The wineries
All require advance booking — Cricova and Mileștii Mici don't admit walk-ins. Cellars are 12–14 °C year-round; bring a jacket.
Cricova
Cricova town · ~14 km north · Sparkling wine specialist
120 km of underground galleries; the "wine kingdom" tasting halls including Casa Mare and the Sea Bottom; National Oenoteca with 1.3 million bottles, the legendary 1902 "Jerusalem Easter" wine, and Hermann Göring's collection. Languages: RO, RU, EN, FR.
Direct: +373 22 808705 / +373 60 137788 · also bookable via winetours.md.
On-site packages (per person, MDL → €1 ≈ 19.5 MDL)
| Package | Price (MDL) | ~EUR |
|---|
| "Morning" tour, Mon–Fri 10:00 (no tasting) | 250 | ~€13 |
| "Underground City" 70 min | 400 | ~€20 |
| Business 90 min, 4 wines + tasting | 700 | ~€36 |
| Premium Gold 150 min, private galleries (no tasting) | 800 | ~€41 |
| Expert, 7 wines | 950 | ~€48 |
| Premium Gold with souvenir (4+ pax) | 1,050 | ~€54 |
| National 110 min, 4 wines + Moldovan meal | 1,300 | ~€67 |
| Premium 120 min | 2,000 | ~€100 |
| V.I.P 2h30 | 3,100 | ~€159 |
Surcharge of 100 MDL/person after 16:00 and on weekends. Discounted Social rate (95 MDL) for students, seniors, and disabled visitors.
How to get there
Bus #2 from the corner of Strada Vasile Alecsandri & Alexandru cel Bun (~30 min, 7 MDL); taxi ~€10–€15; or book a transport-included tour (see multi-winery day tours).
200 km of limestone tunnels housing the Guinness-record largest wine collection (over 2 million bottles); the famous "Golden Collection." By reservation only — no walk-ins.
On-site packages (per person, MDL)
| Package | Price (MDL) | ~EUR |
|---|
| Winery Visit (no tasting) — Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00 | 200 | ~€10 |
| Winery Visit (no tasting) — after 17:00, weekends + holidays | 300 | ~€15 |
| "Hai, Noroc!" 3 wines + charcuterie + breadsticks/nuts/prunes | 800 | ~€41 |
| "Univers" Menu, 5 wines + bruschetta, soup, eggplant | 1,200 | ~€62 |
| "Moldova" Menu, 5 wines + zeamă, mămăligă | 1,300 | ~€67 |
| "Bachus" Menu, 7 wines (sommelier-style) + charcuterie + plăcintă | 1,350 | ~€69 |
| "Codru" Menu, 7 wines + pork neck | 1,600 | ~€82 |
| "Haiducesc" Menu, 7 wines + pork ribs | 1,600 | ~€82 |
| "Boieresc" Menu, 7 wines + sarmale, pork knuckle, rabbit/dorado + souvenir bottle | 2,200 | ~€112 |
Languages: RO, RU, EN universal; FR available on the basic Winery Visit only. Children under 10 free; surcharge 100 MDL/person after 17:00. Underground 12–14 °C year-round — bring a jacket.
Castel Mimi
Bulboaca, Anenii Noi · ~30 km east · Five-star wine resort
Listed in the top 15 most beautiful wineries worldwide; 5-star wine resort with 20 rooms + 7 bungalows; fine-dining "White Owl" (Bufnița Albă) restaurant; wine spa (opening soon); site of the 2023 European Political Community Summit. Near KIV airport. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Languages: RO, EN.
Direct: +373 265 0 1893.
On-site packages
- Family Tour with traditional dessert "Baba Neagra" + coffee/tea (kids' pack 180/280 MDL).
- Tour + tasting of 2 local wines + breadsticks — entry tier.
- Tour + 5-wine tasting paired with gravlax salmon, artisan tomme cheese with pear, almond pâté, mozzarella, roast beef in wine sauce — premium.
From Chișinău (transport included)
From ~$90/person small group on Viator ("GROUP - MIMI Castle with Tasting"; from $121.95/adult); private from ~€103/pp/3 hrs; 5-hour version ~€90–€150; Moldova Tours' private "Castle Mimi Wine Private Tour with Tasting" is well rated on Tripadvisor.
Founded 1994; 500+ ha of vines including Fetească Neagră, Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, and an ice wine specialty; ~3M bottles/year. The tourist complex has 12 thatched-roof cottages (20 rooms), traditional restaurant "Asconi" + Balkan-twist "Sol Negru," pool, plăcinta workshops, junior sommelier courses.
Hours: Mon–Sun 11:00–17:00. Tour ~1.5 hrs with snacks (walnuts, crackers, water). Languages: RO, RU, EN. Festivals: "Mai Vin" spring picnic; Wine Day first weekend October. Public transport: marshrutka to Puhoi from Autogara Centrală (~25–40 MDL; confirm at kassa).
Direct: +373 79 988 637 · also bookable via winetours.md.
Chateau Vartely
Orhei · ~45 km north · Premium producer
Codru and Bugeac terroir; native Fetească Albă and Rara Neagră. Launched the immersive "Legend of Wine" light-art barrel projection in 2021. Three tasting halls including the "World Collection." Accommodation: 8 standard rooms (€50–€80) and 4 VIP apartments (€110); restaurant open Tue–Sun 11:00–22:00; events for up to 260 guests. Languages: RO, RU, EN. Named "Best Winery of the Year" at National Wine Day 2023.
Direct: +373 68 50 05 55 · also bookable via winetours.md.
On-site packages: tour + 2-wine tasting (entry); + 4-wine sparkling; + 6-wine top selection paired with gourmet mini-snacks.
From Chișinău: TA Collection's "Wine Tour to Chateau Vartely" — round trip ~110 km, 4–4.5 hrs, transport + guide + tasting; Viator's morning/afternoon options. Often combined with Old Orhei + Curchi Monastery as a small-group day tour (max 8, 7 hrs, 6-wine tasting + appetizers — ~€80–€120/pp).
Named "Most Awarded Winery in the World" in 2021. Historically served to Queen Victoria, King George V, and Tsar Nicholas II; famous Negru de Purcari, Roșu de Purcari, Rara Neagră; aged in French oak; replanted from 2003. The visitor estate in Purcari village hosts a hotel (13 chalet-style rooms across Classic, Deluxe, and Suite categories), restaurant, tennis court, and billiards. Languages: RO, RU, EN, FR.
From Chișinău: full-day private tour from ~€103/pp via private-guides.com; Moldova Tours' full-day "Wine Tour to Château Purcari" with 9:30 AM pickup, 3-wine tasting, snacks, sometimes a traditional 3-course dinner; combined "Purcari + Asconi + Wood Monastery" via Musement; "Purcari + Marta & Maria Monastery + lunch in Carahasani" via Marriott Bonvoy/Tripadvisor.
Et Cetera
Crocmaz, Ștefan Vodă · ~120 km southeast · Small-batch family winery
Owned by the Luchianov brothers — Alexandru bought the land in 2002, brother Igor joined in 2006, the winery formally launched in 2009. ~24–27 hectares (sources vary); hand-harvested in small baskets; organic cultivation methods. Varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Prosecco, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier. Terroir shaped by Black Sea + Dniester + Liman.
On-site restaurant + small hotel — marinated trout and Napoleon dessert repeatedly singled out by visitors. Reservations 3–4 weeks ahead for weekends — small capacity. Tour line +373 79 050 587 (Mon–Sat 09:00–18:00).
Region context on /southern-moldova.
KVINT
Tiraspol, Transnistria · ~70 km east · Brandy distillery (1897)
Founded 1897; the oldest continuously operating commercial enterprise in PMR; vodka until 1938, brandy thereafter. The factory façade is on the 5-ruble PMR banknote. Storage holds ~10 million litres of absolute alcohol; cognac spirits aged 1–60 years. Address: Strada 25 Oktyabrya 38, Tiraspol.
Tour details
- Hours: Tours by appointment Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00; brandy tasting included.
- Languages: English + Russian.
- Price: $70/person weekdays · $80/person weekends (via winetours.md).
- Booking: 3–5 day lead time via winetours.md (WhatsApp +373 68 442 525) or PMR-Tours.
Tasting includes local cured meats, cheeses, baked goods, nuts. On-site shop sells bottles from ~30 PMR rubles — widely regarded as Europe's best-value brandy.
KVINT is inside Transnistria, which has separate border procedures + a separate currency. Read
/transnistria before going — passports are checked, no Visa/Mastercard, cash-only PRB economy.
Family winery owned by the Cherven family — wine tradition since 1880, modern winery founded 2006. Wine names: Kara = "black" (after the nearby Black Sea / dark vines), Gani = the family surname. Located in the "Valul lui Traian" PGI; warm microclimate; mostly organic grapes — red, white, rosé, dry and dessert wines. Address: Crupskaia 31, Vulcănești.
The Gagauz-cuisine lunch is the draw — kurban (lamb + bulgur), kavarma, gözleme, kivirma, shorpa, plăcinte — and matriarch Larisa Cerven curates a tasting-room museum of antique Gagauz textiles, carpets, wine-bags, and cookware.
Typical packaged tour: Kara Gani + Vinuri de Comrat + lunch — full day with transport from Chișinău. Operators: Solei Tourism, Tatrabis, GetYourGuide, Winerist. Region context on /gagauzia.
Also worth knowing
- Chateau Cojusna (Migdal-P, NW Chișinău) — small-group monastery + winery via GetYourGuide.
- Brănești Cellars (near Old Orhei) — 58 km of tunnels, 60 m deep.
- ATU Winery — boutique family producer reviving Codrinskii grape; bookable on winetours.md.
- Vinuri de Comrat (Gagauzia) — often packaged with Kara Gani; oldest winery in southern Moldova.
- Crama Mihai Sava, Carlevana, Fautor, Gitana, Equinox — bookable via winetours.md.
English isn't a default at smaller wineries. Asconi, Brănești, ATU, and Vinuri de Comrat may default to Russian or Romanian if a small group does not specifically request English in advance. Confirm language when you book.