Few Guinness World Records from Moldova
09 Jan 2008 | Made in MD
Some friends from Czech Republic asked me, if Moldova has something truly spectacular to offer for its tourists. So far many might have gotten the impression that Moldova does not have anything amazing to offer. That is not quite true. There is one thing. A thing that will make your lower jaws hit the floor 
. One of the most mysterious treasures from Moldova is the largest underground wine cellar in the world, which is “hidden” in our country.
Just 15 km from Chişinău (the capital of Moldova), Cricova mines lay deep underground. The mined limestone has been used for centuries to build the city of Chisinau and surrounding towns.
After the Second World War, someone came with this brilliant idea to use the empty space of this underground world for wine storage. Since the average depth of the caves is 60-80 meters, the temperature is constant and low that makes it just perfect for the storage of wine and the fermentation of sparkling wine – about +12-14°C and humidity of 97-98%. Nowadays, the length of mines is more than 100 km and the winery located there uses about 2/3 of them. It is a labyrinth of subterranean streets, named after wine types, so you can stagger along Cabernet Street before crawling east into Pinot Street and then on Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Feteasca, Aligote, Muscat Streets and so on. You need to have a guide not to get lost. The most fun is to drive a car in this world of large oak barrels filled with aged wine. It is so spacious down there that even a large truck can drive in. Don’t be surprised if you see a traffic light .
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