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Mileștii Mici Winery: An Underground Wine Kingdom

Explore Moldova's underground wine city, home to the world's largest wine collection, and taste exceptional wines in a unique subterranean setting.

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Descend into the depths of Moldova to explore Mileștii Mici Winery, home to the world's largest wine collection, as recognized by the Guinness World Records. With over 1.5 million bottles stored in its 200 km of underground limestone tunnels, this unique winery offers tours and tastings within its cool, cavernous cellars.

A brief summary to Mileștii Mici Winery

Local tips

  • Book your tour in advance, especially during peak season, to ensure availability.
  • Wear warm clothing as the underground cellars maintain a constant cool temperature.
  • Consider a tour package that includes a wine tasting and a traditional Moldovan meal.
  • Note that prices for tourist packages increase after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends.
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Getting There

  • Public Transport

    From Chișinău, take the bus to Mileștii Mici Moara. Buses depart from Chișinău every 20 minutes and the journey takes approximately 35-45 minutes. From the bus stop, it's a short walk to the winery.

  • Taxi

    Taxis are readily available in Chișinău. A taxi ride to Mileștii Mici Winery takes approximately 20 minutes and costs between $4 and $6. Consider using taxi apps like Yandex Taxi or iTaxi.

  • Driving

    The winery is located approximately 12 km from Chișinău. Follow the road to Mileștii Mici village and look for signs to the winery. Parking is available near the winery.

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Discover more about Mileștii Mici Winery

Mileștii Mici Winery, located in the village of Mileștii Mici, Moldova, is more than just a winery; it's a subterranean city of wine. Established in 1969, the winery's cellars extend for 200 kilometers, with 55 kilometers currently in use for storing and aging high-quality wines. These tunnels, carved out of limestone, maintain a constant humidity of 85-95% and a temperature of 12-14°C (54-57°F), ideal conditions for aging wine. The winery's history is rooted in the local limestone mines, which provided the perfect environment for wine storage. In the 1970s, large oak barrels were installed to mature carefully selected wines from the country's best vineyards. Today, Mileștii Mici specializes in producing, storing, and marketing wines, and has become a popular destination for wine tourism. The highlight of Mileștii Mici is its Golden Collection, which earned a place in the Guinness World Records in 2005 as the world's largest wine collection. The collection boasts approximately 1.5 million bottles, with over 70% being red wines, 20% white wines, and 10% dessert wines. Some of the most valuable wines, produced in 1973-74, are worth €480 a bottle and are exported exclusively to Japan. The winery exports wines to countries all over the world. Visitors can explore the underground galleries by electric train, car, or bicycle, discovering the vast cellars and the impressive Golden Collection. The tour includes a visit to the Shop-Museum, where visitors can purchase Mileștii Mici wines. Various tour packages are available, with wine tastings and meals featuring Moldovan cuisine. The wines stored at Mileștii Mici are made from a variety of grapes, including Pinot, Traminer, Muscat, Riesling, and indigenous varieties like Feteasca Neagră.

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