Wines Of Bulgaria

Friendly Bulgaria has long been known to our residents, well, only as a beach resort and as a wine-producing state. It is confidently among the top ten countries in terms of the number of wine-producing vineyards, and Bulgarian wines , which are produced at a rate of 10 million hectoliters per year, are popular not only among tourists vacationing on its beaches, but also outside the country.

History with geography

The Thracians, who settled on the territory of modern Bulgaria , brought wine-making traditions to these lands. They elevated the production and consumption of wine to a special cult, which allowed the creation of an entire industry long before the dawn of a new era. The Slavs, who came to replace the Thracians, inherited a well-functioning economy that could not be eradicated even by Khan Krum, who brought Islam to the territory of Bulgaria in the 9th century . Despite the 500-year Ottoman rule, the Bulgarians did not lose their winemaking traditions, and in the 19th century, with the liberation from the yoke of Bulgaria , wine began to be produced again in large volumes.

There are several main wine-growing regions where you should try wine :

The Black Sea region in the east of the country, where numerous varieties are cultivated to obtain semi-sweet white wines . The local climate allows grapes to accumulate a sufficient amount of sugar. Warm autumn months and the late onset of cold provide an opportunity for late grape varieties to ripen .

The plain along the Danube in northern Bulgaria is characterized by hot summers. The local climate is particularly suitable for the ripening of muscat varieties and red fruits. At the wineries of the Danube Plain, you can taste the sparkling wines of Bulgaria , dry white brands and high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The southern regions of Bulgaria are the Thracian plain with wineries on the slopes of Mount Sakar. The highlight of this region is wine from the local Mavrud variety . Late ripening gives these fruits a particularly rich taste, and Bulgarian wines produced from them are table, dessert and red sparkling wines.

The Struma River Valley is a small but very famous Bulgarian wine region. Its inhabitants are proud of the fact that Churchill himself ordered 500 liters of local wine every year from the fruits of the Shiroka melnishka vine variety .

Classification of wines in Bulgaria

According to the current version of the Wine Law adopted in 1999, all Bulgarian wines are divided into 3 groups:

Table wines (table, that is, table wines) are natural young wines , which in turn are divided into two subgroups:

• Table wines are simple wines produced from approved or recommended grape varieties , with a natural alcohol content of at least 7.5% but no more than 15%. Also, these wines must meet certain parameters of acidity. They are often obtained by mixing various Bulgarian wines , that is, they are mainly blended, varietals are less common.

• Regional (local) wines - in particular, marked on the bottle with the English term "Country wines") - are table wines of higher quality, which are produced from grapes grown in specific wine-growing regions. The name of the area where they were produced must be present on the labels of such wines . Most often, such wines are prepared from one or two varieties of grapes .

High- quality wines are characterized by high aroma and taste properties, which are determined by the use of special grape varieties , certain methods of grape processing and wine production , as well as natural conditions of a specific area. High- quality elite varietal wines , aged for 2 (white) and 3 (red) years in oak barrels, acquire the status of Reserva, and the status of Special Reserva from the best Bulgarian wineries. In turn, quality wines are divided into 2 subgroups:

• High-quality wines are wines that meet all the criteria of quality wines , however, the region of grape growing and wine production is not strictly regulated, so the name of the region is not indicated on the labels.

• High-quality DGR wines (DGR - Declared Geographic Region) - wines from strictly defined wine-growing regions, micro-regions or localities (there are only 27 of them in Bulgaria ), the names of which serve as a wine brand . On the labels, they must indicate the subregion, district, city or village of grape cultivation and wine production .

Special wines are wines prepared using special technological techniques and auxiliary substances (carbon dioxide, ethyl alcohol, aromatic ingredients). This category of wines includes sparkling (natural and artificially carbonated), fortified (strong, dessert and flavored), noble sweet (with a high natural sugar content, obtained from grapes affected by noble mold) and even fruit (fruit and berry) wines .

Conformity of wine to one or another category is determined by the National Tasting Commission.

According to oenologists, Bulgaria , along with France, Italy and Spain, is one of the centers of grape cultural heritage . This is evidenced by many local grape varieties that have survived to this day and are cultivated today mainly in the area south of the Danube Delta. However, classic European varieties of grapes , which were planted in the times of socialism and were supposed to contribute not only to increasing the quantity, but also the quality of Bulgarian wines , have become widespread here .

It is quite interesting that the Bulgarian winemakers still haven't decided which varieties to give preference to. Adherents of European traditions believe that the future of Bulgarian wines lies in the classic varieties , as they produce light young wines with fruity tones that are quite popular on the world market. Supporters of national traditions, on the contrary, are convinced that one cannot sacrifice one's originality in order to please the fast-moving fashion, and see the success of Bulgarian wines in the use of local varieties . Most Bulgarian wines are varietal, and they get their names from the main grape variety from which the wine is made.