Codru

Moldova's central region around Chișinău, historically the core of local winemaking and home to the largest underground cellars.

Country

Moldova

Climate

Moderate continental, wooded hills

Main varieties

Fetească Albă · Fetească Neagră · Chardonnay · Cabernet Sauvignon · Rară Neagră

Codru covers the central, most heavily wooded part of Moldova. Rolling terrain and relatively cool nights give the wines more freshness than the country's south, so the region is traditionally considered white-leaning, though red varieties are widely planted too.

This is also where Cricova and Mileștii Mici are located, underground galleries in former limestone workings that hold a stable temperature year-round. Cricova was established in 1952 in former limestone workings and holds over 120 km of galleries; Mileștii Mici, founded in 1969, has more than 200 km, of which some 55 km are used for production and storage at depths of 40 to 80 metres, and its Golden Collection has been listed by Guinness World Records as the largest wine collection since 2005.

For kosher production the region matters because it hosts a winery running a kosher line on an ongoing basis, which means the expensive part already exists: kashered equipment, a working relationship with a certifying body, and experience running the cycle.