The wine tradition of Bulgaria in making wines dates from the Roman ages. The country is small but it differs in geographical features from the north to the south as well as from the west to the east. Thanks to these differences they are five wine regions defined. They differ in terms of an average annual total temperature, humidity of the atmosphere, the number of rain-hours, total hours sun and the type of the soil.
In 1960`s is the beginning when Bulgaria starts importing other sorts of wine grapes than the traditionally grown in the country. Imported sorts are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from France. These wine sorts have found there very favourable climate conditions, that’s why in 1970`s the country has imported also Riesling from Italy and Rkatzitely from Georgia.
Together with all imported sorts Bulgaria has many own sorts of grapes as Mavrud, Dimyat, Melnik, Pamid, Red Misket, Gamza. There are many others not yet famous in Western Europe but the wine made from them has wonderful taste, that has kept to a certain degree a piece of taste from the local soil and climate features.
Traditionally wine making and wine ageing is typically “hand made” process. We can find evidences already in all mural paintings discovered in old caves in the mountain part of the country as well as on the cups and cutlery of the golden and silver treasuries found mainly in the Trace Valley, The Donau Valley and The Black Sea wine regions.
In Bulgaria there are five different wine regions:
- the region of Black Sea,
- the Valley of the Roses,
- the Valley of the river Struma,
- the Valley of Donau river,
- the Thrace Valley.
REGION BY REGION
The Black Sea region
The climate in the Black Sea region as in almost all northern parts of the country is very favourable for white sorts grapes as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer, Rkatzitely, Dimyat, Muskat. The red one as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot en Pamid develops the best to the south. After ageing in oak barrels we discover the best white wines out of The Black Sea region with an origin Bulgaria.
Misket
Misket is one typical traditional Bulgarian sort grapes. The flake of the grapes is pink to red in colour, but only white wines are produced out of it. This sort grows the best in the region of The Valley of Roses and partially in The Black Sea region. High quality wines from this sort are produced in winery Slaviantsi, Sungurlare, Bania en Aytos. The wine has a specific flavour (of herbs and with aroma’s). It ages in oak barrels that strengthen the deep colour and the flavour of these wines.
Muskat
Imported from France. The wine has attractive and strong flavour as well as full aroma. During the ageing process, especially in oak barrels, the flavour does not develop but becomes rich in nuances. These grapes are appropriate for a long-lasting ageing process.
Aligote
Aligote comes from France (Bourgogne region) and is not much dispersed all over the world. The sort comes to Bulgaria in the `70. It is a basis for making Champagne and dessert wines. The process of growing and developing the sort takes place in the southeast regions of the land. The grapes have one intensive taste and oxidise very quick and easy. That’s why they are appropriate for making of Champagne.
Traminer
Traminer comes also from France (Elzas), imported during the `70. At the moment famous producers of wine from this sort are the following wineries-Khan Krum, Targovishte and Shumen. Really attractive, popular sort wines and it has been preferred a lot for a drink. The colour is light, yellow to yellow-green and has often more nuances of roses. These wines are fine, elegant and have good balance between fruits and moreover a strength in taste.
Riesling
This Italian Riesling is now dispersed all over Europe. Bulgaria has a perfect climate for this grapes- in the northeast of the land. The wine is in Evskinograd produced as well as in Varna. The colour is deep, yellow-green, with a lot of nuances that are typically for this sort in one interesting harmony. During the ageing the flavour is developing and becomes richer in nuances. The taste is well balanced. More often these wines are potentially suitable for one long-lasting ageing process.
Rose
The Black Sea rose thanks its colour as the other Rose sorts to the types of a grape. They are made from grapes whereas the fermentation of the skin takes place together with the core parts of the grape. It is very carefully observed and controlled how long this process should lasts in relation to the colour intensity of the rose colour that we would like to obtain. The most important quality of rose wine is the mixture in the soft and fruit taste as of white wines on the one hand and the strong flavour of the red wines on the other. In Bulgaria exactly as in all Western Europe and The United States Rose became fashionable to appear on the table as appropriate with different sort meals. It fits to the new trend and fashion in wine drinking.
The Struma river Valley
The valley of river Struma is the warmest and driest wine region of the land. It is located between the valley of the river Struma and the Greek border to the south. In general red sorts grow here as Cabernet Sauvignon and Melnik. In some parts of the region grow as well Rkatzitely and also one specific sort named Keratzuda. The wines are full and rich in colour and are with strong aromatic taste. Amongst these wines the famous producers of them are Damyantzy and Harsovo.
“Wild” wine from Melnik
This sort has need from higher temperatures, the grapes mature later in the summer and this wine in good wineyear has one excellent deep colour and tannin complex. The wine is “warm”, with rich flavour, fine and elegant. When it matures for a relatively long period of time in oak barrels, gets interesting aroma of strong herbs and one unique aromatic combination between tobacco and leather. Later on the taste becomes softer and lighter but the nuances of the herbs stay in.
The Valley of the Roses
The Valley of the Roses is located between the mountains named Balkan and Sredna Gora and the hills of Strandja Mountain from the other side. The climate is extremely favourable for the sorts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to grow here. Also Misket red (white wines), Chardonnay, Rkatzitely. The wines of this region are “warmer”, good coloured, flavoured, strong and with a specific aroma typical for this regional part. Famous wines from that region are made in Yambol, Slaviantzy, Sliven, Sungurlare and Banya.
The Valley of river Donau
The valley of the river Donau is limited between Romanian border and the Balkan. The white and red sort grapes are distributed all over the region. The white sorts as Dimyat, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer en Rkatzitely, find here perfect climate. The red sorts consist of Gamza en Cabernet Sauvignon. The most important quality of these wines is the soft and fruits aroma. Famous wines amongst these we can find with producers and wineries in Russe, Suhindol, Vidin en Lyaskovetz.
The Thrace Valley
The Thrace Valley is between Sredna Gora Mountains and the valley of river Maritza and the northern hills of the Rhodope Mountains to the south. This region is famous with his red wines as Cabernet Sauvignon, Mavrud en Pamid whereas the last two traditionally Bulgarian sorts grapes. Dimyat en Rkatzitely is as white grapes limited spreaded here. The wines from this region have typical character: “warm”, strong, good coloured, and elegant. Amongst them the famous wines are produced in the winery Assenovgrad, Haskovo, Liubimetz, Chirpan (sparkling wine), Brestovitza, Perushtitza.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is farely “The king of the red wines” called. Its motherland is France. Features of this wine are the aroma, the intensive colour and good balanced tannin structure. The young wine is rich in aroma and becomes usually dry already since the beginning of the maturing process. During the ageing into oak barrels gets one rich taste combined with nuances of herbs and fruits and for sure guaranteed dry taste. However this dry taste is soft and you remember it for a long time. If it is produced to the north, this wine has fruits aroma and it is soft in taste. From southern regions of the land is the wine stronger in taste, heavier and with more intensive colour.
Merlot
Merlot is originally French sort grapes. The second most popular after Cabernet Sauvignon. Together they came from France to Bulgaria in `60. Merlot has a consistent, deep colour and often very pleasant but not intensive red colour and flavour. These wines are “powerful”, “warm” and with a deep red colour. During the contact with oak barrels becomes the wine rich in complex flavour. The taste is like soft tannin. In Bulgaria are produced exceptionally good Merlot wines — to the south of The Thrace valley region.
Mavrud
If Cabernet Sauvignon “The king of the red sorts is called, we call then Mavrud as one typical Bulgarian sort " The king of the red Bulgarian wines”. The grape has a need of exclusive conditions in order to grow. Mavrud “feels at home” in hilly regions as the hilly outskirts of the Rhodopes mountain. Its important wine producers are in Assenovgrad, Brestovitza and Perushtitza. In case of optimal maturing process, the wines become intensive in colour, with typical for this sort flavour and tannin structure. Mavrud has invading flavour, it is strong, good balanced, compact and soft in taste. If the wine year is good for Mavrud, the wine can after once is bottled, to be kept for a long time.
Gamza
Gamza is Bulgarian sort that is typical for the region of Donau Valley. The best wines come from Suhindol, Novo selo, Pavlikeni and Pleven. In terms of quality we can compare the sort Gamza with the Hungarian one Kadarka. The grapes have light, soft structure, it is not really spicy, but has deep colours. The consumption takes place more often after 2-3 years of the production. This sort represents the soft Bulgarian sort wines.
Sparkling wines
The name Champagne comes from France. The Champagne covers wine gardens from one specific part. The fable tales that this wine is discovered by accident. Originally made from a monk called Dom Perignon who by mistake has bottled a wine with sugar. Afterwards he has found out that the wine has “spoiled«- has oxidised in the small barrel where he has had idea to keep it. Very soon this “mistake” has become a regular practice. Sparkling wines are light and soft. The fermentation takes place in small closed barrels. The smaller the barrel, the better (and more expensive the wine). The Champagne is used always at exclusive moments. The classification with Champagne is as follows: it has a sign of very dry if it is “brute-de-brute”, sugar up to 5gl is the description of Brute, followed by dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, with increasing sugar consistence. One famous Bulgarian producer of sparkling wines is Chirpan, The Thrace valley.
