We won’t say who, but 50% of vinovidivici is originally from Bistrița
Talking about “childhood memories” from Lechința, Batoș, and the (more or less intact) bike adventures on the Hills of Jelna, this is how we finally ended up discovering the wines of Bistrița.

ONCE UPON A TIME…

So why exactly “Romania’s Burgundy”?
We know Romanians love comparing things to French places and landmarks, but this time we guarantee it’s more than that.
Besides being located on the same northern latitude as France’s premium wine region “Bourgogne” (aka Burgundy), Bistrița is one of the oldest wine‑growing regions in Romania, producing, most likely, the most accurate dry, single‑varietal white wines in the country. (I kid you not )
We said old, not famous, because unfortunately the region is not fully valued at its true potential. Existing vineyards are boutique‑style, meaning small surfaces and volumes usually sold domestically or in specialty shops.
Going back to “old”, we’re talking pre‑Roman conquest, the Dacian period, when the first grape varieties were cultivated here.
The tradition continued with the Romans, and centuries later the Transylvanian Saxons, originally from Germany’s Mosel and Rhine regions (what a coincidence, right? ), colonized Transylvania at the invitation of the Hungarian royalty. Naturally, they brought not only noble grape varieties but also expertise.
Thanks to the Saxons, the area between Mureș, Alba, Sibiu, and Bistrița officially became the “Weinland” of Transylvania and began exporting to royal courts across Europe.
Fast‑forward through phylloxera, world wars, and communism, and you can imagine what happened.
Today, the vineyard surface is one of the smallest in the country (again, unfortunately), with a maximum of around 700 ha (compared to 14,000 ha in Dealu Mare).

In short:

Despite its relatively small size, Bistrița, or more precisely Lechința AOC, borrows know‑how and viticultural techniques from Europe’s most renowned wine regions, and what we see and taste today is the heritage of many generations of craftsmanship and tradition.

CLIMATE & SOIL

As always, we must look at climatic and geological factors to understand the personality of the wines.
How should I put it… it’s cold!
It’s a microclimate ideal for energetic, “crunchy” wines, dominated by cool, foggy mornings and clear, warm afternoons.
Perfect for white wines (80% of plantings), which need slow ripening and maintain excellent acidity.
Returning to the Burgundy comparison, we find similar loamy‑clay soils, giving Lechința wines their characteristic minerality.

GRAPE VARIETIES

The main varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Muscat, Fetească Albă & Regală, Pinot Grigio, and Traminer.
For reds, the delicate Pinot Noir loves cool climates and mineral soils, a perfect fit.
Interestingly, we also found other varieties like Neuburger, Merlot, and Fetească Neagră (to my shock ).
For more details about the main traits of these varieties, you can check the technical sheets here.

TASTINGS

If this isn’t your first article, you already know that in most places we had to book well in advance.
Well, this time, even though we were very spontaneous (we booked just 2 days before), we had some of the most beautiful surprises and warmest welcomes ever .

We begin with LECHBURG.

Armed with patience and low expectations (thanks to past experiences), I called the number on the website to try to book a tasting.
Not only did they answer immediately, but they were incredibly open to hosting us and even offered to show us the winery. And when they asked if we wanted to visit the vineyard… I melted on the spot .

We arrived early in the morning at Lechburg, located in the village of Lechința , also known as “Lechnitz” in German or “Szászlekence” in Hungarian , in the AOC region of the same name, perched on a hilltop on the foundation of a former communist‑era winery.
As I mentioned on Instagram (→ Lechburg Lechința ), at Lechburg, French, German, Austrian, and Italian grape varieties speak fluent Romanian… with a Bistrița accent but also a touch of Italy
We learned that Lechburg officially started in 2015 and is run by two brothers from northern Italy, experienced and passionate about winemaking, eager to highlight Romanian terroir through environmentally friendly practices (the first organic vineyard in Transylvania ), Saxon traditions, and modern technology.
Although considered a boutique winery, Lechburg surprised us with 70 ha of relatively young vines, spread across the Lechința amphitheater , similar in size to their “neighbors” at Liliac.
We were welcomed “Transylvanian‑style” with local cheeses, homemade bread, and wild boar salami, and we tasted:

• Il Frizzante – a fresh Chardonnay with delicate bubbles and notes of golden apples and acacia flowers, perfect for summer with seafood.
• Pinot Grigio – felt like the jewel of the estate (given its Italian pedigree), with vibrant citrus, apple, and pear notes and a touch of salinity.
• Sauvignon Blanc – more aromatic than expected, with peach and elderflower notes.
• Neuburger – a variety I had heard of but never tried, radically different from the previous ones: fuller‑bodied with a tropical bouquet.
• Gewürztraminer – I used to be “at odds” with Traminer (just like with early Riesling versions), but I must admit I found the perfect partner for Asian dishes… honeyed, spicy, yet still nicely acidic.

We left loaded with “goodies” and a clear desire to return to Lechința, and headed toward…

ZAIG & ENGELHARDT (pronounced Tsayg )

Another very pleasant surprise, one phone call was enough to book a tasting and receive directions.
Of all the tastings we’ve had (and there have been a few ), I don’t think we’ve ever been welcomed the way Lechburg and Zaig welcomed us.
At first, we dreamed of elaborate tastings, eager to understand aroma differences, to “bite into the terroir”… well, at Zaig we got more than a tasting, it was a sort of “behind the scenes” or “crash course”.
We were lucky to experience the coolest vertical tasting: We tried Sauvignon Blanc 2025 from Day 1 of harvest (bursting with freshness, green fruit, and mineral notes), then Day 2 with more balanced notes of meadow flowers, apples, gooseberries, linden, and acacia, and by Day 3 you could already feel the temperature shift in the glass.
We learned that mixing lots harvested on different days is common practice to achieve a balanced wine.
Then we tried a 2024 SB with notes of freshly cut grass, unripe green apple, gooseberry again, lemon, and white flowers.
They say that if you want to truly feel a wine’s terroir, the best choice is Sauvignon Blanc, a mirror‑type variety that perfectly reflects soil, climate, and the overall region.
This experience helped me a lot because at that exact time I was studying winemaking and blending methods in the WSET3 course
We continued with the famous Chardonnay (the secret reason we came), discovered accidentally a year ago, a delicious wine with lime zest, green apple, pear, and acacia flower notes.
Both the SB and the Chardonnay felt “correctly” made, with backbone, simple yet phenomenally elegant and balanced.
After the tasting, we visited their shop about 5 minutes away by car, then happily wandered through the nearby vineyards guided by Mrs. Elena.
What struck me was the absence of any water source or lake… I was somehow fixated on the idea that there should be one nearby, but apparently not.
The approx. 13 ha vineyard surrounds the village of Teaca (or Tekendorf ) and focuses mainly on white varieties, though we also tried two rosés from Pinot Noir and Fetească Neagră, both dreamy salmon‑pink with notes of wild strawberries and rosehips, and a Merlot that honestly surprised me to find in their range.
Although the winery is only 13 years old, the centuries‑old Saxon traditions and the noble vines over 100 years old allow Zaig to harmoniously blend the past with modern viticultural practices.

JELNA

The last stop, just a stone’s throw from Bistrița. So close you can get there by taxi or Uber
We didn’t manage to book an “à la carte” tasting because it was Sunday and they had an event, but we did sneak into the restaurant and enjoy a glass of SB.
Unlike Lechburg and Zaig, Jelna offers impressive accommodation options: a 4‑star hotel with spa, a restaurant, and playgrounds.
The winery sits between the previous two in size, with 26 ha of vineyards, mostly white varieties planted on hills and slopes with a southern exposure of up to 500 m, ideal for capturing as much sunlight as possible.
Jelna’s SB gave me an aromatic vibe similar to a feinherb, maybe I’m wrong, but I found elderflower, linden, green apple, pear, and peach notes.

We’re obsessed with hidden treasures, so… to be continued