Sunt oameni care spun povestea locurilor si locuri care spun povestea oamenilor. Iar la Jelna – Amprenta Transilvaniei pe oricine intalnesti este dornic sa iti spuna povestile locului, mai vechi sau mai noi, care mai de care mai interesanta si mai captivanta. Sunt povesti despre dealuri cu vita de vie din vremea sasilor, despre vinuri, despre Castrul roman de la Livezile sau despre Castelul Teleki din Posmus – cel proaspat renovat, dar mai ales despre fresca Navicella, descoperita intre ruinele Bisericii Evanghelice, din satul Jelna, care a dat numele unei game intregi de vinuri premium apartinand tanarului si micutului domeniu viticol. Dar sunt si povesti mai noi, pe care oamenii locului cu multa modestie nu le rostesc, insa care merita pe deplin impartasite, deoarece sunt demne de toata isprava. Asadar, vorbim aici si acum la categoria Travel despre Crama Jelna Resort & Spa, locul unde de la proiect la atitudine, totul este la superlativ! 

Dar hai sa o luam pe rand…

Am descoperit locatia, despre care marturisesc nu stiam absolut nimic, cu totul intamplator pe Facebook. Si nu imi fac o mare pricina pentru ca in urma cu aproximativ trei ani aici nu era mai nimic.

Totul a pornit de la visul a doi frati, oameni ai locului, de a continua si ocroti o poveste, o zona si un spirit viti-vinicol care a zacut adormit timp de mai multe secole in Jelna.

Asadar oamenii au inceput cu via, au continuat cu vinul si au ajuns la hotel & Spa pentru ca experinta oaspetelui sa fie una completa. Pe parcursul calatoriei, inimoasei echipe i s-a alaturat si winemaker-ul Darius Pripon – un om absolut senzational pe care am avut placerea sa il cunosc personal in cadrul vizitei in Crama. Din bogata istorie viticola a zonei, care dateaza inca de pe vremea Imperiului Austro-Ungar (primele mentiuni despre domeniile viticole din Jelna datand din 1766), oenologul a pastrat rigurozitatea saseasca, pe care a aplicat-o pentru a obtine o serie de vinuri de exceptie, din soiurile cultivate pe cele 26 de hectare de vita-de-vie, varsta medie fiind de 5 ani (Sauvignon Blanc, Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Regala, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Noir).

Am incercat in urma recomandarilor gazdelor cate ceva din fiecare din cele trei game pe care ei le produc cu foarte mare succes: Jelna (dupa numele cramei), Dealu Negru (dupa numele formei de relief din apropiere) si Navicella (gama premium ce poarta numele celebrei fresce pentru care se spune ca Petrus Murator, pictorul bisericii, cel care se presupune ca a pictat Navicella, a fost platit in butoaie cu vin). Nu m-as hazarda sa fac un top al lor, insa toate merita incercate! Macar acestea! 

Si cum am inceput cu vinurile, nu pot continua cu nimic altceva decat mancarea. Este realmente senzationala, cele mai multe dintre preparate avand la baza ingrediente locale de la gospodariile si micile afaceri din zona. Am incercat, in micul sejur petrecut aici, din bucatele internationale cu amprenta locala: Trio de bruschete rosii, somon fume, crema de branza, Creveti in crusta de panko cu sos sweet chilli (absolut senzationali), Duo de crochete de branza picanta (preparat inedit, de neratat), Salata de vinete cu rosii (una dintre cele mai bune incercate ever), Burrata cu rosii cherry si sos pesto, Parfait de ficat de pui cu ceapa caramelizata (cu siguranta merita gustat).

Ciorbele se servesc pana la ora 18:00, insa chiar si asa am reusit sa gust: Supa crema de telina cu biscuiti de parmezan, gorgonzola si migdale (prezentata exceptional, cu gust rafinat, pe masura), Supa crema de hribi cu pesto (interesanta, de incercat) dar si clasicele Ciorbe de vacuta cu legume si de pui a la grec care, marturisesc, nu m-au dezamagit deloc.

Ca si preparate de baza am incercat Caracatita cu sos de citrice, jeleu de lamaie si mix de salata (gatita corect, practic ti se topeste in gura), Creveti in sos de vin (un MUST!), Rasol de cerb sous-vide cu hribi aromatizati cu unt patrunjel si usturoi (cerb adevarat, vanat in padurile Ungariei dupa spusele gazdelor, imperecheat cu hribi autohtoni), Rib Eye Steak cu cartofi aromatizati cu pesto si parmezan, sos chimichurri si mix de salata (aici as putea spune doar ca textura cartofilor a fost un pic prea aldente raportata cu asteptarile, insa vita a compensat) si Cotlete de miel si piure de cartofi cu spanac si dulceata de ardei iute – unele dintre cele mai fragede, suculente si gustoase pe care le-am mancat.

La o singura masa am reusit sa imi las loc pentru desert, iar alesul a fost un Choux cu crema de fistic si sos de vanilie, o incantare pentru papile si ochi deopotriva.

Micul dejun a fost unul foarte reusit, variat, cu foarte multe preparate din ingrediente locale.

In locatie se organizeaza si evenimente (si chiar am prins doua nunti marisoare) insa gradul de antifonare al salii nu permite zgomotului produs de petrecareti sa perturbe activitatea si linistea turistilor din pensiune si chiar hotel (care este chiar in vecinatatea salii de evenimente care are o capacitate de 500 de persoane).

Centrul SPA are cate ceva pentru fiecare: piscina interioara pentru adulti, un bazin cu apa sarata si unul de mica adancime pentru cei mai mici dintre oaspeti, o sauna umeda, una uscata dar si un cabinet de masaj cu proceduri variate (contra-cost si necesita programare prealabila).

La recomandarea gazdelor am ajuns si la Castelul Teleki din Posmus – cel proaspat renovat, o surpriza foarte placuta. In curtea castelului se gaseste unul dintre cei mai vechi si mai mari stejari din Romania (7,23 m circumferinta si 29 m inaltime). Plantat in 1406, stejarul a trecut prin doua incendii, fiind lovit de fulger insa a dainuit pana azi, spunandu-ne si el legenda sa: cuplurile care se saruta in fata stejarului vor ramane impreuna secole la rand.  Distanta pana acolo este relativ mica iar peisajul este teribil de pitoresc.

Am lasat la final aspectele cu care cred ca ar fi trebuit sa incep acest articol: atitudinea, politetea si caldura gazdelor! Am intalnit in multe locuri oameni faini si serviabili, calitatea de gazde bune a ardelenilor fiind proverbiala, insa cei de la Jelna exceleaza cu adevarat si pentru aceasta ma inclin cu maxim respect. Nu a fost absolut nicio solicitare care sa nu primit un raspuns favorabil. Mi-ar fi fost teribil de usor sa pot nominaliza pe cineva, sa fi putut intocmi un top, sau macar o lista scurta, insa din pacate pentru mine si din fericire pentru aceasta locatie tot personalul merita locul 1 pentru prestatie.

Felicitari dragilor, sunteti cei care pun in primul rand Amprenta Transilaviei pe acest loc!  

Daca v-a placut recomandarea Jelna – Amprenta Transilvaniei, va invit si in:

English version

Jelna – Transylvania Imprint

There are people who tell the story of places and places that tell the story of people. And at Jelna – Amprenta Transilvaniei, everyone you meet is eager to tell you the stories of the place, old or new, which are more interesting and captivating. There are stories about hills with vines from the time of the Saxons, about wines, about the Roman Castle from Livezile or about the Teleki Castle in Posmus – the newly renovated one, but especially about the Navicella fresco, discovered among the ruins of the Evangelical Church, in the village of Jelna, which gave the name to a whole range of premium wines belonging to the young and small wine estate. But there are also newer stories, which the local people very modestly do not tell, but which are fully worth sharing, because they are worthy of all the feat. So, we are talking here and now in the Travel category about Crama Jelna Resort & Spa, the place where from the project to the attitude, everything is superlative!

But let’s take it one at a time…

I discovered the location, which I confess I knew absolutely nothing about, completely by chance on Facebook. And I don’t make a big deal of it because about three years ago there was nothing here.

It all started from the dream of two brothers, local people, to continue and protect a story, an area and a wine-growing spirit that lay dormant for several centuries in Jelna.

So the people started with the vineyard, continued with the wine and arrived at the hotel & Spa so that the guest’s experience is complete. During the trip, the friendly team was joined by the winemaker Darius Pripon – an absolutely sensational man whom I had the pleasure of meeting personally during the visit to the Winery. From the rich viticultural history of the area, which dates back to the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (the first mentions of the viticultural domains in Jelna dating from 1766), the oenologist has kept the Saxon rigor, which he applied to obtain a series of wines of exception, from the varieties cultivated on the 26 hectares of vines, the average age being 5 years (Sauvignon Blanc, Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Regala, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Noir).

Following the recommendations of the hosts, I tried something from each of the three ranges that they produce with great success: Jelna (after the name of the winery), Dealu Negru (after the name of the nearby relief) and Navicella (the premium range that bears the name the famous fresco for which it is said that Petrus Murator, the painter of the church, who is supposed to have painted Navicella, was paid in barrels of wine). I wouldn’t risk making a top of them, but they are all worth trying! At least these!

And since I started with the wines, I can’t continue with anything else but the food. It is truly national, most of the dishes are based on local ingredients from farms and small businesses in the area. During my short stay here, I tried some of the international dishes with a local touch: Trio of red bruschetta, smoked salmon, cream cheese, Panko-crusted shrimp with sweet chilli sauce (absolutely sensational), Duo of spicy cheese croquettes (prepared unique, not to be missed), Eggplant salad with tomatoes (one of the best ever tried), Burrata with cherry tomatoes and pesto sauce, Chicken liver parfait with caramelized onions (definitely worth tasting).

The soups are served until 6:00 p.m., but even so I managed to taste: Celery cream soup with Parmesan biscuits, gorgonzola and almonds (exceptionally presented, with a refined taste), mushroom cream soup with pesto ( interesting, to try) but also the classic Greek-style beef and chicken soups, which, I confess, did not disappoint me at all.

As main dishes, I tried Octopus with citrus sauce, lemon jelly and salad mix (cooked correctly, it practically melts in your mouth), Prawns in wine sauce (a MUST!), Sous-vide deer brine with hribs flavored with parsley butter and garlic (real deer, hunted in the forests of Hungary according to the hosts, paired with local hribs), Rib Eye Steak with potatoes flavored with pesto and parmesan, chimichurri sauce and salad mix (here I could only say that the texture the potatoes were a bit too thick compared to expectations, but the beef compensated) and Lamb chops and mashed potatoes with spinach and hot pepper jam – some of the most tender, juicy and tasty I’ve eaten.

At one table I managed to leave room for dessert, and the chosen one was a Choux with pistachio cream and vanilla sauce, a delight for the taste buds and eyes alike.

The breakfast was very successful, varied, with many dishes made from local ingredients.

Events are also organized in the location (and we even caught two large weddings), but the soundproofing level of the hall does not allow the noise produced by the parties to disturb the activity and tranquility of the tourists in the guesthouse and even the hotel (which is right next to the event hall which has a capacity of 500 people).

The SPA center has something for everyone: indoor swimming pool for adults, a salt water pool and a shallow one for the smallest of the guests, a wet sauna, a dry one and also a massage room with various procedures (for a fee and requires prior appointment).

On the recommendation of the hosts, we also arrived at the Teleki Castle in Posmus – the newly renovated one, a very pleasant surprise. In the courtyard of the castle there is one of the oldest and largest oak trees in Romania (7.23 m circumference and 29 m height). Planted in 1406, the oak went through two fires, being struck by lightning, but it has lasted until today, telling us its legend: couples who kiss in front of the oak will stay together for centuries in a row.The distance to get there is relatively short and the landscape is terribly picturesque.

I left at the end the aspects with which I think I should have started this article: the attitude, politeness and warmth of the hosts! I have met nice and helpful people in many places, but the quality of good hosts of Transylvanian people is proverbial, but those from Jelna really excel and for this I bow with the utmost respect. There was absolutely no request that did not receive a favorable response. It would have been terribly easy for me to be able to nominate someone, to have been able to prepare a top, or at least a short list, but unfortunately for me and fortunately for this location, all the staff deserve the 1st place for their performance. Congratulations, dear ones, you are the ones who put Transylvania’s Imprint on this place in the first place!

If you liked the Jelna – Imprenta Transilvaniei recommendation, I also invite you to Vinalia – Ceptura, Atra Doftana or Veseud.

ENJOY OUR RIDE!

• Mousse de avocado cu ricotta si oua
• Tava rustica cu cartofi, carnati si ochiuri cu telemea
• Pasta de sunca
• Ciorba taraneasca de perisoare
• Pate de ciuperci