Straseni District

Adjacent to Chișinău municipality, Strășeni is the capital's wine country. Fifteen grape processing factories cluster here, working 8,292 hectares of vineyards—11.3% of agricultural land—in a district where soil and climate favor what the Soviets once demanded: volume. The Romănești winery was the USSR's leading producer; today the infrastructure persists even as markets have transformed.

Twelve kilometers west of Chișinău, the Strășeni vineyard produces the sparkling whites that complement the capital's tourist economy. Railways cross the district, moving goods to markets that once meant Moscow and now increasingly mean Bucharest and beyond. The agricultural portfolio is complete: cereals, sunflower, vegetables, fruit join the dominant grapes, and regular bus routes to regional centers keep the district connected to the capital's labor market.

By 2026, Strășeni's proximity to Chișinău may prove its defining asset. As the capital concentrates Moldova's economic growth, adjacent districts face a choice: bedroom community or processing hub. Strășeni's wine infrastructure suggests the latter—value-added production rather than mere commuter residence. But the same gravity that makes Chișinău accessible also draws workers and investment away. The Cricova and Miliștii Mici cellars (in neighboring municipalities) demonstrate what underground wine tourism can achieve; Strășeni's surface-level wineries must find their own positioning.