Moldova officially has the largest wine cellar in the world at Mileştii Mici (registered in the Guinness World Records with a collection of nearly two million bottles) Few people know where Moldova is and even fewer people will be aware that Moldova is actually a significant wine producer, reliant as it has been on exports to its former Soviet neighbours. Until recently, very few of its wines made it to western markets, but that is all changing with a number of Moldovan wines arriving in the UK, including a couple of new listings from pioneering estate Château Vartely at The Wine Society. Moldova officially has the largest wine cellar in the world at Mileştii Mici (registered in the Guinness World Records with a collection of nearly two million bottles) Great soils and sunny slopes The Wine Society 2000 - 2023 Registered name: International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society Limited Register Number: 1824R (IP) Wine is at the heart of Moldovan life - even the shape of the country resembles a bunch of grapes dropped onto the map, or so Moldovans like to claim, possibly after a glass or two of the local product. Grapevines cover 7% of the country's agricultural land; the highest density in the world and the country has the highest per capita production of wine too.

Myton Hill Sauvignon Blanc | Vivino US

Hardys has been the UK's no. 1 Australian wine producer for over a decade and their wines have earned over 9,000 awards globally since being founded in 1853. Château Vartely was one of the first of the new generation of quality-focused producers. It is not far north of the capital Chisinau, close to the historic village and cave monastery of Old Orhei (well worth a detour). It started in 2004 with a winery and a young Moldovan winemaker named Arcadie Fosnea who, unusually for Moldova, had studied winemaking in Germany. The winery has invested heavily in vineyards, and now has 250 hectares of its own and a further 150 hectares that it manages. It has also built a small tourist complex and restaurant - to help improve wine culture in Moldova itself.Moldova's 112,000 hectares of noble wine grapes cover a larger area than more famous, Eastern European nations of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. These are planted with a mixture of international and local varieties. The international grapes, including cabernet sauvignon, are not simply upstart arrivistes but have been here since the early 19th century, arriving when the Russian aristocracy brought in French experts (most famously from the Cahors region) after Moldova joined the Russian Empire in 1812. Hint of 'girl power' in local grapes This is a tiny nation with around 3.5 million citizens, and is the poorest in Europe; yet around 200,000 people (20% of the economically active population) earn a living from wine, so there is a lot of motivation to get it right.

Myton Hill Sauvignon Blanc | Vivino United Kingdom

Moldova has recognised that its future lies in focusing on quality wines and diversifying into wider markets to get away from Russian bullying. And the industry has been working hard on raising standards, improving knowhow and developing new protected geographical indications, at the same time as helping to support rural life and slowing the flood of people leaving to work abroad. A new generation of quality-focused producersThere's no doubt that Moldova has been both shaped and scarred by its Soviet history. In the USSR, every second bottle of wine consumed was from Moldova, and even since independence in 1991; Moldova has continued to depend on its former Big Brother for much of its trade.