Taking place at Sanders Yard in Whitby on 17 August 2026, the Whitby Sommeliers enjoyed a wonderful and informative presentation on Romanian wine by our Chairman, Robert Smith.

There were 27 attendees, with numbers slightly reduced due to many people being away on summer holidays.

Robert included a map with the list of wines, highlighting the areas they came from and the regions he had visited. He also gave us a brief history of the country and some interesting facts about Romanian wine production.

The wines were very varied — particularly the welcome wine, which provoked a lot of discussion due to its very citrus‑and‑herb flavour. A big talking point was the Dracula 555, understandably of higher interest given our location in Whitby. It was very good, though perhaps a little heavy for some when paired with our Caesar salad and seafood gratin.

As always, it was a lovely evening with fabulous food served by Sophie. A poll at the end of the evening revealed the favourite wine to be the first red, Vast, closely followed by the delightful rosé Babele.

Peter Bolton gave a vote of thanks and informed us that Lidl were selling a very good wine from Moldova for £3.99!