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Cricova Winery: An Underground Wine City

Explore Cricova Winery, Moldova's underground wine city: a unique blend of history, culture, and exquisite wines, just a short trip from Chisinau.

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Descend into the depths of Cricova, Moldova, and discover a sprawling underground city dedicated to wine. With over 120 km of tunnels, this unique winery houses a vast collection of wines, offering tours and tastings in its elaborately decorated halls. Explore the history of Moldovan winemaking and marvel at the cellars where millions of bottles are aged to perfection.

A brief summary to Combinatul de Vinuri „Cricova”

Local tips

  • Book your tour in advance, as the wine cellars are a popular attraction and tours fill up quickly.
  • Wear warm clothing, as the temperature in the underground cellars is consistently cool, around 12-14°C.
  • Consider taking a guided tour from Chisinau that includes transportation for a hassle-free experience.
  • Bring your passport, as it may be required for the tour.
  • Check the Cricova website or store in Chisinau for tour options, prices, and booking instructions.
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Getting There

  • Public Transport

    From Chisinau's central bus station, take bus number 2 to Cricova. Buses depart approximately every 15-20 minutes. A ticket costs around 6 MDL. The journey takes about 30-40 minutes. Get off at the Cricova Primaria stop in the town center. From there, it's about a 1 km walk to the visitor center. Note that the bus doesn't stop directly in front of the winery. Total cost: Approximately 6 MDL for the bus.

  • Taxi

    Taxis are readily available in Chisinau. A taxi ride from the city center to Cricova Winery takes approximately 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic. The estimated fare is between 80-100 MDL. It's advisable to agree on the fare with the driver before starting the journey or use a ride-hailing app to ensure a fair price. Total cost: Approximately 80-100 MDL.

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Discover more about Combinatul de Vinuri „Cricova”

Cricova Winery, located just outside Chisinau, is more than just a winery; it's an underground city dedicated to the art of winemaking. Founded in 1952 within former limestone mines, the winery boasts over 120 kilometers of tunnels, creating a unique environment for storing and aging wine. These tunnels, maintained at a constant temperature of 12-14°C and high humidity, provide ideal conditions for wine maturation. Visitors can explore this subterranean world on guided tours, traveling through streets named after the wines they store, such as Cabernet, Chardonnay and Sauvignon. The tour often includes a visit to the sparkling wine production section, where Cricova produces sparkling wines using the traditional French method, 'Methode Champenoise'. This process involves secondary fermentation in the bottle, a technique purportedly invented by Dom Pierre Perignon. Cricova also produces a unique sparkling red wine from Cabernet Sauvignon stocks. The winery houses a remarkable collection of over 1.3 million bottles, including rare vintages dating back to 1902. The National Oenotec, Cricova's wine collection, includes unique exhibits like the 'Jerusalem of Easter' vintage. The cellars also hold personal wine collections of famous visitors like Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin. Cricova is not only a place for wine production and storage but also a cultural landmark. The underground complex features tasting rooms, a museum showcasing the history of winemaking, and even an underground church opened in 2019. Recognized as a National Cultural Heritage of Moldova, Cricova stands as a testament to the country's rich winemaking tradition.

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