Moldova’s wine route, from Cricova to Orheiul Vechi

Cellars, monasteries and the vineyards of the Dniester

Moldova is a small country of vine-covered hills, between Romania and Ukraine. From Chișinău, the capital, the big wine estates are less than three hours’ drive away, along country roads lined with walnut trees and orchards. In the villages, you still pass horse-drawn carts.

North of the city, you go down into the cellars of Cricova. Heading south, you stop at Castel Mimi, a château and winery from the late 19th century, then at Căușeni and its half-buried church. At the end of the road, the vineyards of Purcari run down to the Dniester, near the Ukrainian border.

North-west of Chișinău, the road crosses the Codri forest to Căpriana Monastery. Further north, the plateau opens onto the gorge of the Răut, which makes a tight loop around Orheiul Vechi. Below, Butuceni lines up its blue houses and wooden gates. Late in the day, walk up to the church on the spur for the view over the valley.

Cricova has its legends too. Yuri Gagarin went in in 1966 and only came out two days later, so the story goes. Vladimir Putin celebrated his 50th birthday there, in 2002.

South of the capital, the cellar at Mileștii Mici is bigger still: some 200 kilometres of tunnels, 55 of them in use. Since 2005 it has held the Guinness World Record for the largest wine collection in the world. Some visitors say they followed the guide in a convoy, in their own car. At both cellars, the visit is guided and must be booked in advance; Cricova runs tours in English.

Orheiul Vechi and its monks

Orheiul Vechi is a bend of the Răut, about fifty kilometres north of Chișinău, lived in since Antiquity. In the 14th century, the Golden Horde founded a town here, Shehr al-Jedid, the “new town”, abandoned around 1369. A Moldavian fortress then took its place.

Monks dug cells and a church into the cliff, probably as early as the 14th century. In the early 18th century, a landslide destroyed the stairway up to them and the monks left. A new tunnel was dug around 1820. Closed under the Soviets, the cave monastery reopened after 1991.

What not to miss

1. 1Castel MimiThe restored château, its gardens and its winery are open to visitors; tastings must be booked in advance.
2. 2PurcariFounded in 1827; according to the estate, its red was mistaken for a Bordeaux in Paris in 1878.
3. 3The church at CăușeniHalf buried in Ottoman times, when churches were not allowed to stand too tall; frescoes from 1763.
4. 4Căpriana MonasteryIn the Codri forest, the oldest surviving church in the country.
5. 5ButuceniBlue houses, wells and wooden gates at the foot of Orheiul Vechi.
6. 6ChișinăuThe cathedral park, then Valea Morilor lake and its great staircase late in the day.

Moldova’s wine route in pictures

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The Church of the Dormition in Căușeni, half buried under its large tiled roof.

The Moldovan table

You start with zeamă, a slightly sour chicken soup. Then comes mămăligă, a polenta served with brânză, a sheep’s cheese, and sour cream. Everywhere you will find plăcinte, pastries filled with cheese, cabbage or apple, and sarmale, stuffed cabbage leaves.

The main local grapes are fetească neagră and rară neagră for the reds, and fetească albă for the whites. National Wine Day takes place in Chișinău on the first weekend of October.