Uncorking Moldova

Wine Fountain at Milestii Mici

Article by: Leif Pettersen, February 2007

There is arguably no other place on Earth where you can sample wine of this quality at such low prices.

Most importantly, Moldova's reputation for excellent wine and beautiful cellars is finally starting to outshine its notorious past. The country's wines routinely grab highest honours at tastings in Europe and beyond. There is arguably no other place on Earth where you can sample wine of this quality at such low prices, but few people outside of the former USSR are in on the secret.

So why is the cat nosing out of the bag? Three words: 'Goodbye visa regime!' On 1 January 2007 Moldova dropped its irksome visa requirements for citizens of the US, Canada and EU member countries, a move that's sure to invigorate its wine tour industry. However, there's one giddy time each year when anyone with a passport is waved through immigration and hustled straight to a tasting table. Moldova's Wine Festival takes place on the second Sunday in October. During this time, all nationalities are granted free 10-day visas.

The best cellars are within cork-popping range of Chisinau, so you can easily enjoy an epic (and woozy) wine-tasting adventure that would have a sommelier salivating.

Legend has it that in 1966 cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went down into the cellars and was lost for two days.

If you're not on a tour organised by a travel agency, private transport (with a designated driver) is all but essential to get to the cellars. In some instances you can reach nearby villages by public bus, but these can often drop you a sobering three to five kilometres from the wineries.

The Cricova winery, 15km north of Chisinau, has top name recognition in and out of Moldova. Their wines are superb and their prices decent, but tours can be formal and stuffy. Cricova's underground wine kingdom is massive; it boasts a 120km labyrinth of roadways. Legend has it that in 1966 cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin went down into the cellars and was lost for two days.

You must have private transport and advance reservations to get into Cricova. The two-hour tour (US$62 per person) includes wine tasting, a light meal and a few complimentary bottles.

Once you've finished at Cricova, head to Acorex, just down the hill. There's no tour, but their shop sells their Legenda, Reserve, Select and other limited lines unavailable in most stores or outside Moldova. Acorex is one of the most internationally awarded wineries in Moldova, so don't miss this chance to pick up yet more heavenly quaffs at dirt-cheap prices.

Cojusna Winery (tel: 373 22 71 53 29; 4 Lomtadze St, Cojusna), Cricova's lively competitor, operates 12km northwest of Chisinau. The facilities aren't nearly as flash as those of the big boys, but the tours are top-notch, down-to-earth and friendly. Officially they offer two to three hour tours (US$17), but actually they'll open their tiny cellars (there are just six 100m-long 'alleys', plus the tasting rooms) for visitors day and night. Tours in English require advance reservations.

The area south of Chisinau provides yet another bunch of cellar doors to visit. Ialoveni, 10km south of Chisinau, is home to the Vinuri Ialoveni, where you can get up close to the enormous 20,000-litre oak barrels. The winery is known for its Heres sherry, which has a slight walnut taste. Ialoveni's shop offers bottles for as little as US$2. Their Gloria line (33% alcohol!) packs a wallop. They also offer tours ranging from a one-hour tour and tasting session to a four-hour excursion with a light meal and souvenir bottles.

Milestii Mici should be your last stop, because it's by far the best tour. Not only do they have the largest collection in the world - over two million bottles, a Guinness World Record - and 200km of cellar space, but the refreshingly informal tours are first rate.