Romanian Sparkling Wine Finds Its Own Voice: Olimpia Pleșa Brandhuber and Ghidul Chic
With Ghidul Chic al vinului spumant românesc, the first book dedicated to Romanian sparkling wine, Olimpia Pleșa Brandhuber’s mission to give the category greater visibility, context and its own voice enters a new chapter.
When Wine Travel Awards first introduced Romanian sparkling wine advocate Olimpia Pleșa Brandhuber to its international community, her ambition was clear: to bring greater visibility to Romanian sparkling wine and contribute to its recognition as a distinct category.
Six years after launching Iubesc Spumantul Românesc – I Love Romanian Sparkling Wine, that mission has taken a new form: Ghidul Chic al vinului spumant românesc (The Chic Guide to Romanian Sparkling Wine), a comprehensive book dedicated to understanding, discovering and experiencing Romanian sparkling wine.
The timing is significant. Romania’s sparkling wine scene is in genuine effervescence. New labels appear every year, producers diversify their portfolios, and both traditional and Charmat methods are explored through different grape varieties, regions and styles.
Yet an emerging category needs more than good wines. It needs communication, language, knowledge and cultural context.
This is where Ghidul Chic finds its purpose: bringing together previously fragmented information and creating a point of reference for consumers who want to understand what Romanian producers are making and how to choose, enjoy and appreciate sparkling wine.
31 wines, 15 Romanian cheeses and a contemporary way of experiencing wine
Across approximately 360 pages, the book explores production methods, styles, grape varieties, glassware, gastronomy and sensory perception, bringing elements of neuroscience into an accessible conversation about taste.
Its distinctive aesthetic combines original illustrations, photography created especially for the volume and carefully conceived graphic design.
At its heart is an editorial selection of 31 Romanian sparkling wines, curated by Olimpia from 15 years of direct experience with sparkling wine through tasting, judging, events, education and communication. Wines were chosen for their quality, accessibility, diversity and relevance to the category.
There is also an unusual twist: rather than simply telling readers what is good, each wine is associated with the character of the person to whom it might be given. Wine becomes something to understand, share and offer with intention.
The book also opens a window onto another evolving Romanian category: fine local cheeses. Fifteen Romanian cheeses are paired with 15 traditional-method Romanian sparkling wines, bringing together two expressions of the country’s contemporary food and wine culture.
Everything begins in Champagne
The book carries the subtitle “Totul începe în Champagne” – “Everything begins in Champagne.”
A dedicated chapter looks towards Champagne as the great historical and cultural reference for sparkling wine. The purpose, however, is not to compare Romanian sparkling wine with Champagne, but to understand the world’s great reference while giving Romanian sparkling wine its own place and its own voice.
Romania does not need to imitate another successful sparkling wine identity. It needs to define, consolidate and articulate its own.
A category in the making
Ghidul Chic reflects a broader movement in Romania, where wine culture, gastronomy, hospitality and interest in high-quality local products are evolving together.
Romanian sparkling wine already offers diversity in regions, grape varieties, production methods and styles. The next challenge is to strengthen the category’s identity and reputation, both at home and internationally.
It has the potential to become one of the recognisable expressions of contemporary Romania: a product connected to quality, gastronomy, hospitality, creativity and a modern culture of enjoying life.
This is also why books matter.
Producers need consumers to understand what they are creating; consumers need reliable points of reference to choose with confidence; and a young wine category needs written knowledge and a vocabulary of its own.
Sometimes, the role of a book is not simply to document a category, but to help that category express its identity.
For Olimpia Pleșa Brandhuber, Ghidul Chic al vinului spumant românesc is another step towards giving Romanian sparkling wine the context, visibility and voice to speak for itself – first in Romania, and increasingly to the world.
Discover Ghidul Chic al vinului spumant românesc
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