After 9 years, I visited a country that is European, but still quite exotic for us, where I spent two years working.
Vacation, wine tour, tasting Moldovan wines, tasting Moldovan cuisine, visiting monuments and truly profound experiences – this is how a trip to Moldova can be briefly summarized.
ASCONI Winery – a winery near the capital Chisinau. In addition to the winery, it has an ethno restaurant, a bar terrace, a saltwater pool and a beach area on its territory. Entrance to the beach and pool is of course valid. There is also the possibility of accommodation on the winery’s territory. In the tasting room, we tasted the domestic wines Chardonnay, Feteasca Neagra and Cabernet Sauvignon (Ice wine). On the terrace, we also ordered Viorica & Rkatsiteli (Orange). For lunch, we had Feteasca Alba.
PURCARI Winery – a winery located approximately 120 km from Chisinau. Its history begins in the early 19th century. They showed us photos of what the winery looked like (or rather the ruins) after the collapse of the USSR. Compared to today’s state, one can really feel how much work and effort was put into this winery to make it look the way it does today. In the winery’s tasting room, we tasted sparkling Cuvée De Purcari Alb, brut (made using the traditional method – Methode Traditionnelle), Chardonnay 2024, Rosé De Purcari 2025 and Rara Neagra & Saperavi 2024.
Vinuri de COMRAT – winery in the city of Comrat, about 100 km from the capital Chisinau. The history of the winery also dates back to the 19th century. The winery is among the oldest and most important wineries in the autonomous region of Gagauzia. I liked the film they show their visitors about the origin and history of the winery. I have a truly profound experience of the local gastronomy – for the first time I ate such finely and tenderly prepared mutton – either in soup or as a main course in the form of roasted meat (the mutton was not felt at all, which is a result of the preparation technology). In the restaurant we tasted the wines Feteasca Regala 2023, Feteasca Neagra & Rara Neagra 2020, Merlot & Syrah 2020 and the pink Rose De Comrat.
CRICOVA Winery – a winery near the capital city of Chisinau, known for its 120 km long underground passages, of which about 80 km are currently in use. Of course, a visit to the cold underground was part of the excursion, despite the higher temperatures outside we were dressed in long pants and sweatshirts – while traveling underground in an electric car the perceived temperature was at the level of 7 – 10⁰C. In the tasting room we tasted the sparkling Brut Roz (Méthode Traditionnelle), Feteasca Regala, Feteasca Neagra, Codru vintage 2000 and Orasul Subteran (Legenda, vin Spumant sweet white).
CASTEL MIMI Winery – the history of this winery also dates back to the 18th century – the founder was Constantin MIMI, the last governor of Bessarabia. We must also pay tribute to the owners, who brought the current form of the winery and the castle to its current form from the ruined remains of the Soviet era. The tasting was done together with individual lunch courses in the castle restaurant. At each course of the meal, a guide came and said something about the wine that we tasted with the offered course of food. We tasted sparkling 9 Muses Viorica, Rara Neagra (rose) 2025, Orange De Bulboaca 2024, Rosa De Bulboaca (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Feteasca Neagra) 2021 and Viorica De Bulboaca 2025.
#tipnavino #moldavskevino #asconi #purcari #vinuridecomrat #cricova #castelmimi
