Moldova- an unheard destination with its untouched beauty. Sandwiched between Ukraine and Russia, this is one of the least visited destinations in the world. It is Europe’s most overlooked destination. Other regions of Europe such as Spain and Italy have over 80 million visitors every year while on the other hand, Moldova welcomes only 300,000 of them.
Often called the poorest amongst the other European countries, Moldova offers the best offbeat experiences overall.
Do not call yourself a “Wine Fan” if you haven’t tasted the wine at Milestii Mici yet. Being recognized as the biggest wine cellar in the world, Milestii Mici in Moldova stretches 250 kilometers wide and 80 meters deep, underground.
The wide collection of wines from the 1960s to the modern ones, are all stored inside a huge underground cellar. It is built into the limestone rock which maintains the humidity and temperature of the cellar to about 12-14 degree Celsius, so that the collection is preserved for ages.
Nestled in the heart of Moldova, Mileștii Mici winery boasts not one but two Guinness World Records: it is home to the world’s largest wine collection and the largest underground wine cellar, with the collection of 2 million bottles. A true treasure trove for wine enthusiasts, it is as impressive as it is expansive.
No wonder, Putin, a former intelligence officer and Russia's President since 2012 celebrated his 50th birthday, exploring the precious wine collection at Milestii Mici.
Amongst the various wine tours available, you can book one for yourself, which will take you through the underground cellars and give you an inexplicably intimate experience of standing near the oak barrels and tasting the precious and vintage wines. The premium tours take you to the ‘Golden Collection’ which holds the premium wines like Pinot Noir- a red wine that was made in the year 1969 and Traminer- a grape variety which was produced in various years, including a notable 1988 vintage. These wines are exported all over the world. From the royalties to the political leaders. From the celebrities to the wine enthusiasts sitting in different corners of the world.
“We celebrate the Wine Festival in the month of October where we welcome an ample number of people from different regions of the world. It is the best time of the year for us” _Elena Stepanov: Executive Director of the National Inbound and Domestic Tourism Association of Moldova (ANTRIM)
No UNESCO Heritage Sites and epic world wonders of Western Europe but Moldova offers you with its vintage and paramount Milestii Mici, the Wine Paradise of the world.