Wine regions of the world 6 Bulgaria.

Now either for the wrong or the right reason Bulgarian wine has a special place in my memory. When I was a young man and was being invited to some party that you had to bring a bottle of wine to.  I discover discovered in the local wine shop two wines of the time that was very good value and really good on flavour. And both of them were Bulgarian.  So it is as a poor low paid, just promoted kitchen porter, hall porter, soon to become waiter, that I

discover Bulgarian wine. This was back in 1984 when the iron curtain was still across Europe and the threat of global destruction hung in the air. So hanging round with a few arty left wing types as I did back then it had a certain cache. That and the fact that the price fitted my pocket as well I was on a winner.

But in more affluent time I have betrayed my Bulgarian wine along with my pretentious left wing leaning and have  to more classic old world wines of France,  Spain and Italy or the new world of California or Australia. But why , if you want old world wine you could not get older than Bulgaria.

According to archaeological researches, Bulgaria might be the first region where vines were planted and wine was made.  The first vine protection decree and the first prohibitionist laws were in 2 c. AD in Bulgarian by Chan Krum during his reign from 802 to 814 AD. And the all-important wine cellar could probably be Bulgarian invention, as a Bulgarian monastic order had been reported to have the earliest to store wine in cool vaults deep underground.

Wine making carried on through the Middle Ages and under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. After the liberation from the Ottoman Empire wine making prospered.  And this laid the foundation for Bulgarian wine.

After world war two Bulgaria fell  behind the Iron Curtain and like so much agriculture everything was consolidated and  made  into a state industry. With an inevitable target to hit a standard product, quality was a second consideration. And it had a restricted market of the Eastern Block socialist countries.

But in the 80's Vinprom, the state owned wine company, started to export to western markets slowly at first but towards the end of the 80’s and after the fall of the communist government in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian wine now has a growing in popularity and is making wines that are exported all over the world. But it would seem to have more fame for its beer rather than its wine I would say but time will tell. I hope to see more Bulgarian wine on the shelves as it wins awards and stake’s its rightful claim in the world of wine.

Wine is, along with beer and grape rakia, one of  the most popular alcoholic beverages in the country, and the wine is produced in two areas north and south. This is split into five regions  the Northern Region, Eastern Region , Sub Balkan Region, Southern Region and South Western Region. And they are split in to forty regions. Each regions is a GCAO or  a Guaranteed and Controlled Appellation of Origin.

In the north you have the following regions Black Sea, Evxinograd, Han Krum,  Novi Pazar, Novo Selo ,Lovech,  Lozitsa , Lyaskovets,  Pavlikeni, Pleven, Rousse, Svishtov, Varbitsa  and Vidin GCAO regions .

And in the south you have the Assenovgrad, Brestnik, Harsovo, Haskovo, Hissarya, Ivaylovgrad,  Karnobat, Karlovo, Lyubimets, Melnik, Nova Zagora, Oryahovitsa, Peroushtitsa, Pomorie, Plovdiv, Sakar , Sandanski, Septemvri , Shivachevo, Sliven, Soungourlare , South Black Sea, Stambolovo, Stara Zagora, Strouma Valley and  Yambol GCAO regions.

Now I would like to say I know a lot about every region but I do not only the broad strokes of what is what so here we go with what I do know . The first fact that I do know is that most of the wine is produced in and around the black sea region.  Long mild autumns make it an ideal area for producing a grape that makes a fine white wine. Wines like  Riesling, Muscat Ottonel, Ugni blanc, Sauvignon blanc, and Gewürztraminer.

In the north you have the  Danubian Plain a region that covers the south banks of the Danube. Now here you get a lot of sun so the climate is more continental. Hot summers are good for wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Aligoté and the local Gamza.

The Rose Valley region is located south of the Balkan Mountains. Here you have to main areas the eastern and western region. Her you find  Muscatel, Riesling, Rkatsiteli, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Most of the wine of this region is known for being   dry white wine

And in the south you have the Thracian Lowland , here the Balkan Mountains block the cold winds from Russia creating once again a perfect wine growing area.  You have  Mavrud which is a very popular and famous local wine, also Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscatel are grown.

And finally the  Struma River Valley region of the southwestern part of Bulgaria. This region is a small but historical region of Macedonia. The climate has a very distinct Mediterranean influence from the south.  You will find here Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as well as other varieties.

So to conclude what can I say about Bulgarian wine, it is an old world wine that because of the events of history has been forgotten and rejected. But not it is really coming back but not in a new world wine , look at me way but in a understated and very , we are here try us , and you wonder why you have not done it earlier,  way. And I for one really like that.