AGRICOLA STIRBEY

REBIRTH OF A TRADITION For over 300 years the wines of Prince Stirbey family are grown according to a core of welldeveloped principles, preserved by each generation. Our wish is to respect them and pass them to the future generations, as well: Discovery of traditional grape varieties We are adepts of traditional grape varieties, evolved over the centuries and adapted to the pedoclimatic conditions of a wine region. Only there they can fully develop their personality. Vinifying them separately, we are only producing single grape wines, in order to reveal the individual character of each variety. Discovery of Terroir Soil, climate, flora and fauna, as well as customs of people working in our vineyards and in our winery, they all stongly influence the development of our grapes and wines giving each single parcel a specific character synthesized as Terroir or, in a profounder understanding, Genius Loci the spirit of the place. Our aim is to convey this Genius Loci in all our wines. Nature has priority We are convinced that the forces of nature are able to give us much healthier and durable products than any human technical intervention could. We are nurturing the grapevines only by manual work and not mechanically, reducing chemical treatments down to a minimum. At vinification we respect the natures rythm in fermentation and aging, thus not forcing the process through technical interventions. Stirbey Quality Seal For many generations, Prince Stirbey family has actively contributed to the development of the Romanian nation. Thus, Prince Stirbey became a synonym for excellency. We guarantee that by their outstanding quality, all Prince Stirbey wines deserve bearing this name as a quality seal. HISTORY The Princely family Stirbey, of Wallachian origin, first time documented in the 15th century has marked the political and economic development of the country, through many generations. After the Revolution of 1848, in difficult times, Prince Barbu Stirbey (1799-1869) is elected Reigning Prince (Domnitor) of Tara Romaneasca, and seeks balanced relationships with the Ottoman Empire, the Empire of Austria-Hungary and with the Russian Empire, thus setting the foundations for an independent state. Under his rule (1849-1856), Tara Romaneasca went from a

feudal and agriculture-based country to an enlightened nation, with its first industrial enterprises, a modern educational system and a well-developed road network. Prince Barbu Alexandru Stirbey (1873-1946), grandson of Domnitor Barbu Stirbey, was one of the most influential Romanian personalities in the first half of the 20th century. His influence is well known both in the politics of those times Barbu Stirbey was the Head Counselor of King Carol I and King Ferdinand but also in the economy he was the Administrator of Royal Domains and Chairman of some industrial enterprises and banks. Prince Barbu Alexandru Stirbey managed to convert his estates in Buftea (Ilfov County), Stirbeiu (today- Iancu Jianu, Olt County), Galicea Mare (Dolj County) and Onesti (Iasi County) into a profitable agricultural cluster, through investments in processing facilities for agricultural products. For example, he established the very first canning factory in Romania, at Buftea. The wines produced on his domains were aging in the huge cellars of the Stirbey Palace in Bucharest. Through modern marketing, Barbu Stirbey promoted his products, under the brand Stirbey, which became synonymous with outstanding quality. At the beginning of the 20th century, after the Phylloxera pest ravaged the vineyards across the country, Prince Barbu Stirbey was the owner of the largest grapevine nursery in Romania, where mostly domestic varieties of grapevines were being grafted Prince Stirbey was promoting these native varieties, which had been nearly displaced by foreign varieties. In 1946, Princess Maria Stirbey, the eldest daughter of Prince Barbu Alexandru Stirbey, inherited the vineyards in Dragasani, owned by the family since 17th century. After the national expropriation in 1949, its operations were carried on as a state-owned winery. In 2001, the vineyards and the cellar were restored to the heirs of Princess Stirbey. Baroness Ileana Kripp, granddaughter of Princess Maria Stirbey, devoted her efforts to the rebirth of this family tradition, and together with her husband, she renovated the winery and equipped the cellar with modern technology, in order to provide the customers with high quality wines from the Stirbey wine estate in Dragasani.