Moldova: Milesti Mici Wine Cellars (Revisited)
Milestii Mici Wine Cellars are the world’s largest cellars and hold the world’s largest amount of wine – 200km of underground passages (55km are filled with wine) and over 2 million bottles. It is something to experience – you actually drive underground and navigate roads for a while to get to different areas – wine in barrels, wine in bottles, tasting room and so on. Wine storage began here in mid 80s, and there are tons and tons of 86/87/88/89 vintage wines stored here – 70% is red, 20% white and 10% desert. It’s constant 12C/54F temperature and 87-95% humidity, so many old bottles are covered in mold. Grapes include both known varietals like Pinot, Muscat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Merlot and local Moldovan grapes like Costa, Negru de Purcari, Trandpfirul Moldovei, Negre de Milesti Mici, Feteasca Alba and so on. The cellars are state-owned and are in the Guinness Book since 1987, it’s most definitely one of the top attractions in Moldova. And of course you get to taste these wines and buy some as well. Interestingly, one of the brut Moldova champagne varieties won silver medal last year, 2020, on a European contest.
