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Breviaries mentioned its name four hundred years ago when it was found in the possession of Theodosie Rudeanu, a great boyar, logothete, historian, diplomat and strategist, called "the most profound statesman of the Romanian boyars at the time", the right hand of Michael the Brave. Breviaries tells that wine was produced here even then, describing the subtleties of the cup bearer position in 1638. Over the years, the land had notable owners: the nephew of Dan Danilovici, the Lord High Treasurer of Matei Basarab, then Constantin Brâncoveanu's son-in-law and, around 1800, it became the property of the Brătianu family.
In 1906, Vintilă Brătianu hired August Joseph Ville, one of the most well-known oenologists in France, to recover the vineyards on his lands in Florica, Drăgăşani and Sâmbureşti. In 1893, he leaved France permanently as, on the Romanian Government's request, the French State gives him the mission to help Romania recover vineyards destroyed by phylloxera. He bringed Muscat Ottonel, Merlot and some other wine varieties into the country for the first time, then he started breeding and spreading them.
On the occasion of the apportionment of property in 1945 (a prelude to the collectivization to come), excluding the estates that entered the peasants' possession, part of the lands became the property of the State and formed the AFSMs (Administration of State Farms and Machinery Parking). In 1949, the collectivization turned the former property of Vintilă Brătianu into G.A.S. Sâmbureşti, owner of more than 70 ha of orchards, 40 ha of vineyards and 300 ha of woods. The Wine Preparation Complex from Sâmbureşti and the Wine Research Centre were built in the eighties. In 2005, Jean Valvis, the builder of Dorna and LaDorna brands, takes over Sâmbureşti vineyards and revives the old traditions of those places.
The high quality of the red wines from Sâmbureşti was pointed put long time ago in some didactic papers. However, systematic studies concerning the potentialities of this wine-growing zone were initiated only in 1992. Always seated next to the most powerful (it was the high class protocol wine under the communist regime; it is said that it was Stalin's favorite wine), the Sâmbureşti wine has never lost its noble origins, thanks to the people that cherished and respected it. At Sâmbureşti, one will not only find the most famous international varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot), but also the oldest and noblest Romanian ones (Fetească Regală, Fetească Albă, Fetească Neagră).
Infos and photos from here and here.
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