National cultural heritage of Moldova
Cricova, also known as the pearl of Moldova’s winemaking,
is a subterranean complex, founded in 1952. It is the first enterprise in the country to produce sparkling wine according to the method of the famed monk Dom Pierre Perignon, through secondary fermentation in the bottle and a cuvée aging afterwards.
With an experience spanning over sixty years, Cricova blends tradition and sophisticated technologies, producing the most diverse ranges of wines. It is the first and the only enterprise to have been awarded the highest State distinction, the Order of the Republic. By the law given by the Parliament of the Republic, Cricova has been declared National Cultural Heritage.
One of the best-known and appreciated products is the classic sparkling wine, obtained through the Champenoise method, a complex process which consists of turning the quiet wine into bubbly wine via some technological phases, the most important being the secondary fermentation inside the bottle.
1954 saw the creation of the National Vinotheque, housing a remarkable collection of wines, around one million bottles. One of the most treasured is the Easter Jerusalem wine, obtained from a single lot, in 1902.
The halls of the subterranean complex (The Presidential Hall, the European Hall, the Great House, the Bottom of the Sea and the Fireplace Hall) host national and international tastings, as well as high-profile meetings.
• Contact person: Alexeev Alexandru
• Telephone: +37369077734; +37379202999
• E-mail: cricova.vin@gmail.com
• Name of the company: Combinatul de Vinuri CRICOVA SA
• Established in 1952
• Owners: 100% state-operated
• Oenologist: Ion Bortă
• Annual production: 7.500.000 litres
• Annual production capacity: 10.000.000 bottles
• Surface: 660 hectares
• Winery address: or. Cricova, str. Chișinăului 124
• Headquarters address: or. Cricova, str. Ungureanu 1
• Website: www.cricova.md
• Last update: October 2020
