Banu Mărăcine Vineyard

The Banu Mărăcine vineyard is one of the oldest and most famous vineyards in Oltenia. Since 1962, the Banu Mărăcine Didactic Center operates here. It is an institution belonging to the horticultural higher education, a colossus of 1250 hectares.

In 1966, the teaching staff from the Faculty of Horticulture at the University of Craiova named this viticultural masterpiece Banu Mărăcine. It was considered that the first Romanian who travelled to distant lands and seas (in the year 1328) was the son of the ban Andrei Mărăcine, an Oltenian trueborn, who carried the reputation of the Jiu and Olt, of the Danube and the Carpathians all the way to the shores of the Seine. He would have arrived at the court of King Philip de Valois, in whose service he would have been, supporting him in the war he was fighting with the English. For the bravery of his deeds he was awarded the noble title of Marquis de Ronsard, hence the name Banu Mărăcine.

The Banu Mărăcine Didactic Center is situated in the viticultural center of the same name, renowned for its famous red, white and flavored wines, but also for the wonderful Roua Plaiului brandy, presented in 1996 at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, where it was awarded the silver medal for its finesse and refinement, but also for the authenticity of the technology used to obtain it.

In 1975, the Craiova Experimental Didactic Center was established with the purpose of the practical training of students, carrying out the research activity by the teaching staff and the implementation of the research results in the production activity.

Between 1984-1990, the cellar, one of the largest in the country, was built. The cellar is the place where the wines are matured. Wine assortments are kept in oak barrels. The second basement of the construction follows: the winery. The hall has something magical in it. Here, the bottles are arranged on the shelves in a horizontal position. Every year, after harvesting, a number of bottles are brought up for aging. Shelves are numbered by category. The oldest varieties date back to the 1970s. In the winery there are 20,000 bottles of wine, but also liquor distilled of peaches and plums.

Banu Mărăcine vineyard will enter the touristic circuit

Within the Banu Mărăcine Didactic Center are located Mircea Villa and Remiza Villa, known in the past as the Negrescu Villas, a former Mayor of Craiova, who built a beautiful castle in the middle of the vineyards in honor of his son, Mircea. The building is reminiscent of the famous Brâncovenesc style. Next to the castle, he built a wine cellar, and above it an imposing pavilion, from which you can admire the entire Banu Mărăcine vineyard amphitheater.

Mircea Villa and Remiza Villa have been completely renovated and have 4 single rooms and 3 double rooms, each with its own bathroom, conference room, terrace, wine cellar and kitchen.

Sources:
https://vinul.ro/jurnalistii-de-vin-in-cramele-olteniei.html
https://www.ucv.ro/campus/puncte_de_atractie/vila_mircea/prezentare.php
http://www.cvlpress.ro/10.05.2012/crama-banu-Mărăcine-va-intra-in-circuit-turistic/
https://www.xaaranovack.com/degustare-de-vin-la-statiunea-didactica-banu-Mărăcine/