Milestii Mici is a Moldovan wine producer located in the commune of Mileştii Mici

Milestii Mici

Mileştii Mici is a commune in Ialoveni district, Moldova, composed of two villages, Mileştii Mici and Piatra Albă. It has a population of over 4,500 and is 18 km from Chişinău. For much of its history, the locals have extracted white stone from underneath the village. Several hundred...

.

Cellars

The State Enterprise Quality Wines Industrial Complex "Milestii Mici" was founded in 1969 to store, preserve and mature high-quality wines.

Local ancient underground galleries reach the Chişinău

Chisinau

Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...

 borders. The limestone in the galleries maintains constant humidity (85-95%) and temperature (12 °C (53.6 °F) - 14 °C (57.2 °F)) throughout the year. The longer some specific red wines are stored in such ideal conditions, the more they improve. Some wines are cellared for several decades before being sold. The cellars extend for 250 kilometres (155.3 mi), of which only 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) are currently in use.

In August 2005, Milestii Mici] was registered in the Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...

 as the biggest wine collection in the world.
Overall, the complex holds nearly 2 million bottles. More than 70% of the stored wines are red, 20% are white and about 10% are dessert ones. The most valuable items of this collection, worth €480 a bottle, were produced in 1973-74; they are now exported only to Japan.

Wines are exported from Milestii Mici to Sweden, Japan, the USA, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Poland, Greece, Germany, Denmark and Finland.

Wines

The wines stored here are made from crops of various years, beginning with 1969. Grapes include Pinot

Pinot

-Grape varieties:* One of several grape varieties and associated wines** Pinot blanc ** Pinot gris ** Pinot meunier** Pinot noir...

, Traminer, Muscat

Muscat (grape and wine)

The Muscat variety of grapes of the species Vitis vinifera is widely grown for wine, raisins and table grapes. Their color ranges from white to near black. Muscat almost always has a pronounced sweet floral aroma. Muscat grapes are grown around the world...

, Riesling

Riesling

Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...

, Feteasca

Feteasca

Fetească can refer to* One of the following traditional Romanian/Moldovan wine grapes or wines:** Fetească Albă** Fetească Neagră** Fetească Regală* Fetească of Romania*Feteasca, a village in Leuşeni Commune, Hînceşti district, Moldova...

, Dnestrovscoie, Milestscoie, Codru

Codru

Codru may refer to:* Codru, a type of forestto several places in Romania:* Codru, a village in Şoimi Commune, Bihor County* Codru, a village in the town of Cajvana, Suceava Countyand to several places places in Moldova:...

, Negru de Purcari

Negru de Purcari

Negru de Purcari is a quality red dry Moldovan wine, produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Rara Neagră and Saperavi grapes. The wine has a dark ruby, saturated color.-Areas of production:...

, Trandafirul Moldovei, Auriu, and Cahor-Ciumai.