Chateau Migdal- Transition And Traditional Tasting Room

These photos are transitioning between buildings.  You can see the pretty murals and the big storage containers.

This room is the tasting room for groups up to 20.  It's decorated very traditionally for Moldova and has a lot of wood carving.  The chandelier is custom carved and has different varietals on it.

Chateau Migdal - Aging Area

Migdal uses both giant and normal sized oak barrels for aging.  They also have the metal chiller tanks for whites and roses.  Most of them are housed in a giant building toward  the back of the complex.  Also in the building is their largest tasting room, which overlooks the barrels.

Chateau Migdal - Second Hall

 This is the entrance to the second hall.  In the anteroom, there's a display of all the different products Migdal sells.

More interesting ironwork and a hallway full of wine cubbies.

Chateau Migdal - First Hall

 Chateau Migdal, also known as Chateau Cojusna, is an independent modern winery about ten miles outside of Chisinau.  They export mainly to China, the former Soviet republics, and Africa.  We went on a tour last Saturday.  Our tour guide was not a regular employee, as they have no English speaking guides.  She was a French teacher from the nearby school.  This means our tour wasn't nearly as insightful or in depth as it could have been, but it was still fun. 

There are huge wine aging vats, ceramic lined, in the front cellar hallway.  They're used to age whites and other wines that aren't oaked.

Lots of pretty ironwork throughout the complex.

And, of course, collections of wines in cubbies.

Wine We Liked

We took a photo of this pinot noir rose (and Evie behind it) in order to remember it because it was very, very good.

The Labels On The Bottles Go Round And Round

 This is the labeling area for bottle wine.  What there isn't a photo of is after labeling.  The rate limiting step is a bunch of elderly ladies wrapping each bottle in thin paper and packing the bottle in a box.  A combination of the modern and the Soviet on display.

Inside Cricova Cellars

 Cricova's cellars are parts of a (still working) limestone quarry.  They're spotless and beautifully finished.  The casks are all lined up against the walls and labeled.  Lots of lights, so it's not dark, and all the walls painted white.

Going On Inside

 More pictures of Chateau Vartely, including where they age the wine in casks and the tasting rooms.  Sean liked the red the best. Andreas preferred the muscat.  And we got to take home all the opened bottles!