Route of wine and large monasteries

At the exit of Chisinau, head towards Orhei for a visit to Château Vartely where the wines produced are made from vines in the centre and south of the country. The term "château" refers to the production areas of our French wines and expresses the process from the cultivation of the grapes to bottling in the same place, and this is what is done at the Château Vartely estate. This company has acquired a gleaming modern infrastructure, the complex is luxurious and the site is magnificent, as it overlooks the beautiful hills of what is known as the "Moldavian Switzerland". (You will find European grape varieties: cabernet-sauvignon, sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay, traminer, and Moldovan grape varieties such as feteasca.) Take your time, the visit and tasting will last about 45 minutes, but the estate is large and worth a visit before you come to the excellent table at Vartely restaurant, which you will have booked in advance. 20 minutes by car, you will arrive at the sublime monastery of Curchi, which is considered to be the most beautiful Orthodox convent in the country. Totally renovated, it is as brand new despite its centuries of history. The estate is vast and here again, you have to take your time, it is a very beautiful walk between the different buildings and the various richly decorated baroque chapels. In the late afternoon, take the road to the village of Ivancea to stop at Katerine's guest-house (which you will have booked in advance too). Total immersion in Moldovan culture, with the Ukrainian touches of the origins of Katerine and most of the inhabitants of this village, for that matter.

After a good breakfast, it is time to leave again because 10 minutes away awaits you the Branesti factory. Very different from Vartely, here you enter huge underground cellars to understand and follow the principles of wine making and storage. Despite its less modern appearance, make no mistake about it: Branesti is one of the most important wine factories in the country, with 180 white and red wine names, 7 original collections that include wines such as cabernet, pinot franc, merlot, sauvignon, feteasca, chardonnay... Take the opportunity to taste the natural water taken from more than 75 metres deep, Poiana Branesti. For lunch, choose one of the inns in the beautiful village of Trebujeni, la Vila Roz for example, Liuba the owner offers traditional Moldovan dishes: soups, mamaliga, placinta and clatita. After this good meal, a nice walk through the archaeological site of Orhei Vechi is a must. This open-air complex takes place in a natural circus defined by the sinuous curves of the Raut River, a tributary of the Dniestr, and its geo-Dacian, Roman, Turkish fortresses and rock monasteries make this visit certainly one of the most outstanding. In the evening, choose to stay at Agro Pensiunea Butuceni: this agrotourist pension, located in the beautiful picturesque village of Butuceni, welcomes you in the pure Moldovan style and tradition. The whole thing is a real complex. Tastefully designed, it consists of several houses. It is at the corner of the fireplace of the beautiful and large restaurant room, that you will see the famous placinta gilded before your eyes.... This warm pension, which provides high-quality local accommodation, has two beautiful indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a spa. Despite all these new features, you will feel at home, a recuperative stopover par excellence.

You are well rested, so board for Cricova, 50 minutes by car. Prestigious of the Republic of Moldova, the wines presented here are housed in underground limestone galleries more than 60 kilometres long. Cricova is almost a city underground, and you will appreciate its extent by walking along the avenues with the prestigious names of Cabernet, Feteasca, Pinot, Aligoté... In the silence of the cellars, the bottles age at an ideal temperature between 12 and 14 degrees (plan to cover yourself, it is cold even in summer). Cricova is the only company that produces a sparkling wine, in the pure French Champagne tradition, Cricova champagne, raw or semi-raw (very good). You will taste all the wines from this factory in large, sumptuous rooms, often accompanied by a small snack. (You will stay about 1 hour on site.) For lunch, do not hesitate to take the road again for 45 minutes, because a huge restaurant-museum is a must, La Badis. Maybe you'll want a nap, but you still don't know what's in store for you at Capriana Monastery, which is only a 15-minute drive away. In the picturesque forest of Codru, populated by centuries-old trees, stands the other fabulous monastery in Moldavia, whose origins date back to the 15th century. Under the reign of Stefan cel Mare, originally made of wood, itéglise de l'Assomption de la Vierge was rebuilt in stone in the 16th century. Later, the site acquired two other beautiful churches, one at Saint-Georghe in 1840 and Saint-Nicolae in 1903. At the time, the monastery contained the largest library of religious works in the territory. Closed and devastated during the Soviet period, it reopened in 1989 as a symbol of the survival of the Moldovan people and nation. If you are still up for it, on the way back to Chisinau, make a short stop at Château Cojusna, another wine estate. Here, each wine has its history and the cellar itself is a place of memory. Try his cognac too. Choose to come back for the night in Chisinau.

You will be tempted by the visit to Milestii Mici, the largest winery in the world (if, if!). The limestone galleries are located at a depth of 45 to 80 m, over a distance of about 200 km. Spectacular! The wines conserved here come from Moldovan production sites over a period between 1968 and 1991. The spirit of the years is omnipresent in this immense underground city, which houses the Golden Collection and its 2 million bottles. A prestigious collection that can be discovered by car. Wines from Moldovan brands such as Pinot, Traminer, Muscat, Riesling, Feteasca, Codru, Negru de Purcari and Trandafirul Moldovei are represented. Several times rewarded for its collection, Milestii Mici is an essential treasure. Be careful during the tasting, as another factory awaits you in the afternoon. Arriving at the village of Puhoi (40 minutes) and before the visit, have lunch at the Asconi winery. A small traditional but modern cellar with its picturesque architecture. There are 500 hectares of vines of different grape varieties, including new varieties to discover with malbec, saperavi, muscat rose and glera grapes. These grapes are used to create small collections or to be mixed with others, thus enriching the range of wines on offer. Return to Chisinau at the end of the day, the cheeks certainly a little red of all these drinks tasted throughout your journey.