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 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 and the central and western parts of the Danubian Plain. The climate of the area is temperate continental, has a hot summer and many sunny days a year. Typical styles are Muscat Ottonel,

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,

Pamid Pamid is an old grape variety used for red wine. It has been cultivated in 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 limited. Pamid is also ...

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 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, Muscat Ottonel,

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, and Gewürztraminer. 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 Sakar may refer to: * Şəkər, Goychay, Azerbaijan *Şəkər, Khojavend, Azerbaijan * Sakar, Nepal * Sakar, Mali Zvornik, a village in Serbia *Sakar, Turkmenistan *Sakar District, Turkmenistan * Sakar International, an electronics and accessories ...

mountain. Mavrud, 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, 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 Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

. The area is small in size, but is climatically very distinct and characteristic, owing to the strong Mediterranean influence from the south. The local style Shiroka melnishka loza (taking its name from Melnik), as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are cultivated.

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. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bulgarian Wine