Since we gave rebirth to Știrbey wines from Drăgășani, we were (and still are!) looking for evidences of Știrbey wines’ tradition – in archives and antique shops, at collectors and senior friends.
One of these evidences is an advertising found by a good friend of ours in a telephone book of 1915, for “Bucharest and the whole country”. At that time, all telephone numbers in Romania could be found in a single booklet of about 100 pages…
The advertisement mentions the wine “Dessert Știrbey” – for sure bearing the same label like we found recently and re-edited for our limited edition of Dessert Știrbey, vintage 2011!
Furhtermore, on this Știrbey wine list appears also a wine “grape of Champagne” – it was the predecessor of our actual sparkling wine, vinified in “methode champenoise”.
And at the bottom of the page it writes: “If you are being served ȘTIRBEY WINE, please pay attention if the cork, the capsule and the label are intact” – evidencing that already 100 years ago Știrbey wines were of high reputation due to their ex-cellent quality, tempting some restaurants to “re-use” bottles or labels of Știrbey wine for wines of poorer quality, which were easier to sell in the noble Știrbey packing.
This may happen nowadays as well… So it might not harm to follow this recommendation of 1915, if this evening a Știrbey wine is being served at your table!
12.12.2012
Jakob & Ileana Kripp
Orient Express Menu — May 1925
New Year’s Menu – 31st December 1903