Where is Cricova Cricova
? Small pretty cozy famous city Cricova or as it is also called Cricova"is part of a rather prestigious district-sector - the city.
Cricova Cricova Moldova
. According to statistics for 2010, the population of the ancient city Cricova was about 8,400 people.
According to the 2014 census, the population of the well-known Moldovan tourist cities of Cricova increased in just 4 years by more than 2 thousand people. and reached up to 10 669 people.
Earliest mention of today's city Cricova under the names of Vadul Petrei and Veden, dates back to 1431.
Cricovo Chisinau. Thus, a relatively small excursion city of Cricova only 5 years older than the capital Chisinau, of which it is a suburb.
Since ancient times, high-quality natural building stone has been mined here and is being mined to this day - a cauldron, which miners cut out of limestone.
Moldova. One of the entrances to the cellars of Cricova Chisinau
Cricova cellar. In the adits that have been formed over many centuries, there are now world-famous cellars of Cricova, the tunnels of which stretched for approximately 70 kilometers.
It is worth noting that in the cellars of Cricova there are 5 comfortable, equipped tasting rooms.
AT cellars of Cricova more than one million bottles of high-quality wine are stored, including over 100 collections of wines made from the best varieties of grapes grown in the central part of the country.
In addition, samples of unique winemaking, French wines and many other wine-producing countries of the world are also stored here.
Cellars of Cricova. According to some historians, in the spacious famous cellars of Cricova wine is still stored from the personal collection of the influential Nazi military leader Hermann Goering, who came here after the end of the Great Patriotic War.
The earliest example of wine stored in huge unique cellars of Cricova dates back to 1902.
Thanks to the presence in cellars of Cricova natural limestone year-round maintains a constant air temperature in the range from +12 to +14 degrees and maintains a high humidity of 97-98%, which is ideal conditions for long-term aging of premium quality wines. These elite vintage wines of Cricova completely retain all their original taste, they are very unusually elegant and quite self-sufficient.
City of Cricova gained wide popularity, mainly due to its eponymous winery Cricova, specializing in the production of sparkling and vintage " wines Cricova» method of classical champagne.
It is worth noting that in addition to the production of sparkling wines, the plant- Cricova winery also produces a huge range of high-quality ordinary and vintage grape wines, which are aged in the largest world-famous cellars of Cricova, the total length of which is approximately 60 km.
Literature: Encyclopedia. Chisinau, 1984.
Cricova photo
Cricova. Cricova. Earliest example of 1902 wine
Moldova. Cellars of Cricova
Moldova. Cricova cellar
Wine room in the cellars of Cricova
Vladimir DergachevProducts of the factory of sparkling and vintage wines "Cricova". A bottle of sparkling (champagne) Gold Crystal costs 130 thousand rubles in Russia, or only 2.2 thousand US dollars.
The Moldavian town of Cricova (11 thousand inhabitants) is located 15 km from Chisinau. Here is the famous Factory of sparkling and vintage wines "Cricova", established in 1952 in the place of the former kotelts mine.
The oldest mention of the settlement dates back to 1431. For several centuries, building stone (cauldron) used in the construction of Chisinau and other cities has been mined in local quarries. In 1952, the Cricova Winery was founded in the adits. In addition, the Crickov adits were intended as a bomb shelter in the event of a nuclear attack; up to one hundred thousand people could take refuge here. The underground galleries were used to store strategic food supplies.
In Cricova adits, up to 120 km long, natural limestone helps maintain a constant temperature - 12-14 degrees and humidity 97-98%. These are the optimal conditions for aging vintage wines of the highest quality.
The plant of sparkling and vintage wines "Cricova" is the pearl of Moldovan winemaking, the only enterprise in the country and one of the few in the post-Soviet space that produces sparkling wines using the classic champagne method. In addition to sparkling wines, the company produces a wide range of quality ordinary and vintage grape wines. Every second bottle of wine and every third bottle of champagne consumed in the Soviet Union was produced in Moldova or from Moldovan raw materials.
The National Wine Collection with tasting rooms is located here, more than a hundred collections of wines from the best grape varieties grown in the central part of Moldova are stored. The vinoteca has more than a million bottles, including, in addition to Moldovan, unique French, Italian, Spanish and other foreign wines.
Cricova winemakers have won more than 60 gold and silver medals at various prestigious international exhibitions and competitions. The mill is a member of the European Trade Leaders Club, which has awarded the company the Gold Star of Quality. In 2002, the plant was awarded the highest award of the Republic of Moldova - the Order of the Republic, for a significant contribution to the development of the national economy.
Visitors are offered excursions of different price categories and duration. The package "Kingdom of Wine" lasts 2 hours and costs 650 lei per person, includes a tour and tasting of 6 types of wine with snacks. The "VIP" package, lasting three hours and priced at 1300 lei per person, includes an excursion and watching a corporate film Cricova in the country's first underground cinema, tasting 9 types of wine with snacks. 
Plan of the underground kingdom of wine 
In the underground city, the streets and boulevards bear poetic wine names - Cabernet, Pinot, Feteasca, Aligote and others. 
Electric cars and cars for VIPs run along underground roads. 
underground wine production 
The guide explains the intricacies of wine technology 
These bottles regularly turn women's hands. 
Automatic machines are installed for these purposes, but female labor is preferred 
Here, wine bottles are checked for transparency. 
The first underground cinema in Moldova operates in the catacombs 
Museum of the History of Moldovan Wine. The vine is one of the most ancient plants on Earth, its age is more than 10 million years. On the territory of Bessarabia, the first archaeological artifact confirming the age of the vine was discovered in the 50s of the twentieth century. The trace of a vine leaf on the stone dates back to the third century BC. e.
Ancient Greece in the Roman era had a great influence on the development of Bessarabian winemaking. The exhibits on display testify to this: amphoras, mugs, plates, jugs, crushers, etc.
Also on display is a fragment of the cellar, surrounded by old objects, original barrels, crushers, wine presses, etc. In the wine cellar you can see a wine grower and a "white stork". Legend has it that the "white stork" saved many people by quenching their thirst with grape juice, which he brought to the besieged fortress, where the defenders were exhausted by thirst and hunger. The white stork is also an element of the emblem of the Cricova plant.
The development of winemaking in Bessarabia is also evidenced by the letters of Moldavian rulers of 1495, 1763 and 1775. On the map of Moldova from 1807 you can find the first centers of winemaking. The development of winemaking during these periods is evidenced by various tools for planting, caring for the vine, for making barrels, certificates and other exhibits.
At the heart of the creation of Cricova Winery are the ancient traditions of winemaking, production, storage of wine. 
Soviet products of the Cricova plant 
The wines produced at the Cricova Winery were highly appreciated at the international competition "Golden Griffin - 2010"http://allmoldova.com/uimg/Cricova/cricova180810_2.jpg , held in Yalta under the patronage of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OVV, Paris). Cricova entered the competition with Roze Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay Prestige, Zeus dessert wine and classic Cricova Grand Vintage champagne. All the wines presented at the competition won gold medals, and Cricova Grand Vintage champagne was the best in the nomination "Best sparkling of the year", which received the highest rating in the competition.
Pictured is champagne. Cricova Grand Vintage 2007 vintage (Cricova, collectible). This wine masterpiece is made from the Pinot Noir variety, according to the Champenoise method in the famous Cricova cellars, by secondary fermentation in the bottle, followed by aging for at least five years. Cricova oenologists for the first time in the history of Moldovan winemaking have created this magnificent classic champagne, it is distinguished by a delicate floral bouquet and a fresh, subtle taste, which gives a unique style and high class. At the international competition Efervescente du Monde 2013 (France) Cricova Grand Vintage 2007 won a silver medal, a gold medal as always with the French. 
Combine "Cricova" owns vineyards with an area of more than 1000 hectares. 
advertising photography
The most touristic and most interesting place in the Cricova plant is their wine cellars. Several kilometers underground. I really want to say that in the eternal cold, but it sounds somehow quite menacing. Although, this is partly true - it is always cold there. Well, how cool.
However, this did not prevent Vladimir Vladimirovich, who is Putin, from celebrating his 50th birthday here. Okay, okay, the tasting rooms aren't cold at all.
We note right away that these are not the largest wine cellars in Moldova. The ones that got into the Guinness Book of Records are located in the place of the Sweetest Mich. But the cellars of Cricova are a different story. And no less big. For greater persuasiveness, let's cite the figures: the length of the cellars of Mileshy Mich is 200 km, and the cellars of Cricova are 120 km. Less, but also an impressive figure.
There is a legend that the famous Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin once entered these cellars and left only after 2 days. Although, we think that it is unlikely that he got lost there, since he did not get out without outside help.
By the way, if you go to the Cricova cellars, then your tour will be carried out on such a nicest form of transport. Walking all this distance is unrealistic.
By the way, the Crickans themselves do not call them cellars, proudly calling this place the Underground Wine City. And it's hard to argue with that.
There are several streets here. Yes, right on the street. Champanoise street. Guess what kind of drinks are stored in its nooks and crannies? Of course, sparkling. Cabernet, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Dionis, Codru, Feteasca streets. Sounds like a song!
The vinotheque of the underground city of Cricova began its existence in 1954. During this time, it has accumulated a lot of wine (they say 50 million liters, but perhaps even more). Not only Moldovan, but also unique samples from all over the world. They say that wine from the collection of Hermann Goering is kept in the cellars of Cricova, which arrived there after the end of the Great Patriotic War. The oldest wine stored here dates back to 1902.
Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, Alexander Lukashenko and many other well-known politicians and cultural figures have their “vaults” here. They can go down to the cellars of Cricova at any time and take any bottle from their own collection. What if this happens at the moment when you will be strolling imposingly through the cellars?
By the way, do not be surprised that the bottles are covered with centuries-old dust. Nobody wipes it here, but not because it's lazy. In this form, wine in a bottle is stored longer, despite the fact that the sun's rays do not penetrate into these rooms. So if you have bottles of wine gathering dust at home (hardly, right? You need to drink everything urgently), then do not rush to free them from city dust.
Of course, here the wine is not only stored, but, so to speak, prepared and aged. Say, this is where the champagne remuage is made. This is a process that allows the sediment that forms in sparkling wines during their production to settle on the cork, to the neck of the bottle.
The process of remuage is one of the most romantic in the production of champagne. Visually it looks like this:
These bottles are specially trained women, there are five of them at this job in Cricova, every day they turn at a certain angle and at a certain degree. To understand how to twist and how much, a special mark on the bottom of the bottle allows.
Work, it should be noted, is not easy. These women even have a professional injury - rupture or sprain of the ligaments of the hands. Not very nice, right? So that the bundles do not fail during operation, the remuer is pre-prepared here. Preparation, to be honest, not sparing. A woman has to take a heavy bucket, lift and twist it until the ligaments are pulled.
The women who were on this excursion could not contain their slight indignation. Especially when they saw this machine for automatic riddling:
Among ourselves, we called him "a champion of women's rights."
Another interesting process is disgorgement. This is the removal of sediment from the wine. The master degorger takes a bottle of ready-made champagne with the neck down and knocks off the cork with one precise movement. It is important to do everything clearly and quickly so that the sediment comes out and the champagne does not spill out too much.
You will be lucky if you see how it is done by hand. But you must admit that it is simply unrealistic to disgorge all sparkling wines in this way, so there is also an apparatus for automatic disgorgement.
This is what we are all for. The underground city of Cricova is, indeed, a city in which several million bottles of wine are registered. In which there is no mayor, but there are overseers and guardians of the wine order. In which there are streets on which life is seething in a literal and figurative sense. And there are quiet nooks and crannies into which rarely anyone turns.
A visit to this city is a must.
Moldovan wine has returned to Russian markets. Although you, yes, personally, you probably did not notice the fact that they were leaving somewhere.
And returned immediately from the legend. Why "legend"? This is what we will tell now.
Cricova is not only a winery, but also the city of the same name in Moldova, which annually becomes the center of tourism in this country. And the reason for this is the numerous wine cellars that stretch underground like a labyrinth. And these cellars belong, for the most part, to the Cricova winery.
The length of the cellars of Cricova is 120 kilometers! This is a real underground city. More than 3,000,000 bottles are stored here. And this, for a moment, is approximately equal to the population of Moldova itself.
Of the valuables, this is a wine collection, by the way, rather big: 1,300,000 bottles. By the way, many famous personalities have special storages here with collections of Moldovan wines. Well, say, Angela Merkel and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Wines, by the way, are not only Moldovan in the collection. There are also Bordeaux, Burgundy, Moselle, Tokay and so on.
Another curious thing: there is a small underground cinema for 80 people.
Story
In general, it is believed that the first vines were planted here in 1947. I mean, not in Moldova, but in the vineyards of Cricova. Although the plant itself was founded five years later.
The first wine collection was founded in 1954, and this is two years after the opening of the plant.
In 1957, the plant began to produce sparkling wines on an industrial scale.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the enterprise was expanding, as well as the first attempts to enter the world market.
This place, of course, did not function immediately as a tourist place, but still quite early: since 1998, tourists could visit the plant itself and the cellars of Cricova. Interestingly, in 2004 Cricova (factory, cellars, vineyards - all this) was declared a national treasure.
One could, of course, say that since then it has existed in the form that we have now, but this is not entirely true. During this time, Cricova wines have received many awards, and the production itself has undergone changes: it has become more modern.
As for the wines
Here is a very, very impressive assortment line:
Two lines of sparkling wines: classic and original. Three types of still wine in the premium line. Six types are in the Prestige line. Two special dessert wines (ice wines). Superioara line of 5 types of wines. Special - Orasul Subteran, Vinuri de Colectie, Vinuri Naturale, series - Dantela and Hirti. Well, and in the appendage of wine in boxes.
So it's hard to even talk about each wine from these collections. It's worth trying. Unfortunately, not all the lines have arrived in Russia yet, but well, let's wait a little more.
By the way, Cricova wine itself is quite affordable, if not “cheap” for many lines.
You can buy Cricova wine at the WineStreet store to personally touch the legend of Moldovan winemaking.
Underground galleries of Cricova (Chisinau, Moldova) - expositions, opening hours, address, phone numbers, official site.
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Limestone caves of the 15th century in the town of Cricova near Chisinau are considered an obligatory point of the program for wine lovers and connoisseurs. Previously, a stone-shell rock - a cauldron was mined here. Actually, the cellars of Cricova are worked-out adits. They form a real underground city, stretching for 120 km and consisting of galleries-streets that bear the names of famous wine brands - Cabernet, Aligote, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Champagne, etc. Here, nature itself has created ideal conditions for storing a drink - temperature not higher than +14 °C, air humidity - about 98%. Wine collections have been collected in these places since 1947, and the Cricova sparkling wine factory (Cricova) was established in 1952.
Cricova winery is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the most outstanding wine collection - more than 20 thousand bottles.
What to watch
Cricova winery, which now owns underground galleries, specializes in sparkling wines. But real masterpieces of winemaking of various varieties are stored here, there are wines aged from the beginning of the 20th century. The collection of one of the ideologists of the Third Reich, Hermann Goering, formed the basis of the wine cellar. You can watch a film about the history of the plant in a small underground cinema - it is the warmest here (about +17 °C). There is a museum in one of the halls - photos of famous visitors hang on the walls (among them are Gagarin, Jacques Chirac, Angela Merkel and other prominent figures, politicians, movie and sports stars, scientists and diplomats). It also houses collections of wines from famous politicians and businessmen, including Vladimir Putin and US Secretary of State John Kerry.
The cellars of Cricova amaze the imagination with their scale, there is even a hall resembling a wine glass in shape.
The oldest exhibits of the cellars of Cricova are Jerusalem wine harvested in 1904 and the Czech liquor "Jan Baker" 1902. Another rarity is Chateau Mouton from the Rothschild collection of 1936.
During the tour in the cellars of Cricova, you can get a wide variety of information about wines: the process of their production, aging, storage. The excursion electric train sequentially passes through all storage streets and production workshops. For tastings, there are 4 restaurant halls (national, presidential, fireplace and sea), in addition, conferences and banquets are held here. There is also a company store where you can buy wines from the Cricova winery.
Practical Information
Address: Cricova (15 km from Chisinau), st. Petru Ungureanu, 1. Website.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9:00-21:00.
Cost of economy package - 185 MDL, underground city (without tasting) - 350 MDL, VIP - 1999 MDL. You can pay both in cash and by card. Tours are by appointment only. Prices on the page are for October 2018.