Wait…Moldova is a real country?

It is. Barely anyone visits, which is excellent news for you because it means fewer tourist traps and more locals genuinely wondering why a British person has arrived asking about wine cellars. Moldova quietly produces excellent wine while larger countries spend millions shouting about theirs.

How much wine are we actually drinking?

Enough to improve your storytelling abilities. Not enough to legally become part of the vineyard. This is a wine tour, not a seven-day hostage situation with Merlot.

Do I need to know anything about wine?

Absolutely not. If you can: hold a glass, say “that’s nice” and survive lunch…you are already overqualified. Wine snobs are welcome too although Moldova has a habit of humbling people who normally use words like “minerality” recreationally.

What makes Moldova special?

Imagine if: Tuscany had fewer tourists and France stopped charging €14 for olives. That’s roughly the vibe. Moldova has enormous underground wine cities, tiny family wineries, huge hospitality and a national relationship with wine that borders on spiritual.

Are the underground wine cellars really that big?

Yes. Disturbingly big. Some have actual underground streets. You drive through them. At some point your brain simply accepts: “Apparently we are now driving a car beneath a vineyard while discussing Cabernet.”

Is this a posh wine tour?

Nope. This is more: “excellent wine with funny humans” than “silent room full of people aggressively sniffing Chardonnay.”

What kind of people come on this tour?

Usually curious travellers, sociable drinkers and people slightly bored of normal holidays. Some are wine lovers. Some just saw “underground wine city” and made an emotional decision.

Moldova treats feeding guests as a competitive sport. You will say: “I’m completely full.” A Moldovan grandmother will hear: “Please continue bringing meat, bread and mysterious fried things.”

Yes. Surprisingly safe, friendly and relaxed. The biggest danger is returning home and becoming unbearably smug about discovering a wine country nobody else has visited yet.

What if I don’t drink alcohol?

That’s completely fine. You can still enjoy the food, culture, villages, scenery and the deeply entertaining experience of watching everyone else become emotionally attached to local wine.

Why book this instead of Italy or France?

Your friends have already seen those photos. Nobody expects: Soviet wine tunnels, giant underground cellar cities, homemade wine in plastic bottles or a British tour guide explaining Moldova inside a vintage Lada. The stories afterwards are infinitely better.

Is this one of those giant coach tours?

Absolutely not. Small groups only. No flags. No headset microphones. No being herded through vineyards like slightly confused livestock.

Will I buy too much wine?

Almost certainly. Moldova has a dangerous combination of: excellent wine, low prices and locals who pour “just one more” with the confidence of people who have never heard the word moderation.

What’s the vibe of the trip?

Think: great wine, weird stories, underground tunnels, long lunches, chaotic laughter and new friends. Like a dinner party that accidentally turned into an international adventure.

Are Tipple Tours departures guaranteed?

Yes! Every Tipple Tours-operated departure is guaranteed, regardless of how many people book. We won't cancel your adventure simply because minimum group numbers haven't been reached. Exceptional circumstances outside our control remain subject to our booking terms.

What happens if I'm the only person booked?

You're still going! Our departures aren't dependent on minimum group numbers. If you're the only guest, we'll still operate your adventure.

What is a Tipple Forever Deposit?

It's our £99 deposit with a serious case of wanderlust. Although non-refundable, it can be transferred to another eligible Tipple Tours adventure or another person, subject to our transfer policy.

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Moldova

Moldova: Wine, Weirdness & WTF?!

5 days Maximum 12 People Chisinau

Overview

Forget Paris. Skip Rome. Say 'no thanks' to Venice gondolas. We're taking you to Moldova – Europe's least visited country, which is code for: no crowds, no rip-offs, just lots of wine and weird fun. Underground cellars so massive you need a car to tour them. A country that technically doesn't exist but takes its Lenin statues very seriously. Fancy wine, beer, and food at 'is this a typo?' prices.

This tour is operated by Smiling Grape Wine Tours SRL which is the contracting entity. Payments will be processed by Smiling Grape Wine Tours SRL.

Why This Tour Exists

This tour exists because someone bet us we couldn't find good wine in Moldova. They were spectacularly, deliciously wrong. We came for the curiosity and stayed for the underground wine cities, the four-generation family cellars, and the grandmother who insisted we couldn't leave until we'd tried her homemade plum brandy. Moldova isn't on most travelers' radars — which is precisely why it should be on yours. We designed this tour to take you beyond the obvious, into the world's largest wine cellar (you'll drive through it), through the time-warp of Soviet-era Transnistria, and into family homes where the wine is older than your parents' marriage.

Weird Facts You'll Learn

The stuff that makes this tour genuinely different.

The Underground Wine City

Mileștii Mici isn't just a cellar — it's a 200km network of underground roads with street signs, traffic rules, and over 2 million bottles. Yuri Gagarin allegedly got so drunk during his visit that he lost two days.

Wine Survived Hitler

During Nazi occupation, locals bricked up entire cellar sections to hide their best vintages. Some chambers weren't rediscovered until the 1990s, containing perfectly preserved pre-war wines.

Putin's Personal Collection

Vladimir Putin maintains a private wine collection at Cricova (yes, really). Angela Merkel does too. The cellars are surprisingly egalitarian about their dictator-to-democrat ratio.

Local Legends & Stories

The tales that locals tell — handed down through generations.

The Gagarin Incident

Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin visited Cricova in 1966. According to local lore, he emerged two days later, deeply confused about what year it was. The exact details are fuzzy — possibly because everyone involved was also drinking.

The Ghost of Mileștii Mici

Workers swear the tunnels are haunted by a 19th-century limestone miner who got lost and never found his way out. Whether he's still wandering or just enjoying the wine collection is unclear.

Sip Sense: What to Taste

Your cheat sheet to what you'll be drinking.

Fetească Neagră

The 'Black Maiden' — Moldova's signature red. Dark fruit, spice, and a finish that lingers like a good story. Think Pinot Noir's mysterious Eastern European cousin.

Rara Neagră

Translates to 'Black Rare' — and it is. Light-bodied red with cherry notes, perfect with everything from grilled meats to existential conversations about life.

Viorica

Moldova's aromatic white. Floral, honeyed, slightly wild — like if Gewürztraminer went on a gap year and found itself.

Pro Tip

We take you to both — the legendary underground wine cities and the tiny family cellars where the winemaker pours and the stories flow freely.

Learn more about Moldova →

Why This Tour is Special

Milestii Mici — Guinness World Record holder for largest wine cellar (200km of tunnels, 2 million bottles)
Day trip to Transnistria — a country that doesn't exist
Cricova Winery — another underground wine city with 120km of tunnels
Soviet oddities: abandoned Cosmos Hotel, quirky amusement parks
Bar crawls through Chisinau's craft beer scene

The Tour-o-Meter

What to expect on this adventure

Wine Wonderland

Moldova has more wine than it knows what to do with. We're here to help.

Underground Adventures

Wine cellars so enormous you could lose a small country in them. Possibly Moldova.

Soviet Weirdness

Step back in time to a world of Lenin statues, mysterious museums and cool retro wallpaper.

Food Comas

You'll arrive hungry. You'll leave wondering whether your trousers have shrunk.

Borderline Bizarre

Visit a country that doesn't officially exist. Try explaining that to your travel insurer.

Tourist Crowds

The good news? No queues. The bad news? Your friends won't know where you've been.

Predictability

We have an itinerary. Moldova has other ideas.

Grape Expectations

Come for the wine. Stay because you've accidentally made friends with half the country.

Upcoming Departures

22–26 October 2026

8 spots left