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Cricova - The Underground City


Cricova Wine Cellar
Who knew that the largest wineries in the world are in Moldova? I had no clue though I heard about these cellars from a friend. These cellars that stretch for 120 kilometers (75 miles) and hold over a million bottles of wine! In this underground city, there are warehouses, tasting rooms, event venues, a chapel, a museum and a wine store. Naturally there are street names and signs to help the drivers find their way in these labyrinthine depths. 

Classic sparkling wines produced in the traditional method are kept here during the second fermentation process.

These bottles are turned manually every day to dislodge dead yeast cells which collect at the neck of the bottle until it is removed through a separate process. This is the traditional method of fermenting sparkling wine.

We toured the galleries underground in a mini train. Our first stop was at the cinema where we watched a documentary film about the history of Cricova Winery. After watching the film, we were served a glass of sparkling wine before being dropped off at the entrance to the National Collection. 

Entrance to the National Collection and Wine Storage rooms

Bacchus, God of wine, agriculture and fertility

National Collection Cellar
Here are some of the private wine collection of Cricova which consists of exceptional vins from around the globe as well as its own award winning wines. The most prized collection is that which belonged to Hermann Göring, one of the leaders of the Nazi Party. It is still here albeit in much smaller numbers after it was sent to Russia and Russian soldiers indulged themselves with the prized cache. 

These cellars are great for storing wine because the year-round temperature underground is a cool 10°C to 12° C with a relative humidity of 97-98%. These are optimum conditions for keeping wine which is why wine enthusiasts choose to keep their stash here, including Vladimir Putin. I didn’t see his collection as it wasn’t shown to us but you can find many photos of it online. Though a few storage spaces look empty (above photo), there are more bottles of wine stacked in the back.

Caza 639, private collection

Easter Jerusalem Wine (center), 1902
Easter Jerusalem is a red dessert wine and it is the oldest bottle in the collection. To the left in a flat bottle is a Jan Becher liqueur from Czechia, also from 1902. Jan Becher is still produced today.

A Cabernet Sauvignon (top) and a Cricova Grand Vintage Brut Regal, 2007 (bottom)

Vintage Wine collection

Christian Orthodox Chapel

Iconostasis or Altar Screen

European Hall

Bottom of the Sea Tasting Room

Big House Tasting Room

Heads of State and Celebrity Guests of Cricova
Cricova has hosted many important guests over the years. This wall shows framed pictures of guests and where they came from.

Recep Tayip Erdogăn, President of Turkey (center) and Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
President of Ukraine (above right)

Michele Yeoh and past presidents of Armenia and Ukraine

Angela Merkel (center) and Prince Albert of Monaco (left)

Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space
Gagarin is the most popular visitor of Cricova. Contrary to the narrative that he stayed for two days and left totally inebriated, he actually arrived in late evening and didn’t leave until after midnight. So yes, that’s two different days but not quite how it was reported. It is also said that he got lost in the maze of galleries underground and couldn’t find his way out. Does anyone know the real story?

Wine and souvenir shop

Cricova Wines with Distinction

Sparkling wines
Cricova produces two types of sparkling wines, one is made in the traditional method just as the monks did at Dom Perignon. These are their classic sparkling wines. The other type of sparkling wine produced by Cricova is secondarily fermented in huge steel containers. And Cricova has recently introduced its own prosecco bubbly which is called Crisecco, of course! Wine Enthusiast has given it an 85% rating. 

Administrative office
I picked up my reserved ticket in this building before joining the tour. Next door is a terrace with a view over the canyon. 

If you would like to learn more about Chișinău, follow this link: https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2023/11/48-hours-in-chisinau.html

How to get there
Take Bus 2 from Chișinău. It stops 40 minutes later near the Cricova Wine Cellar. From there it’s a short walk to the winery. Check this link provided by the City Hall of Cricova. It comes with a map. https://primariacricova.md/transport.html. Another option would be to take a taxi. Make sure that you have a way back to the city which is about 15 km away (9.2 miles). You can also go on a private tour with either GetyourGuide or Viator.

I went on a private tour with Nicolas Experience Tours which started in Romania and included Ukraine and Moldova. This is the best way to travel if you want to cover many different countries and sites. It’s more economical when you can share the cost with family or friends and you can also customize your itinerary. So don’t hesitate to inquire for rates. You can check out the tours here: https://experience-tours.ro/

Reservations and Entrance fees
Make sure you reserve in advance. Here’s the link to the Cricova booking website: https://cricova.md/en/book-now/. *Dont forget to bring a sweater as it is cold in the cellars.

Where to stay
Hotel Plai, Gregory Vieru Blvd. 17/1
This is one of the best small hotels I’ve stayed at in Europe. It is located in the middle of the city in a quiet cul de sac. The staff are friendly and attentive. Nativity Cathedral is 1 km (.621 mile) from the hotel. Additionally, they have a beautiful restaurant with a terrace. It’s so special. The only thing the hotel is missing is an elevator but the staff will help you take your luggage up to your room. https://plai.md/en/

Where to eat
On-site restaurant at Cricova is convenient if you’re hungry after your winery tour or before you start your tour. 


Stay connected
 

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie 


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Location: Chișinău, Moldova

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