Stoker Wines, a new premium label co-founded by Dacre Stoker, great-grand-nephew of Dracula author Bram Stoker, has launched in Romania’s Dealu Mare region. The brand blends Bram Stoker’s literary legacy with Romanian terroir, beginning with a 2018 Merlot and a 2023 rosé.
Romania, Transylvania. Bran. Bran Castle.
Stoker Wines officially launched in October 2024 in Ceptura de Jos, in the Dealu Mare region, following the 2023 acquisition of the Cramele Rotenberg estate. The company was co-founded by Dacre Stoker, great-grand-nephew of Dracula author Bram Stoker, alongside Kay Larkin and international investors.
The venture builds on the enduring association between Romania and the Stoker family’s most famous creation. “If Dracula was the first gift the Stoker family gave to Romania, Stoker Wines is definitely the second,” said Dacre Stoker, as reported by Romania Journal.
From Ceptura to the castle
The estate comprises 52 acres planted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, together with a two-level underground cellar that survived the communist era and is now being refurbished. The brand made its public debut with theatrical flair at Bran Castle on 28 October 2024, during a Halloween-season launch staged by Dacre Stoker.
The brand’s first releases are a 2018 Merlot and a 2023 rosé. The bottles carry gothic-style labels by British artist Graham Humphreys. The rosé, named The Bride, nods to Dracula’s brides, while the Merlot, called The Castle, references Bran Castle.
Exclusive signed bottles and tasting events are planned in major Romanian cities. The oenological direction is overseen by Liviu Grigorică, one of Romania’s most experienced winemakers, who is guiding production from Ceptura’s vineyards.
Linking wine to Dracula tourism
Stoker Wines’ positioning aligns itself deliberately with Dracula tourism. The very idea for the label arose on one of Dacre Stoker’s guided Dracula tours, when a participant expressed interest in Romanian wines. The company says it aims to encourage “responsible Dracula tourism” while showcasing Romania’s viticultural heritage.
Co-founder Kay Larkin has stated that Stoker Wines will be available throughout Romania first, before expanding into the UK, Ireland and the US by the end of 2025. Dacre Stoker has also indicated that wider European distribution will precede a North American launch in 2026.
The company is legally registered as Mina Wines, in tribute to Mina Harker, heroine of Dracula.
Dracula on the wider wine stage
The launch of Stoker Wines also arrives at a time when Dracula branding in wine has been contested elsewhere. In January 2024, the drinks business reported that Treasury Wine Estates was being sued in California over its 19 Crimes Dracula Red Blend, a Halloween 2023 release with a glow-in-the-dark label priced at US$18. A Frankenstein Cabernet Sauvignon was released alongside it.
According to court documents, the lawyer and founder of Vampire Vineyards argued that the bottle was likely to “cause confusion, mistake, and to deceive the public at large”. He accused Treasury Wine Estates of being “unjustly enriched” by sales from consumers who believed they were purchasing Vampire or Dracula wines linked to his brand.
A spokesperson for Treasury Wine Estates told the drinks business: “Treasury Wine Estates treats the intellectual property rights of others with the utmost respect. We stand by the integrity of our brands but we cannot make any further comments regarding this case while it remains pending.”
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