohani… my bad .
Nicholas (or Nicky)… the fourth child of the famous couple King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie of Romania, who will be remembered in history as the most “romantic” prince, having all his royal titles and privileges stripped because of the beautiful Ioana Dumitrescu-Doletti, a native of Tohani, the daughter of the landowner Iorgu Dumitrescu.
It seems Nicky became one of the regents for his younger son (later King Michael) upon the death of his father, Ferdinand, in 1927, but the regency ended when his older brother, Carol, returned to the country and claimed the throne as Carol II of Romania.
Drama upon drama – as in any (royal) family – the brothers argued, but… love triumphed and Nicholas married the “non-royalty” Ioana Doletti in 1931, right there in Tohani (imagine that)… but they paid the price: Nicholas and Ioana were exiled.
A few years later, Carol died, Michael stepped into the spotlight, and Nicholas re-entered royal favor, being named Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1942.
He died in Madrid in 1978, but… he is buried next to Ioana at Curtea de Argeș.
My thoughts immediately went to “The Crown,” and the similar story of Edward VIII, who also gave up the throne for his love, **Wallis Simpson**.

The winery tour was extremely helpful for what was to follow in the evening during the tasting, specifically to understand why Crama Apogeum is unique in Romania and why Apogeum wines are in the Top 1% of all wines worldwide. Guided by sommelier Ștefan Timofti, we descended a few meters into the cellar – dating back to 1773 – where we discovered the clay amphorae, the French oak barrels, and the collections that held the “signature” wine – namely: Fetească Neagră de Apogeum.

We learned that the vine rootstocks are at least 50 years old, the calcareous soil rich in iron oxide is ideal for red varieties (this gives the famous red/ruby pigment), and the focus is on quality, not quantity: the production of Fetească Neagră is only 5 tonnes/ha. Two fermentations in amphorae, followed by maturation in French barrels for 24 months, and then a final maturation in bottle for 12 months.
This results in a restricted, yet extremely precious collection of Fetească Neagră, up to approximately 5000 bottles/year (exception being 2016 with 9860 bottles), worth collecting and savoring given the unique methods and reputation. (Gold Medal (95 points) at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards 2021).

We were then able to delight in a suite of appetizer, main course, and dessert for dinner, all accompanied by:

• Valahorum – Summer Wine White Fetească Albă and Chardonnay – a “storytelling” wine – conversational, as I like to call it, with notes of elderflower and pears, which paired wonderfully with the puff pastry and soft cheese appetizer.
• Valahorum, Summer Wine Rosé – Fetească Neagră and Busuioacă – again a light, fresh wine, with notes of berries, served alongside duck leg confit, and finally…
• Apogeum Feteasca Neagră – the one and only… which concluded the evening along with the lava cake dessert. I was surprised by the soft tannins, of course due to the unique maturation methods, the elegant and velvety notes of chocolate and oak, plum jam and dried plums, perfectly balanced. Our rating and Vivino’s: 4.4

The Subcarpați concert continued around a campfire, under the moonlight, happy that I managed to capture the image below, and equally happy that we managed to meet one of the most renowned oenology experts here, who has been collaborating with Tohani since 2000, namely Albertus Van Der Merwe.

I couldn’t say what the tasting experience would have been like without the grape harvest, without the concert, without the workshops, and without all these details that made all the difference.

Note:

• The hotel is “Adult Only”
• We recommend calling to check where the rooms are located – the accommodation is in two different buildings, and unfortunately, Booking does not specify this. The main location, which also includes the restaurant, has larger rooms and a different standard.
• It would be ideal to go on a weekend when certain events are organized or the program is pre-established, otherwise there is a risk of arriving there and a guided tour or wine tasting might not be possible.
• There are also accommodations near the winery, check on booking, airbnb, or even on google maps.