Grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...
growing and
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
production have a long history in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, dating back to the times of the
Thracians
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European languages, Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. ...
. There is evidence of Bulgarian winemaking since 4000 B.C. Wine is, together with
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
and grape
rakia
Rakia, Rakija, Rachiu or Raki (), is the collective term for fruit spirits (or fruit brandy) popular in the Balkans. The alcohol content of rakia is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger (typically 50%).
Etymology
Fruit sp ...
, among the most popular alcoholic beverages in the country.
Bulgaria was the world's second largest wine producer in 1980s, but the industry declined after the collapse of communism.
Wine production is growing again, reaching 108 million litres in 2011, an increase of 4.9% from the previous year.
[
]
Viticultural regions
A government decree of 13 July 1960 officially divided Bulgaria into five distinct viticultural regions.
Danubian Plain (North Bulgarian)
The Danubian Plain or North Bulgarian region encompasses the south banks of the Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
and the central and western parts of the Danubian Plain. The climate of the area is temperate continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continent, the major landmasses of Earth
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' (al ...
, has a hot summer and many sunny days a year. Typical styles are Muscat Ottonel
Muscat Ottonel or Muskat-Ottonel (in Germany) is a white wine grape variety that is a member of the Muscat family of ''Vitis vinifera''.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including ...
, Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...
, Merlot
Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...
, Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...
, Aligoté
Aligoté is a white grape used to make dry white wines, especially in the Burgundy region of France where it was first recorded in the 18th century.winepros.com.au. Since it is tolerant to cold, this variety is also cultivated in Eastern Europ ...
, Pamid
Pamid is an old grape variety used for red wine. It has been cultivated in Bulgaria (wine), Bulgaria since the times of the ancient Thracians. In the past, it was the most widely spread Bulgarian variety, but today its plantations are highly limit ...
and the local Gamza
Cadarca or Kadarka or Gamza is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. It has a long history and is popular in Romania and Bulgaria, where it is known as Гъмза ''Gamza''. It used to be an important constituent of the Hungarian r ...
. In the US appellation also approved as "Danube River Plains" region.
Black Sea (East Bulgarian)
The Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
region is where 30% of all vines are located. The region is characterized by long and mild autumns that are a favourable condition for the accumulation of sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
s to make fine white wine (53% of all white wine varietals are concentrated in the region). Wine styles include Dimyat, Riesling
Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...
, Muscat Ottonel
Muscat Ottonel or Muskat-Ottonel (in Germany) is a white wine grape variety that is a member of the Muscat family of ''Vitis vinifera''.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including ...
, Ugni blanc
Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...
, Sauvignon blanc
is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
, Traminer
Savagnin or Savagnin blanc (not to be confused with Sauvignon blanc) is a variety of white wine grape with green-skinned berries. It is mostly grown in the Jura region of France, where it is made into Savagnin wine or the famous vin jaune and vi ...
, and Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer () is an aromatic wine grape variety, used in white wines, and performs best in cooler climates. In English, it is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz (; although this is never the case in German, because "Gewürz" me ...
. In the US appellation also approved as "Black Sea Coastal" region.
Rose Valley (Sub-Balkan)
The Rose Valley region is located south of the Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range (, , known locally also as Stara planina) is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border betw ...
. It is divided into an eastern and western subregion, with styles such as Muscatel, Riesling, Rkatsiteli
Rkatsiteli (; Georgian რქაწითელი ''rkats’iteli''; literally "red stem" or "red horned") is a kind of grape used to produce white wine.
History
This ancient vinifera originates in Georgia and is supposed to be one of the olde ...
, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominating. The region mostly produces dry and off-dry white wine and less red wine. The region includes the Sungurlare Valley, famous for its wine from the Red Misket
Misket Cherven, meaning Red Misket, is a variety of grape used for wine. It is a white wine grape, but has a pinkish skin colour. It is spread in the Sub-Balkan Bulgarian wine regions. It is considered to be an old local variety, cultivated nowad ...
grape variety. In the US appellation also approved as "Valley of the Roses" region.
Thracian Lowland (South Bulgarian)
The temperate continental climate in the area and the favourable distribution of precipitation are good premises for the developed red wine growing in the lowlands of Upper Thrace. The region includes the central part of the lowland, as well as parts of the Sakar mountain. Mavrud
Mavrud (, from Greek, μαυρό ''(mavró)'', "black") is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines, indigenous to the Balkan region. It's growing in some regions in Albania, Thrace region in Bulgaria, some re ...
, a famous local wine, as well as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscatel and Pamid are grown.
The Balkan Mountains serve to block the cold winds blowing from the plains of Russia, and the region to the south of the Balkans, the valley drained by the Maritsa River, has a Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
, with mild, rainy winters and warm, dry summers. In the US appellation also approved as "Thracian Valley" region.
Struma River Valley (Southwest Bulgarian)
The region includes the southwestern parts of Bulgaria, the valley of the river Struma in the historical region of Macedonia. The area is small in size, but is climatically very distinct and characteristic, owing to the strong Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
influence from the south. The local style Shiroka melnishka loza (taking its name from Melnik), as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are cultivated.
See also
* List of Bulgarian wine regions
The following is a list of Bulgarian wine regions. Wine is, together with beer and grape rakia, among the most popular alcoholic beverages in Bulgaria.
Regions for Production of Regional Wines
* Danubian (Danube) Plain. In the US, this appell ...
*Globalization of wine
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
*Old World wine
Old World wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking such as North Africa and the Near East. The phrase is often used in contrast to " New World win ...
References
External links
BulgarianWine.net, Bulgarian wine community and magazine
wineinbg.net, The wine community sharing knowledge about wines in Bulgaria
Vinoto.com, general Bulgarian website on wine
Bulgarian wine-producers
Vino.Start.bg, portal page
BulgarianWine.com - online store and the largest importer of Bulgarian wines in the US. Leading brand - VINI, made especially for the North American market.
Wine in Bulgaria — Regions
Retrieved from Vinoto.com, 26 March 2006.
Retrieved from BulgarianWine.com, 26 September 2006.
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