Cricova
Encyclopedia
Cricova is a Moldovan winery, located in the town with the same name
, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Chişinău
. Famous wine cellar
s make it a popular attraction for tourists.
(largest in the world). It boasts a mere 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) of labyrinthine roadways, versus MM's 200 kilometres (124.3 mi), tunnels have existed under Cricova since the 15th century, when limestone was dug out to help build Chişinău
. They were converted into an underground wine emporium in the 1950s.
Half of the roadways are used for wine storage. The roads are named by the wines they store. This "wine city" has its warehouses, tasting rooms and other facilities underground. It goes down to 100 metres (328.1 ft) below ground and holds 1.25 million bottles of rare wine
. The oldest wine dates back to 1902. The temperature is maintained at about 12 °C (53.6 °F) all year round (which is perfect for wine).
Legend has it that in 1966 astronaut Yuri Gagarin
entered the cellars, re-emerging (with assistance) two days later. Russian president Vladimir Putin
celebrated his 50th birthday there.
The territory used to be a mine for limestone
, a building material. In some branches excavation is still active, so the cellar is still growing. Other famous wineries in Moldova include Cojuşna and Mileştii Mici
.
s in accordance with the classical French method, purportedly invented centuries ago by the monk Dom Pierre Perignon
– "Methode Champenoise", by means of the secondary in-bottle fermentation and an ultimate maturation cuvée
in horizontal position of at least 3 years.
Cricova makes a unique sparkling red wine, kodrinskoie-sparkling, made from cabernet sauvignon stocks and marketed as having a 'rich velvet texture and a blackcurrant and cherry taste'.
The "Grand Cellars of Cricova" house a remarkable collection of wines – The National Oenotec. The unique exhibits ("Jerusalem of Easter" vintage 1902, the liqueur "Jan Becker" vintage 1902) together with other 158 brands from Bourgogne
, Moseley
, Tokay
, Rein
, etc. – make up the precious thesaurus of the establishment as well as of Moldova in general, comprising nowadays a total of about 1.3 million bottles.
However, the pride of the Oenotec are, first of all, the wines bearing the name "Cricova", which brought the winery a collection of national and international tasting awards. As of 2008, the collection consists of over 70 silver, gold and Grand Prix awards.
Cricova
Cricova is a Moldovan winery, located in the town with the same name, north of Chişinău. Famous wine cellars make it a popular attraction for tourists.-Winery:...
, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Chişinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
. Famous wine cellar
Wine cellar
A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...
s make it a popular attraction for tourists.
Winery
The wine cellars of Cricova is second largest wine cellar in Moldova, after Milestii MiciMilestii Mici (winery)
Milestii Mici is a Moldovan wine producer located in the commune of Mileştii Mici.-Cellars:The State Enterprise Quality Wines Industrial Complex "Milestii Mici" was founded in 1969 to store, preserve and mature high-quality wines....
(largest in the world). It boasts a mere 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) of labyrinthine roadways, versus MM's 200 kilometres (124.3 mi), tunnels have existed under Cricova since the 15th century, when limestone was dug out to help build Chişinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
. They were converted into an underground wine emporium in the 1950s.
Half of the roadways are used for wine storage. The roads are named by the wines they store. This "wine city" has its warehouses, tasting rooms and other facilities underground. It goes down to 100 metres (328.1 ft) below ground and holds 1.25 million bottles of rare wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
. The oldest wine dates back to 1902. The temperature is maintained at about 12 °C (53.6 °F) all year round (which is perfect for wine).
Legend has it that in 1966 astronaut Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
entered the cellars, re-emerging (with assistance) two days later. Russian president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
celebrated his 50th birthday there.
The territory used to be a mine for limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, a building material. In some branches excavation is still active, so the cellar is still growing. Other famous wineries in Moldova include Cojuşna and Mileştii Mici
Milestii Mici (winery)
Milestii Mici is a Moldovan wine producer located in the commune of Mileştii Mici.-Cellars:The State Enterprise Quality Wines Industrial Complex "Milestii Mici" was founded in 1969 to store, preserve and mature high-quality wines....
.
Wine production
Cricova is one of the very few wineries in the world that produce sparkling wineSparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
s in accordance with the classical French method, purportedly invented centuries ago by the monk Dom Pierre Perignon
Dom Pérignon (person)
Dom Pierre Pérignon, O.S.B., was a French Benedictine monk who made important contributions to the production and quality of Champagne wine in an era when the region's wines were predominantly still and red...
– "Methode Champenoise", by means of the secondary in-bottle fermentation and an ultimate maturation cuvée
Cuvee
Cuvée is a French wine term derived from cuve, meaning vat or tank. The term cuvée is used with several different meanings, more or less based on the concept of a tank of wine put to some purpose:...
in horizontal position of at least 3 years.
Cricova makes a unique sparkling red wine, kodrinskoie-sparkling, made from cabernet sauvignon stocks and marketed as having a 'rich velvet texture and a blackcurrant and cherry taste'.
The "Grand Cellars of Cricova" house a remarkable collection of wines – The National Oenotec. The unique exhibits ("Jerusalem of Easter" vintage 1902, the liqueur "Jan Becker" vintage 1902) together with other 158 brands from Bourgogne
Bourgogne
Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
, Moseley
Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of Birmingham, England, two miles south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants...
, Tokay
Tokay
Tokay may refer to:* Tokaji wine , wines produced in the Tokaj-Hegyalja region of Hungary* Tokaj , wine region in South-Eastern Slovakia and wines produced in that region.* Grape varieties:...
, Rein
Rein
Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding or driving. Reins can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, and attach to a bridle via either its bit or its noseband.-Use for riding:...
, etc. – make up the precious thesaurus of the establishment as well as of Moldova in general, comprising nowadays a total of about 1.3 million bottles.
However, the pride of the Oenotec are, first of all, the wines bearing the name "Cricova", which brought the winery a collection of national and international tasting awards. As of 2008, the collection consists of over 70 silver, gold and Grand Prix awards.