Writer: Jonathan Gharbi de Maré
The production of wine in Moldova is the highest in the world per capita, around 110,000 hectares are dedicated to wine, quite a lot for a country smaller than Jämtland County. Considering only three million people live there, that's a lot, it's the 11th largest wine producer in Europe.
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ShareThis compares with France, which has 774 000 hectares of vineyards but a population of 67 million, 20 times that of Moldova. At home in Sweden, there are around 200 vineyards totalling around 150 hectares.
A country whose economy is based on agriculture might make you think of potatoes and carrots, but saying grapes sounds a bit more fashionable. France is also a nation known for agriculture, with a focus on grapes. Of course, it's not the grapes themselves but the result of the juice that has been allowed to ferment a little and then presented in a bottle.
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Moldova's exports from one union to another
Moldova was the major exporter of wine to the Soviet Union, and both bulk and bottled wines were exported in large quantities. The wineries that were created were all state-owned and substantial. You can still see the buildings and structures that remain from that time.
Now that Moldova has started to redirect its wine exports from east to west, we suddenly got a lot of Moldovan wines on the System. Today there are five in the permanent range and 17 on order. I visit both Carlevana and Cricova, two of the wineries that have reached the shelves in Sweden.
Local and classic grapes in Moldova
It grows both classic grapes but also local ones such as Feteasca Alba, Feteasca Regala and Feteasca Neagra which have a long history in the country. Feteasca Neagra is the most famous and is said to give an aroma of cherries, prunes, black raisins, is lightly spiced and reminiscent of cinnamon, pepper, allspice or vanilla. Descriptions of grapes and wine can sometimes sound very advanced but if you manage to find one or two of the notes, then at least I myself am really happy.
The classics are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir but also Malbec, which is otherwise known as Argentina's most popular grape. Among the white wines, it is mainly Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Syrah that are seen, but there are many more than that.
Cricova and miltals with wine cellars
One of the major attractions for many tourists in Moldova is to visit the underground giant cellar at the Cricova winery. The state-run operation started in 1952 in the Soviet Union and it shows in its architecture and grand style. There are over 100 kilometres of roads underground where limestone was quarried in the Middle Ages.
It was only in the 1950s that the mine galleries began to be used for wine storage. Cricova is well travelled and dignitaries from all over Europe have been there and many even have their own part of the wine cellar for their private collection. The temperature stays around 12 degrees all year round, perfect for storing wine.
Cricova is known for its sparkling wines produced according to the French champagne method. They have around 7 million bottles of sparkling wine stored down in the cellar where they are regularly turned over before they are ready to be shipped out to Sweden and elsewhere, a full 70 % of their production goes to the EU, with neighbouring Romania being the biggest customer. Cricova sells around 10 million bottles of wine a year and had 600,000 visitors last year. They are best known for their sparkling varieties but also make regular wines.
You can get there by local bus or taxi and the winery is just outside ChisinauA visit including the tasting of 4 wines is around SEK 300. The tour itself is two hours and you are driven around in small train carriages with one of their language-savvy guides.
The wines are available in Sweden through High Coast Wine and Systembolaget.
Carlevana - a small vineyard of 150 hectares
It may seem small but many famous wines are made on less than a couple of hectares so 150 hectares is relatively large and generates around half a million bottles a year. We find one of their red wines on the shelves back home in Sweden.
The Carlevana winery is located around 25 kilometres from Chisinau, in the village of Merenii Noi, and is one of the large state-owned wineries from the Soviet era. The operation was much larger than today and when you see the large empty warehouses, you realise that a lot of wine was produced on site.
During the 1960s, one in four bottles in the Soviet Union came from Moldova, but the big peak was in the 1980s. The area of vineyards in Moldova was then twice as large as today and the country was the sixth largest producer of wine in the world.
What happened next was that Mikhail Gorbachev decided to reduce drinking in 1985 and alcohol production was severely restricted across the Union, with vines removed or even burned. Wine was perhaps not the big problem, but rather the cheap vodka that was widely consumed both during and after working hours in many places.
You can buy the wines in Sweden through High Coast Wine and at Systembolaget. One of the best known is freedomblend, which donates money to Ukraine.
Food in Moldova
Food and wine go hand in hand, so a brief mention of Moldovan cuisine is also in order. At first glance, the cuisine resembles Eastern European food culture and with the fertile soil it is easy to get really good ingredients.
It is rarely spiced very strongly but there are some piquant dishes and sometimes a fresh chilli is served alongside. One of the more famous Moldovan dishes is mamaliga a form of polenta served with cream cheese with most dishes. Placinta is a form of bread with a filling similar to burek and is served as street food and in many different forms with all meals.
Dumplings are also a popular dish and work well with all the salads available. It is a delight to go into a larger department store and order different salads in bulk. There are often a few tables inside the store so you can eat the food on the spot, a good tip for those who want to try many different dishes in a short time.
To summarise, it was a delight to experience both the food and wine culture in Moldova and it's really cheap so you can get a long way on a regular budget. A regular bottle of wine at a good restaurant can cost a few hundred bucks and for a hundred bucks you get a couple of smaller dishes.
If you spend a hundred kronor in the shop, you get a wine that in Sweden would be equivalent in quality to a wine on the system for 70-90 kronor. The flavour profile of Moldovan wines is much closer to the classic European wines than, for example Georgia which I visited in the spring.
The service is simple but correct, however the language can sometimes be a minus but the friendliness and willingness is there so you can relax and just enjoy.
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Jonathan Gharbi De Maré
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Mikael Bläsberg says:
A very interesting article, with history, culture and politics. It really makes you want to book a trip immediately to visit the various vineyards.
How easy is it to find good accommodation if you want to visit the various vineyards in the countryside?
24 June 2025 - 20:57
Jonathan says:
Thanks 🙂 , the best is to book inside Chisinau because transport is cheap . If you are thinking of Cricova and Carlevana then Chisinau works best . But if you are going to the southern regions, check with the winery because there are those who also have accommodation 🙂 ! There are good prices in the country so for SEK 700 a night you get a good double room in a good hotel.
25 June 2025 - 22:21