The Routs oF Wine

Tour itinerary

DAY 1

Welcome to Chisinau! Airport meeting, city tour and Cricova wine cellars

Welcome to Moldova. We invite you to discover our capital city “Chisinau”. The first reference to the city is from the year 1436. It has a rich and beautiful architecture of white stone earning it a nickname the “white stone flower”. During the tour you’ll get acquainted with Moldovan history, culture, architecture, political, commercial and social life. You will visit next sights: the Glory Memorial “Eternity”, old buildings of 19th century designed by A. Bernardazzi: the Water Tower, City Hall, and St. Teodora church, etc., the Cathedral and Arch of Triumph, the Central Park, and the Classics’ Alley.

Afte the city tour you are invitet to visit Cricova underground galleries. You will see over seventy streets covering an area of nearly 53 hectares, each bearing Bacchic names: Sauvignon, Cabernet, etc. Here you can also admire the oldest bottle of wine, dating from 1902. Tasting of 4 wine + lunch.

Overnight in Chisinau

DAY 2

The Ancient City Of Orheiul Vechi And chateau vartely winery

We will start the day with Orheiul Vechi, the most visite sight in Moldova. Here you will have the opportunity to visit the most interesting archaeological site housing the ruins of two cities (14th -16th century). Tatars settled here on their expansion to Western Europe. Continue with a visit to the well-maintained Orthodox Cave Monastery, which was expanded and modified inside the cliffs by monks over the centuries.

After the tour of the Cave Monastery, you are invited to visit a great winery from Orhei region – “Chateau Vartely”. Tasting of 5 wines and lunch.

On the way back to Chisinau, we will stop to visit one of the most beautiful monastery in Moldova, “Curchi” Monastery. This is a real pearl of our religious life. Here you’ll visit some churches, and among them – the “Virgin’s Assumption” Cathedral, built by the drawings of genius architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

Overnight in Chisinau

DAY 3

MILESTII MICI WINE CELLARS, ASCONY AND PURCARI WINERY

We will start the day with a visit (no tasting) to Milestii Mici Underground Wine City, mentioned also in the Guinness Book of Records for having the biggest wine collection in the world. The length of this underground winery is 200 km at a depth of 40-85 meters.

After Milestii Mici, we will visit Asconi Winery, which was founded in 1994. The winery has been built based on of modern winemaking techniques, while the company winemakers uses the most advanced manufacturing facilities. Asconi today owns approximately 600 hectares of vineyards, located at a distance of 8-10 km from the winery. European varieties are grown, but special attention is given to local varieties such as Rara Neagra, Feteasca Regala, Saperavi (Georgia), etc. At the end of the tour, you are invited to taste 5 of Asconi wines and to enjoy a traditional lunch.

After lunch, we go to south of Moldova, to Chateau of Purcari. Thi is the oldest wine estate in Moldova, that is a French-style castle with wine cellars from 1827. Moreover, this winery is famous all over the world for its legendary wines “Rosu de Purcari” and “Negru de Purcari” . These wines are, undoubtedly, true masterpieces, one of the favorites of Queen Elizabeth II.

Excursion and tasting of 5 wines.

Overnight in Purcari

DAY 4

Tour of Transnistria and MIMI wine castle

Today we invite you to discover Transnistria – the place where the old USSR is still alive and flourishing. It is a breakaway territory within the internationally recognized borders of Moldova. The country’s national coat of arms still includes the traditional hammer and sickle and the Lenin is revered till today.

You will visit t major towns of Transnistria, Bender and Tiraspol. We will take you to the major attractions, such as: Bender Fortress, V. Lenin monument and house of soviets, Transnistrian Parliament (25 October Ave, Tiraspol), Afghanistan War Memorial, Monument-tank, and more.

After the tour of the city, you are invited to “Kumanek”, the best local traditional restaurant. Lunch and Cognac tasting

After lunch, we drive to Bulboaca Village and visit of Wine Castle MIMI, which 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.

The biggest attraction of the winery is off course the chateau and its cellars, that are built in a very old technique, so that all year round the temperature is the same: 14 degrees C. Excursion and tasting of 5 wines.

Overnight in Chisinau