Rhein & CIE Azuga 1892 Cellars

Rhein & CIE Azuga 1892 Cellars have been established in 1892 by Wilhelm Rhein, who, upon the request of King Carol I, contributed to the development of the area. With a history closely linked to the history of the Royal House of Romania, Rhein Cellars is the oldest establishment where sparkling wine has been produced without interruption, through the traditional method. The remarkable qualities of Rhein Extra sparkling wine have been acknowledged ever since 1906, the wine being awarded today in the most prestigious international competitions.

From a historical point of view, during the same period many champagne houses are established and developed in France, Italy and Germany. Few people know that Romania is the fourth country in the world where sparkling wine was made by natural fermentation in the bottle (after France, Germany, Russia). The cellars were built on the surface. The double thick walls of approx. 1.50 meters, with air cushion and specific climate of the area facilitates the creation of favorable conditions for the production of naturally fermented sparkling wine in the bottle. The temperature is maintained naturally, during the summer period it does not increase above 14° C, and in the winter it does not decrease below 5° C.

THE OFFICIAL SUPPLIER OF THE ROYAL HOUSE OF ROMANIA

The history of Rhein & CIE Cellars is connected to the Royal House of Romania ever since 1904 when it became the official supplier of the Royal House of Romania until this moment when in 2020 our winery received again the status of Official Supplier of the Royal House of Romania for wines and RHEIN EXTRA sparkling wine, a reconfirmation of high standards and unique attributes of Domeniile Alexandrion Rhein 1892 wines, internationally recognized. The RHEIN EXTRA sparkling wine was present in the menu made on the occasion of the coronation ceremony of King Ferdinand, in Alba Iulia, 15 of October 1922. The heir of the oldest sparkling wine company continues the tradition as the official supplier of the Royal House of Romania by bringing back the elegance and charm of RHEIN EXTRA from the interwar period and the same quality liquid since then.

Our Winery

Our winery is blend of history, tradition, experience and passion, dating back to 1892.

We are one of the largest Romanian bottled wine exporters and about 60% of the annual production is sold abroad. Year after year, the wines we produce have been awarded in numerous prestigious international competitions. Also, our winery is the first Romanian wine producer that was awarded The Grand Gold Medal in the “Concours Mondial de Bruxelles”. We are successfully capitalizing the potential and diversity of the Romania’s wine regions, owning over 255 hectares of vineyards in Dealu Mare and other wine regions, with production, warehousing facilities, bottling lines, warehouse with controlled temperature and underground cellars.

Dealu Mare (or Big Hill), located within Dealurile Munteniei (Muntenia’s Hills) wine region, has deep roots in the history of the region which is called the “land of red wines”. The typical warm, dry microclimate and the rather long autumns favours a slow and thorough ripening of the grapes. There is a long vegetation time of 210-240 days with a maximum humidity of 55-80%. The soil here is strewn with marine fossils and the grapes enjoy the perfect combination of warm days and cool nights.