Want to sample Moldavian wines during their annual National Wine Festival? The
republic of Moldova really wants you to visit, so they will
waive visa fees from October 1st through the 15th.
This land-locked nation just north of the Black Sea, depends heavily on agriculture and the wine industry for
economic development, since the country is forced to import all energy and fuel resources from Russia. The tradition of
winemaking dates to ancient times in Moldova, and Moldavian
wines, have earned an excellent reputation. Earlier this month, the Guinness Book of World Records named
the Moldavian wine collection Milestii Mici as Europe’s largest. The
sprawling underground complex, located not far from the capital city, Chisinau, contains over two million bottles of
wine. The area is home to the largest natural wine deposit in the world.
The Moldova Tourism Board has an extensive list of tour groups
that lead excursions to vineyards and underground wine cities throughout the region. If you can take advantage of this
free entry ticket and get yourself there soon (the actual Festival is October 8th & 9th), please do so, it looks
like a fascinating region to explore. And if you have any tips on which vineyards are the best or what else there is to
do (besides sipping tons of tasty wine) please drop us a comment or a tip.