We will give you credit when we quote your blog. I’d love to visit Bulgaria, hadn’t thought about it for a wine-themed holiday but can see that would work really well. What are the three Bulgarian products that come first to mind? You will see his name around a lot in Bulgaria! Terra Tangra — the best wine producer in Bulgaria according to Bacchus Magazine. Yes, you may use some quotes (and please do mention my blog and name). We drink white wine and eat freshly grilled fish and salad and abundant figs and apricots and peaches by the sea. Wow, Love your blog, wine is one of my favorite subjects, hehe. I tried their French wines, but I quickly returned to the Bulgarian stuff. Sparkling White Red Rosé Fortified Champagne Prosecco Features. Today is not a day for wine but for this powerful hangover cure: I’ve lived in Bulgaria for many years and drink only Bulgarian wine. The top 20 comprised 16 reds, three whites and one dessert wine. (The Bacchus Best White — Chateau de Val — was not represented at the Vinaria so I could not try that.). My guess is that pink grapes make it so. And Logojaj had 5 square metres in an unstrategic position and produce ambrosial wines. When oaked (with some new oak) this grape can make quite an inky, heavy wine. Bulgarian winemakers are doing their part. A full bodied, deep colored, intense varietal. In winter we eat meat stews, cured and smoked fish, borscht and pickled vegetables accompanied by red wine. Irresistible wines . Todoroff 5. Grape growing and wine production have a long history in Bulgaria, dating back to the times of the Thracians.Wine is, together with beer and grape rakia, among the most popular alcoholic beverages in the country.. Bulgaria was the world's fourth largest wine exporter in 1980s, but the industry declined after the collapse of communism. Since I’m more of a white wine person, I’d probably go for a Dimyat with the distinct vanilla nuances. While the quality has improved in the past decade, Bulgarian white wine doesn’t yet have an identity, Atanasov notes: “We are developing it.” He has been promoting the country’s aromatic whites for about two years. Add to cart Show Details. Black Sea (East Bulgarian) The Black Sea region is where 30% of all vines are located. Recent DNA studies have shown it to be a cross with Gouais Blanc. Yane Sandanski was a Bulgarian revolutionist and ‘hero of the people’. Sadly Bulgaria is hopeless at the business of PR and its wine continues to receive little attention. Our Irresistible wines are ideal for a special occasion. Type. There was little relationship between the grandiosity of the stand and the quality of the wine. The best wine I tried. PREZZO Brut White Sparkling Wine. It makes a slightly lighter bodied but very aromatic red wine but can be either inky and strong (if put in strong oak or a large % new oak) or subtle and easy to drink (if left un-oaked or put in only neutral oak and held back a few years). Vastly improved quality, and the emergence of a new generation of quality focused producers make Bulgaria worth a fresh look. Vineyards at the Salla Estate Winery in the North Black Sea region . Please feel free to email me at: adifferentkindoftravel@gmail.com as well. Less perfumey than Tamianka but definitely remniscent of muscat this ‘Bulgarian muscat’ (dubbed so by most Bulgarian wine industry folks I spoke to) is a hybrid of Shiroka Melnika and pollens from Tamianka and Cabernet Sauvignon created by eonologists in 1979. If you’d like to be the first to hear about our new wines, upcoming activities, and more— please join our email list. (Although Brestovitsa is a less alluring destination than Franschhoek and Stellenbosch in the Cape Province.) They only produce 3500 bottles but at ex-cellar of €2.95 it is worth seeking out. I personally love Melnik 55, a mix of French varieties bit expensive I found. Find the perfect wine. Drier wines are definitely more popular now-at least in the Western wine markets but certainly in Central and Eastern Europe you still find more off-dry (slightly sweet) white and Rose wines because these markets still like these sweeter wines and most people (that didn’t work in the wine industry) I asked in Bulgaria all said they liked to drink semi-sweet white wines so this was very different for me, coming from California Bay Area & the U.S wine industry where we have been obsessed with drier and drier wines over the past 15 years. thank you Marvi! Dimyat is an old Bulgarian grape variety. There was this short contribution by Fiona Beckett in The Guardian in 2014. from California who's spent a lot of my adult life in Europe thanks to dual passports and a love for all things European. The region is characterized by long and mild autumns that are a favourable condition for the accumulation of sugars to make fine white wine (53% of all white wine varietals are concentrated in the region). Add to Cart. Take a look at some of our award winning wines. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. How to shop for wine on a budget. Ooohh.. The The New York Times describes Plovdiv as “Roman Grandeur East of Italy”. Bulgaria is one of the oldest wine makers in the world with traditions in both the grape growing and wine making. The result (when care is take in the winemaking process) can be lovely lean, crisp, clean white wines with subtle and pleasant muscat aromatics that don’t overpower. Though later ripening than the more newly developed Melnik 55, the Shiroka Melnik has a more red fruit forward (with some baking spices or tobacco) and medium body with less strong tannins and tar notes than Melnik 55. The quality and value of the whites were not so markedly high as they were for the reds. Every Spring I attend the vinaria or wine fair at Plovdiv International Expo. It is grown primarily near the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria and produces dry aromatic white wines which are said to have distinct vanilla nuances. Jancis Robinson and Andrew Jefford of the FT has written about Bessa Vallay (and Todoroff). Miro Cellars; Cabernet Sauvignon; Gamza; Mavrud; Merlot; Melnik; Rubin; Syrah; Rakia; Menu Menu; White Wines. Todoroff. Indigenous small berried, late ripening red variety first cultivated thousands of years ago. Very consistent. I am however a little reluctant to recommend the company Belvedere as it was stolen from its French owners by the Bulgarian mafia with the paid co-operation of the rotten Bulgarian judiciary. All the names sound so exotic. Email Address * Contact Us. Full bodied on the palate, ripe juicy fruit with a mineral core – almost Vermentino in style. 10/10 for taste/ value. Misket sounds good and I like pink. It is grown primarily near the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria and produces dry aromatic white wines which are said to have distinct vanilla nuances. Bulgaria is widely considered an unsung hero of good value red wine production, in the heart of Europe. Out of the two I found the Shiroka to be more elegant and a tad lighter bodied. They traded what was then a dense, sweet wine from native grapes to the Greeks. A great example of this is at Orbelia winery. Bessa Valley: Their standard (i.e. I love sampling new wines, but was totally unaware of Bulgarian grapes. I simply could not spit it out. Some of the best wine available for tasting was provided by some of the most modest stands. This post on Bulgarian grapes and wines is an eye-opener. The local Bulgarian white grape varieties are: Dimyat, Vrachanski Misket, Red Misket, Keratzuda, Varnenski Misket (Dimyat and Riesling), Orphe (Red Misket and Pinot Noir), Gergana (Dimyat and Muscat Ottonel), Sungurlare Misket (Red Misket and Sauvignon Blanc), and Bisser (Dimyat and Sauvignon Blanc). VINI Pinot Grigio 2019 $ 11.99. It’s impossible to find anything comparable for that kind of money in the West.They also have an “Antique Mavrud Brandy” . They make wines from the Mavrud grape that is unique to Bulgaria.The Mavrud Special Selection 2001 from the Pamidovo wine cellar is the best Mavrud I had ever tasted. Rather like the United Kingdom, Bulgaria’s prominent seasons and especially the long hot summer months enables grapes to be grown quickly and without great expense which can incur when growing grapes for red wine production in cold and hard, waring vineyards in cooler climate wine regions. White Wine » Bulgarian white wine. I tried quite a few Mavrud wines in the Melnik and South Sakar regions, but my favorite were the softer, less oaked and longer aged (in bottle or tank) versions I found at Malkata Zvezda and Bratanov wineries in South Sakar. Uniquato wine), Terra Tangra: Yatrus Sauvignon Blanc (10 euros) was a lovely wine like Sancerre, and the best white I tried. The Chardonnay toned down the overt aromas a bit and added some nice acidity and just enough weight. 10/10 for their marketing story. Here are a list of the most common (not an exhaustive list) Bulgarian grapes being used in Bulgarian wine production currently: Has been cultivated since ancient times in Southwest Bulgaria’s Struma River Valley . Whatever you decide, here are the must-try local types of grape in Bulgaria: Gamza (Гъмза) – dry red and dessert wines from the Danubian Plain region and especially Northwestern Bulgaria.Gamza is a.k.a Kadarka in other countries like Romania and Hungary and it is a great chance to taste a young red wine. You Will Never Be Rich If You Keep Doing These 10 things, Why Your Body Sometimes Jerks As You Fall Asleep, What My Son’s Final Words Taught Me About Happiness. Troyanska Williams Pear Rakia 50cl, 42% Special Price £17.95 Regular Price £20.95. Only a couple of them were much better than the very drinkable drafht white wine we drink every day when we drive to the nearby Greek Northern Aegean coast. Bessa Valley 6. Until 1990 the wine industry in Bulgaria was state-owned and was operated by Vinprom and exported by its subsidiary Vinimpex. Bulgarian Wine. It certainly deserves more attention than UK trade buyers seem prepared to spare. “ We got back, it is a bit difficult to reach Mogilovo (the village where Midalidare estate is situated). Ooh! If the winemaker chooses to let the grape ripen until the sugars are higher it will be sweeter. Great insight on each type of wine. If they don’t-it won’t. 8/10 for taste and value. A hybrid of the local Shiroka Melnik and a mix of French varieties (Durif, Jurançon, Valdiguié and Cabernet Sauvignon) this grape was created in 1963 with the objective of having an earlier ripening Melnik grape. yes I can imagine finding these wines is not easy if you aren’t in Bulgaria or a very nearby country! The best candidates for producers of pleasant inexpensive whites were : 1. BULGARIAN WINE VARIETIES. Our Cookies. Bulgarian wine had a brief boom in Britain two decades ago, but easy-drinking cabernet sauvignons soon passed from an ‘in-the-know’ tipple to the butt of vinous jokes. Thanks to a deal with Pepsico, California winemaking expertise was exchanged for cola. I was impressed though, by an excellent Chardonnay Tamianka blend I tasted at Bratanov Winery in South Sakar. Does anyone know what's the best local lager and white wine which will be the closets to these and is cider available in some places? This misket is able to maintain relatively high acidity even when sugars rise which is important in the hot wine growing regions in Bulgaria (for example Melnik and Sakar). Enira White 2019, Domaine Bessa Valley, Thracian Valley, Bulgaria Special Price £12.95 Regular Price £13 .50. Check out these top tips for choosing a great tasting and great value wine. I personally love a good dry white wine. 10/10 for their marketing story. Their Mavrud Unique and Cuvee Unique are exceptional value at 4 euros. Home » White Wine » Bulgarian white wine. Lidl have started operations in Bulgaria, and I had read of their growing reputation in wine sales and their well-marketed ‘claret offensive’. You are here: Home 1 / White Wines. I love wine and I had no idea Bulgaria had their own wines too! And of course, I find that driving through a countryside filled with vineyards is one of the most rewarding experiences. 8/10. I love that more than red. So cool to know where the name came from! http://www.kristovafamilypartners.com. I’m a long time wine industry professional (17 yrs!) Very interesting post , Great photos! OFFERS. In 1996, Bulgaria shifted 4.5 million cases in the UK, yet today it’s less than 10% of that. Logodaj 2. This is the centuries old French tradition and was started here in 2006 by the advent of the German count “Graf von Neippberg” who founded the Bessa Valley Vineyard near Plovdiv and whose family owns “Canon la Gaffelière” in St. Emilion (a St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B). Thought the exact origins of this grape are not known it is grown almost exclusively in Bulgaria and has been around for a very long time. Just the best Bulgarian dry white wine we had tasted. Known for its big, aromatic grapes, Dimyat has been grown for centuries in the east of the country, especially in regions adjacent to the … . But 7/10 for taste and value. For a while, Tcherga produced an acceptable white before the price went up — and the quality went down. His wines are sold in UK by Berry Brothers and Rudd and “The Wine Society”. Add to cart Show Details. The color of a grape doesn’t affect its sweetness. Their Cuvee 2006 was shortlisted in the Bacchus Wine of the Year competition 2008 and is a great deal at 8 euros. I hadn’t really heard of Bulgarian wines, so this break down is much appreciated. Let me say it outright, I hadn’t heard about Bulgarian wines let alone their grapes. White wine; pretty lifted floral and fruity nose with a slightly green, cornichons edge. Thank you for this introduction to Bulgarian grapes wine. I Had a Damned Good Reason For Leaving My Perfect Husband. The interesting thing about the Bulgarian grapes being used most predominantly currently is that some of them are grapes that have existed for thousands of years and others have been created more recently in a lab. What Will Happen When Queen Elizabeth II Dies? VINI Chardonnay 2019 $ 11.99. My family and I live in the ancient city of Plovdiv, situated on the Thracian Plains just by the foothills of the Rhodope Mountains, home of Odysseus. 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