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 a ...

growing and

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

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 Macedo ...

, dating back to the times of the

Thracians The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied ...

. 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 s ...

, 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, 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 France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new ...

, Aligoté, Pamid and the local Gamza. 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, Rom ...

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 do ...

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,

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 ...

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 bet ...

. 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 o ...

, 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 ...

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