From Chisinau: visit Cricova and Milestii Mici Wineries

Underground wine worlds are hard to top. This private day pairs two of Moldova’s biggest cellars, Cricova and Mileștii Mici, with guided tours and tastings that feel equal parts history and snack break.

I love how Cricova’s underground galleries stretch for 120 km, so you get that wow-factor fast, even on a tight half-day schedule. I also love the tasting setups: at Cricova you sample 4 wines plus one sparkling, and at Mileștii Mici you get 3 wines matched with Moldovan bites like prosciutto crudo, salami, and carpaccio.

One thing to consider is price, $247 per person, and the fact that tasting rooms may involve joining larger groups once you’re inside the cellars. If you’re trying to keep everything fully private start to finish, this might feel a bit less secluded than you expect.

Quick hits before you go

• 120 km of underground galleries at Cricova, plus time in major cellar areas
• 200 km of tunnels at Mileștii Mici, with year-round visits at a steady 12-14°C
• About 80 meters underground, with golf cars moving you through the underground streets
• Tastings + food pairing at both wineries, not just a quick sip
• A guide may be Alexandru, known for being punctual and professional

Why Cricova and Mileștii Mici feel like an underground day-trip

If you like wine, this is the kind of experience that makes you understand why Moldova takes its cellar culture seriously. Instead of a surface-level “walk, sip, leave” setup, you’re going underground to see how wine storage and production spaces are organized and why temperature control matters.

What makes the day work is the rhythm. You start with Cricova, then move to Mileștii Mici, with a guided explanation of the winemaking process from grape to bottle along the way. And because both wineries include tastings with local snacks, you’re not just learning. You’re testing ideas, comparing styles, and seeing how food changes what you taste.

You also get the practical comfort of hotel pickup and drop-off in Chișinău, plus comfortable transportation between the two sites. That’s a big deal here because the wineries are outside the city, and you don’t want to waste your best energy figuring out rides.

Cricova Winery: 14 km north of Chișinău and 120 km of underground galleries

Cricova is only about 14 km north of Chișinău, which makes it an easy first stop without turning the day into a long commute. The winery itself sits in a charming setting above ground, and then you head down into the underground network where the real scale hits you.

Cricova Winery was founded in 1952, and the cellar system has a serious reputation beyond Moldova. The guided tour takes you through key areas, including wine maturation, the classic sparkling wine production section, and the National Collection and Tasting Complex. Those labels matter because they help you connect what you’re seeing to what you’re tasting. It’s one thing to hear about aging. It’s another to stand where wine is being matured and then taste the result.

The Cricova tasting, what you actually get

At Cricova, your tasting program includes 4 wines and 1 sparkling wine served with local snacks. The setup also includes biscuits, nuts, and water. That means you can cleanse your palate between pours without feeling like you need to order your own food later.

One practical tip: treat the tasting like a mini course. Start with the lighter styles first, then pay attention as the profile gets deeper. At Cricova, the inclusion of sparkling alongside still wines is useful because it gives your palate a reset point. Once you’ve tasted bubbles, you’re better able to notice how the red or richer wine differs in weight, finish, and how the snack pairing changes your perception.

Underground comfort note (and why you should pack warm clothes)

Even if it’s warm above ground, the wineries run with controlled cellar temperatures. At Mileștii Mici it’s a steady 12-14°C, and the underground environment is consistently cool in general. Bring warm clothing and comfortable shoes. The tour also expects that you’ll go about 80 meters underground, and you’ll move through parts of the underground streets using golf cars. So think “comfortable walking shoes” rather than “dress shoes for photos.”

Mileștii Mici Winery: 20 km south, 200 km of tunnels, and a 2 million bottle collection

After Cricova, you head to Mileștii Mici, located about 20 km south of Chișinău in the Ialoveni district. If Cricova is “big,” Mileștii Mici is “wow, they built a city.”

Mileștii Mici is known for having tunnels with a total length of over 200 km and, importantly, it’s described as having the largest wine cellar in the world. The collection exceeds 2 million bottles, and the winery can be visited year-round because the temperature stays constant underground at 12-14°C.

That steady environment is more than trivia. It’s why the cellar matters to wine quality. When the temperature stays stable, the aging process is more consistent. On this tour, your guide ties that idea back to what happens from grape to bottle, so your tasting feels connected to real production logic instead of random sampling.

The Mileștii Mici tasting and the Moldovan food pairing

At Mileștii Mici, you do a guided tour and then a tasting with 3 wines paired with a selection of Moldavian appetizers. The wine set is listed as dry white, dry red, and Vintage dessert wine. For food, you get prosciutto crudo, salami, carpaccio, breadsticks, nuts, and prunes.

This pairing is built for contrast:

• Dry white tends to work well with cured meats and lighter bites.
• Dry red usually shines with richer flavors and fattier textures like prosciutto or salami.
• Dessert wine with prunes is the sweet-to-salty moment, and it helps you understand how sweetness balances acidity and salt.

A slightly nerdy but useful approach: before each sip, take a second to eat a bite of the pairing. Then taste again. You’ll feel the difference between the wine “alone” and the wine “with food,” and that’s exactly what good wine tasting is about.

A bonus bottle for your bag

There’s also a gift included after your Mileștii Mici visit, 1 bottle of wine Univers. That can help offset part of the cost if you were already planning to buy a bottle or two.

How the guided format helps you taste like you know what you’re doing

This is a private tour with a professional guide, and the guide part matters more than you might think. Tastings at big cellars can turn into a routine if you’re left alone with a list of names. Here, the guide’s job is to connect the dots: the underground setup, the production areas you visit, and the wine you taste afterward.

The tour description specifically frames the experience as learning about the winemaking process from grape to bottle. Practically, that means you’re less likely to feel lost while you’re underground. You’re also more likely to remember the differences between wines because you have a mental hook, like fermentation, aging, or the intended style.

Language support is another plus. The live guide can work in English, Romanian, or Russian, so you can choose the language you’re most comfortable following. And depending on timing, you might be matched with a guide named Alexandru, who has been noted as punctual and professional. Even if your guide is someone else, the tour is clearly run with an emphasis on smooth, serious guiding.

Getting from hotel to cellar: timing, transport, and what to wear

This half-day is timed to fit a full, satisfying visit without turning into a long travel ordeal. Pickup is from your hotel in Chișinău, and you’re guided to wait in the lobby about 10 minutes before your scheduled pickup. The exact time depends on the pickup arrangement.

You’ll spend time at:

• Cricova (including wine tasting)
• Mileștii Mici (including a guided tour and tasting)

The total duration is listed as 6 hours, which is ideal if you want a meaningful experience but still want time for Chișinău dinner afterward.

What to wear and bring

You’ll be underground, and you’ll be moving. The key items are simple:

• Comfortable shoes for walking
• Warm clothing, because the underground temperature is cool
• Expect to go 80 meters underground, and expect to use golf cars in parts of the underground streets

If you’re used to winery days in warmer climates, this is the one adjustment that will make or break comfort. Plan for cool air and a little walking.

Price and value: what $247 per person buys you

At $247 per person, this isn’t a bargain, but it’s also not just a tasting flight. You’re paying for:

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Comfortable transportation between two major cellar sites
• Entrance and tasting packages at both wineries
• A guided experience (professional guide)
• Food pairings included with tastings
• A gift bottle of Univers from Mileștii Mici

When you break it down, the value comes from the “two-cellar” format plus the fact that the tastings are substantial and paired with food. Many wine tours either focus on one property or keep the tasting light. Here you get multiple wine styles across both cellars, with snack pairings that help you compare instead of simply sip.

One small consideration is that even with a private setup, once you’re inside the wineries, you may join larger groups for certain parts of the visit. That doesn’t ruin the experience, but it does mean the day may not feel 100 percent secluded in every room.

Who should book this tour (and who might skip it)

This tour is a strong fit if you want:

• A structured, guided day that explains what you’re tasting
• The scale factor of major underground wineries, not a short, casual stop
• Tastings with real food pairings in Moldova’s wine style

It’s less ideal if you:

• Have mobility challenges or use a wheelchair, because the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users and is not recommended for people with mobility impairments
• Are traveling with very young children, since it’s not suitable for children under 4 years

If you’re a solo traveler, a couple, or a small group who wants to maximize a limited amount of time in Chișinău, this private format plus the tastings makes sense. You get a full experience without needing to coordinate transportation yourself.

Should you book this Cricova and Mileștii Mici private wine tour?

I’d book it if you care about the full wine-cellar experience: underground galleries, guided production explanations, and tastings that include food. The combination of Cricova’s sparkling and maturation sections with Mileștii Mici’s massive tunnels and structured wine-food pairings makes the day feel complete.

Skip it or think twice if your priority is a totally private, no-contact-with-larger-groups experience inside every tasting room, or if you want to keep costs very low. Also, if you have mobility limitations, this one is not set up for wheelchair access.

If you can handle cool underground temperatures, comfortable walking, and the 80-meter descent, this is one of the most efficient ways to understand Moldova wine culture in a single day. And if you’re looking for a memorable “only in this country” moment, the sheer scale of Cricova and Mileștii Mici does the heavy lifting for you.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The tour duration is 6 hours total.

What is included in the wine tasting at Cricova?

You get a Cricova tasting program with 3 wines and 1 sparkling wine, plus biscuits, nuts, and water.

What wines are included in the tasting at Mileștii Mici?

The tasting includes dry white, dry red, and Vintage dessert wine.

What food is included with the Mileștii Mici tasting?

You get prosciutto crudo, salami, carpaccio, breadsticks, nuts, and prunes.

Are there any gifts included?

Yes. At Mileștii Mici, you receive a gift bottle of wine Univers.

How far are the wineries from Chișinău?

Cricova is about 14 km north of Chișinău. Mileștii Mici is about 20 km south of Chișinău.

How deep do you go underground during the tours?

Visitors go about 80 meters underground during the wine tours.

Will you be walking the entire underground area?

Not all of it. The underground streets of the wineries are traversed with golf cars.

What language options are available for the guide?

The live tour guide can work in English, Romanian, or Russian.