Do you dare to enter the largest winery in the world?
The Republic Of Moldova, whose profile resembles a grape cluster, is popularly known as the wine paradise given its ancestral tradition in the elaboration of what they call 'the sacred drink'.
And if there is a place in the country that houses the holy grail, that is ** Milestii Mici, ** a winery located about 20 kilometers from the capital, chisinau, whose foundation dates back to 1969.
The one named as 'Golden Collection' of this winery, with 200 kilometers of corridors and around a million and a half bottles, was registered in 2005 in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest wine collection in the world.
“The traces of history are everywhere, without going any further, the barrel at the entrance, which has offered the natural strength of the oak to the magnificent Cabernet wine for many years”, Milestii Mici comments to Traveler.es
One and a half million bottles underground
THE IDEAL CONDITIONS
What is now a warehouse of gigantic dimensions was once a limestone mine with a depth ranging from 30 at 85 meters.
They ran the 70's when the mine became a warehouse, well its conditions were perfect for the conservation of the wine.
“Despite the fact that only about 55 kilometers are currently in use, each of the streets has its own name so that workers and visitors do not get lost”, they point out.
A barrel converted into a fountain welcomes us
LET'S TALK ABOUT NUMBERS
The wines that populate the labyrinthine streets of Milestii Mici come from different harvests that go from the year 1986 to 1991.
The constant temperature in this underground wine city is between 12 and 14 degrees and the relative humidity ranges from 85-95%.
“The wines from the best harvests were brought here and stored for maturation – they explain–. We have our own production but we also buy from other companies”, they clarify to Traveler.es
The map to not get lost among wines
AN UNDERGROUND CITY
Milestii Mici is one of the most important tourist attractions in Moldova and each year receives more than 20,000 visitors.
“The excursion can be done by car, but it's nicer take a walk through the dark alleys, named after some types of wines such as Cabernet, Aligote, Feteasca”, explains the team.
Each visitor is provided a map of the galleries sealed with red wax. And furthermore, “you can buy a bottle of wine whose label is personalized with said map!”, they conclude.
After the visit to the cellars, it is passed to the tasting room, cool in summer and warmed by the fire in the fireplace in winter.
Footprints and traces of history
Pinot, Traminer, Muscat, Riesling, Feteasca, Dnestrovskoe, Milestskoe, Codru, Trandafirul Moldovei, Auriu, Cahor-Ciumai, Marsala, Utreneaia Rosa, Nejnosti…
All wines are produced following ancient Moldovan traditions, as they bear the title of National Heritage and Culture of the Republic of Moldova.
And continuing the tradition, Every year, during the first weekend of October, is celebrated in Moldova on National Wine Festival, in which 'the birth of the new wine' is celebrated and whose end of the festival is marked by fireworks from empty bottle corks.
Welcome to Milestii Mici!
FROM MOLDOVA TO THE WORLD
Today, Quality Wines Complex Milestii Mici is a state-owned company specializing in the production, storage and marketing of wines c internationally known.
Its wines are marketed in Moldova and abroad: Japan, Taiwan, Holland, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Malaysia…
Awards, medals – more than 90 – and records apart, “ the most valuable reward will always be the gratitude and appreciation of our customers”, states the Milestii Mici team.