Shiroka Melnishka, ( bg, Широка мелнишка лоза / Šhiroka Melnišhka loza), often called Melnik (''Мелник'', distinct from other varieties named after the town) or Broadleafed Melnik, is a red
Bulgarian wine Grape growing and wine production have a long history in Bulgaria, dating back to the times of the Thracians. There is evidence of Bulgarian winemaking since 4000 B.C. Wine is, together with beer and grape rakia, among the most popular alcoholic be ...
grape variety
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Vit ...
.
It is planted primarily near the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
border. In
Bulgarian the grape's name means ''"broad-leaved vine of
Melnik"''. As a
varietal
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
, Shiroka Melnishka has an affinity for
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
which can produce pronounced tobacco notes. The wines are often compared to
Châteauneuf-du-Pape with its similar profile of spice and power.
[ J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' Third Edition pg 152 Abbeville Press 2003 ] The wine was a particular favourite of British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill. Notable producers of wine from the variety are Abdyika Vineyard, Villa Melnik, Damianitza, Logodaj and Sintica wineries.
Synonyms
Other transliterations that have been attested include Chiroka Melnichka Losa, Chiroka Melnichka, Melnik, Shiroka Melnichka Loza, Shiroka Melnishka, and Shiroka Melnishka Loza.
Related Varieties
The traditional Broadleafed Melnik grape ripens late, and is harvested as late as October. This makes fully ripened grapes difficult to achieve, as the climate in south-west Bulgaria is becoming cold and damp by this time. In the 20th century there have been number of experimental hybrids made of various varieties to try to develop them in a way more suitable for Bulgarian vineyards. In 1963 a mixture of pollen from
Valdiguié,
Durif
Durif is a variety of red wine grape primarily grown in Australia, California, France, and Israel. Since the end of the 20th century, wineries located in Washington's Yakima River Valley, Maryland, Arizona, Texas, West Virginia, Chile, Mexico ...
,
Jurançon
Jurançon (; oc, Juranson) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
Population
See also
* Jurançon AOC, a wine from this commune
*Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
The follow ...
and
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 Leban ...
was used to hybridise with the Broadleafed Melnik vine. The resultant variety was approved for use in 1977 but was not much taken up until the first professional fermentation of it in 1999 generated more interest. The variety is called under various synonyms: Melnik 55, or Early Melnik, or Ranna Melnishka Loza ( bg, Ранна мелнишка лоза / Ranna melniška loza). Genetic testing has now shown the pollen parent was in fact
Valdiguié. The resultant wine is usually quite different from that made from Broadleafed Melnik, although some bottles confusingly still bear front labels calling the wine merely "Melnik".
References
{{reflist
External links
Damianitza WineryLogodaj WineryVilla Melnik Winery
Red wine grape varieties
Bulgarian wine
Grape varieties of Bulgaria