The State Enterprise Quality Wines Industrial Complex "Mileștii Mici" was founded in 1969 to store, preserve and mature high-quality wines.
Local ancient underground galleries reach the Chişinău borders. The limestone in the galleries maintains constant humidity (85–95%) and temperature (12–14 °C [54–57 °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 200 kilometres (120 mi), of which only 55 kilometres (34 mi) are currently in use.
In August 2005, Mileștii Mici was registered in the Guinness World Records 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 wines. The most valuable items of this collection, worth €480 a bottle, were produced in 1973–74; they are now exported only to Japan.