Bulgaria

Bulgarian wines began to appear in Great Britain at theearly eighties, where they created a sensation among connoisseurs. Rich and unctuous, with a abundance of aromas of blackcurrant, raised in the oak and having spent some years in bottles, they met consumer's expectations. Ten  years later, these wines based on Cabernet and Merlot continue to meet consumer expectation.
The Bulgarian viticulture goes back only to the thirties, where Soviet Union decided to implement a big program of planting so as to produce wines for the USSR.   The modern Bulgarian vineyard, planted on fertile and flat soils was born. Hereafter, Bulgaria succeeded to obtain in sufficient quantity international grape varieties that were going to allow it to gain a great renown on the export markets.

The oriental region is devoted, for the essential, to the white wine. In the vicinity of Sumen, great wineries of Novi Pazar, Preslav (Preslav Winery) and Khan Krum are operating. The winery of Khan Krum is considered   for its wine of Chardonnay. In the northern area of the coast of the Black Sea, the most considered   wine is the Chardonnay from Varna.

In the northern region, red and white wines are produced in almost equivalent volumes, but it is the red wines that are the genuine jewels. Suhindol (Lovico Suhindol), known for its Cabernet-Sauvignon, equally excellent product wines from Merlot and Gamza. In the vicinities near Svishtov (Vinprom-Svishtov), not far of the Romania frontier, produce equally a good Cabernet.

Cabernet-Sauvignon plays also an important part  to the south of Balkans. It is vinificated alone, or added with Merlot or Mavrud. Plovdiv is good, but in the vicinity of Asenovgrad, the amateur will taste an Cabernet-Sauvignon again more delectable.
On hills of Sliven, Oryahovica and Stara Zagora, neighbors of the region under Balkans, Cabernet-Sauvignon gives equally excellent results. To the south, hillsides of Stambolovo can offer wines  Merlot of great class, with the "Reserve" that counts among best Bulgarian wines. Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon of Sakar deserve to be mentioned.

The region of the Southwest is the warmtest of the country. The continental climate is  tempered by hot air mass rising from the valley of Struma. The atmosphere there is clearly Mediterranean, but the altitude prevents the middle temperature to be too hot for the vine. Here reigns Melnik, a grape variety that prospers on clayey and sandy soils  near Damianitza and Harsovo. The other important grape varieties of the region are Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, Rkatsiteli and Muscat Ottonel. More to the north, wineries of Kjustendil produce, in small quantity, wines with Rkatsiteli, Pamid and Cabernet-Sauvignon.

To know more about Bulgarian wines, visit the site : The Bulgarian Wine Guild.