Moldova is one of Europe’s best-kept travel secrets! Nestled between Romania and the Ukraine is a wonderful blend of rural countryside, magnificent architecture, fascinating history and rural charm. What’s more, Moldova is also the home of some of Europe’s most ancient and fascinating wine culture, home to the biggest underground wine cellar in the world and over 150 wine producers of all shapes and sizes. Moldova’s unspoilt natural beauty, incredible local food and wine alongside world-beating hospitality which makes any visitor feel like a member of the family in a matter of minutes.
Day 1 | Welcome to Moldova
Meeting the guests at the Chisinau International Airport. Group transfer to a 4* center located hotel, check-in.
Afternoon guests will join a Chisinau walking tour with a professional guide. The tour includes visiting the most important cultural and tourist points of interest in the capital of Moldova (no entry to museums).
Welcome dinner in a top wine bar in Chisinau. Guests will have an introduction session on Moldova wine regions, main sort of grapes and popular blends. At the tasting will be offered wines from most awarded winery in Moldova, Fautor Winery, paired with fine finger food. Tasting will be held by a certified sommelier.
Day 2 | Guiness Book Cellar and Purcari wine region
Breakfast by the hotel. Check out.
Milestii Mici winery (winery tour). Mileștii Mici tunnels, are the largest underground cave network with the biggest collection of wine in the world. These are situated at a depth of about 85m under the ground. This has been officially documented by the Guinness Book of World Records! Mileștii Mici has over 200 km of underground streets, over 50 km of wine galleries, over 2 million bottles of wine, some which date back to 1968. Visitors have the unique opportunity to walk along the cool, dark galleries and avenues where big barrels are placed.
Et Cetera winery (winery tour, wine tasting, lunch). Et Cetera is represented by a group of enthusiastic young people whose purpose is to grow fine grapes and to produce wines of uniquely Moldovan character.
Et Cetera is a family-owned winery. They believe that love and care is the key of family’s well-being. They take care of the land which pays them back with great harvest. The winemaker controls each wine-making process from growing eco grapes, fermentation and ageing in oak till serving the product to their guests at the restaurant of their winery.
Chateau Purcari (winery tour, wine tasting, dinner, overnight). Purcari estate is located in a picturesque zone, in the south-east part of the country, here you will find the legendary Purcari cellars, remaining unchanged since 1827; the cellars store a part of country’s heritage – the famous collection of vintage Purcari wines.
At the estate, built in the style of French chateau, you can experience the atmosphere of calm and luxury, and discover the innermost secrets of the creation of the legendary Purcari wines.
DAY 3 – LENIN, BLACK CAVIAR, KVAS AND COGNAC
Breakfast by the winery. Check out. Meeting the guide at Reception. Boarding and transfer to Tiraspol.
The city Tiraspol is the capital of the so-called Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic. Known by foreign travelers as the museum in the open-air of Communism and Soviet Union, with many Soviet relics on the main streets of its industrial towns and for being a state that does not exist. No other nation recognizes Transnistria as a country. While visiting the region guests feel that they are back in the USSR.
Sturgeon Farm and Black Caviar producer – Aquatir. (Tour, tasting of 2 types of black caviar, paired with a local sparkling wine). It is the 3rd largest sturgeon farm in Europe and produces highest quality black caviar. Here guests will learn about the process of production of black caviar, visiting all production departments of the complex. At the end guests will attend to a black caviar tasting session, where will learn about different types of caviar, about quality and choice of the caviar, as well as about black caviar pairing.
Lunch will be served in a local restaurant, specialized in Ukrainian and Bessarabian cuisine (3-4 course set menu).
After guests will attend the Tiraspol city tour. During it having the possibility to take pictures with Lenin’s monument, communist signs, a soviet tank a.o. Short stop for kvas sampling, traditional Slavic fermented beverage.
Boarding and transfer to village Bulboaca
Castel Mimi Winery (winery tour, wine tasting, dinner).The Castle Mimi is currently listed among the most beautiful architectural masterpieces in the world of wine. The story of the castle begins in 1893 when Constantin Mimi, the last governor of Bessarabia, planted the first grape vines on the place that would become legend over the years. Dinner will include old recipe meals, served in a modern manner.
Late in the evening transfer to Chisinau. Check-in to the hotel.
DAY 4 – National Oenothec and Orheiul Vechi
Breakfast by the hotel. Meeting the guide at Reception. Boarding and transfer to Cricova.
Cricova winery (winery tour, best sparklings tasting) Cricova represents a unique underground city well-known all over the world by its huge labyrinths, and especially by its excellent wines. Cellars of Cricova are the house of a remarkable collection of wines – The National Oenotec. Guests will be taken into the Cricova wine tunnels by small electric trains.
Boarding and transfer to Orhei region. Visit of the Moldavian village – Butuceni with typical 19th cent. houses, transformed today into guesthouses.
Traditional lunch. In one of them guests will serve lunch with traditional dishes and home-made wine, but before they will be invited to learn to cook their own “placinta”, traditional pastry filled with soft. Lunch will include simple and healthy meals, prepared from natural ingredients, many grown in the pension’s garden. Guests can visit the cellar of the house, taste wines by the jug (home-made). Optional horse carriage on the narrow street of the village.
Visit of the Complex “Orheiul Vechi”, it’s a museum in open space. Guests will witness the unique 13th cent. cave Orthodox monastery, run by a single monk The Orheiul Vechi Monastery, museum, and archeological complex together form the most famous tourist attraction in Moldova. The complex is situation at an “S” shaped bend in the Raut River with dramatic rocky bluffs into which are carved many caves and cave monasteries that offer picturesque views of the river, and the fields and villages that surround it. The villages around Orheiul Vechi, Butuceni and Trebujeni, are home to several rural pension & guesthouses.
Boarding and transfer to Chateau Vartely (winery tour, wine tasting, dinner). “Château Vartely” is a modern company, it combines the latest technology in grape cultivation and processing with the passion for quality wine production. Own vineyards in the Codru and Bugeac steppe regions of Moldova guarantee the exquisite quality of wine. The microclimate of these areas enables the creation of some unique wines. Its first-class wines made from both European and local varieties have placed “Château Vartely” high in the top of Moldovan winemakers and among the top preferences of consumers in Moldova and abroad.
Late in the evening transfer to Chisinau.
DAY 5 – FREE TIME IN CHISINAU, RETURN HOME
Breakfast by the hotel. Free time in the morning for shopping of souvenir, wine and sweets.
Meeting the guide at Reception. Boarding and transfer to the Airport.
On the way to the Airport short visit of the wooden church “Dormition of Mary”, a religious building built in 1642.
Drop off at the Airport.
Price from 500 EUR. The offer, timing and itinerary is suggestive and might change depending on availabilities of local partners and flight details of the guests. Al above prices are including VAT and other applicable taxes.
Winetours Moldova will create for you the most genuine and delicious Wine & Culinary journeys with a first-class experience.
Winetours Moldova
Mrs. Veronica TOMESCU +37379555633
[email protected]