Czechia and wine? I admit that until recently they have sounded incomparable to me too. Prague, beer, ice hockey, maybe castles – yes, but the last few days have changed my perception! I might say that I am even very pleasantly surprised. Especially in terms of white wines, South Moravia (96% of the country’s total production is there) is at a fairly high level. Those who are looking for clean, fresh, fair, precise wines, without unnecessary pretensions and tricks, dry or with sugar levels around and slightly above the upper limit, will be satisfied! It was very nice to see how it is coming full circle – in the same modern and minimalist style are the wineries, bars, restaurants and hotels, we have visited during IWINETC 2025.

The local stars are Pálava (a local cross between Gewürztraminer and Müller Thurgau), Veltlínské zelené (Grüner Veltliner), Ryzlink rýnský (Riesling), Ryzlink vlašský (Welshriesling), Tramín červený (Gewürztraminer). In fact, just over 2/3 of the total 17 000 ha of vineyards are white varieties. And here comes the striking difference with Bulgaria (along with the VOC / protected designations of origin, which they are proud of) – the registered wine producers are 1 707, compared to less than 400 in Bulgaria (despite having ca. 30 000 ha in my country)!

As a destination for wine tourism, South Moravia is not better known, excluding probably Czechs and people from the surrounding countries. But local institutions and businesses are working quite actively, so this will soon change. In short: I recommend visiting – either with me & VIA VINO (coming soon!) or on your own. The region is small and super easily accessible from Bulgaria – less than 2 hours drive from Vienna airport. There are countless options for wine tours and accommodation, walks among the mostly flat vineyards, Bike & Wine and much more.

Beyond the good organization of the events and the info tour, useful talks and speeches, tasty meals, paired by plenty of wines, I was very happy as usual to meet at IWINETC my partners, friends and meet new colleagues from all around the world. And get inspired for new wine tours and experiences in the future! Na zdraví!

The annual leading wine tourism event International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC) took place this year in Bulgaria – in the beautiful, ancient city of Plovdiv. It was an honor but also a challenge in the post-pandemic times to host the 15th edition of the conference, “arriving” for the first time in Bulgaria! With 8 000 years of history, rich cultural heritage, Plovdiv is also in the heart of the Thracian Lowland wine region, resp. very often a starting point for exploring the most important wine area of Bulgaria. The country as a whole is one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world, so that was a deserved recognition and way to promote all the (still) hidden wine and food travel gems.

However, the kick-off was in Sofia – with a city walking tour which I had the pleasure to guide, followed by a BYOB wine tasting. A lot of fun, great wines from all around the world (from Sweden to Canada!) and meeting fellow participants at IWINETC – new and from previous editions.

The conference itself started on the 9th April. The 2-days program was full of master-classes, speeches, tastings, trips, networking opportunities and meetings – over 100 professionals in the field of wine tourism from around 30 countries attended. The event was very intense and I hope equally successful!

I was involved in the organization and guided one the FAM-tours with professionals from Norway, Hungary, Sweden, Hongkong, Germany, etc., dedicated to the fascinating and mysterious tiny wine region South Sakar. It is located in the south-eastern corner of Bulgaria – just a stone’s throw away from Greece and Turkey. A place for red wines, where wine experts assert that it’s the best terroir for Merlot and Syrah in the country, in addition to Cab Franc, the local Rubin and Tamyanka (white) etc. The oldest (planted in the 70’s) and the biggest (ca. 700 ha) Merlot vineyard, called after the nearby village of Kolarovo is here.

The region is the perfect choice for wine lovers who prefer small, family wineries, homey ambience and tasty local food. Beyond that – wild life, bird watching, plenty of megalithic sanctuary sites (1000-2000 years old) are among the highlights in that less-crowded area without industrial . Don’t miss some of the events (taking place in every season and hosted by different wineries), join some of my tailormade wine tours or explore it by your own. Definitely you will fall in love and get convinced that South Sakar ROCKS!

Congratulations to all Bulgarian colleagues! With a lot of desire, professionalism, emotion and common efforts, we presented Bulgaria as an attractive wine and culinary destination – just like the slogan #ADiscoveryToShare. The best feedback I have personally heard is “You have passion, you love your country and wines” – THANK YOU!

На пазара е новият двуезичен ДиВино гид за 2023г. Радвам се, че продължаваме и сътрудничеството на тема ВИНЕН ТУРИЗЪМ между DiVino & Via Vino – обозначаване и категоризация на винарните, които посрещат гости. А добрата новина е, че избите, които са отворени за винен туризъм, са вече 90! Или с 30% повече спрямо 2022г.

Всички очакваме с нетърпение 2022 г. да ни върне към нормалността с много винени преживявания и събития на живо – с това пожелание завърших въведението си в миналогодишния гид. Радостното е, че в голяма степен то се сбъдна. Пандемията и ограниченията са неприятен спомен от миналото (надяваме се). А винените събития се увеличават! В календара за 2023г. те са 30 и най-вероятно ще станат повече в хода на годината. Факт е, че имаме и нови предизвикателства – войната в Украйна, която се отразява негативно върху сигурността и желанието особено на чуждестранни винени любители да посетят България. Цените растат, инфлацията не подминава и туристическия сектор. Голяма част от българските изби обаче продължават да инвестират във винен туризъм, да се развиват професионално и все повече от тях посрещат гости. Със сигурност устойчивостта е сред основните световни тенденции във винения туризъм. В голямо скорошно проучване на Университета в Гaйзенхайм и winetourism.com по темата – с участието на 1579 изби от 40 държави – 62% от винарните заявяват, че устойчивите практики във винения туризъм са от съществено значение за посетителите. А цели 87 % пък са на мнение, че ще станат значително по-важни след 5 години. Говорим не само за природата, но също за социалните и икономически аспекти на устойчивостта. Нещо повече, навлиза и терминът регенеративен туризъм – чрез проекти, които подобряват средата, а не просто я възстановяват във вида, в който е била намерена… А с какво можем да допринесем и какво можем да подобрим ние – обичащите да пътуват и да пият хубаво вино?

Може да намерите гида в магазините за вино, както и да го поръчате онлайн ТУК.

Great news and another big step for wine tourism in Bulgaria! After the Struma Valley, Plovdiv and the Thracian Valley, South Sakar and North-Eastern Bulgaria, we have another wine region/real travel destination with its own wine map – WESTERN AND CENTRAL DANUBE PLAIN! It is bilingual (Bulgarian & English) and includes 17 wineries and 20 landmarks. Beyond wines, the region is famous for some spectacular attractions and nature sights – the Belogradchik rocks, caves, fortresses, monasteries…

Yesterday the map was officially presented. The nice event, which took place in Sofia was accompanied by a tasting of the local terroir and extremely interesting wines and local cheese and meat appetizers. Most important, however, is the Henry Ford quote that the colleagues chose as their slogan: “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Good luck TOGETHER! You may see and download the map here: Map_Danube_2023_PRINT

Don’t forget to check our WINE TOUR in the Western Danube Plain. 

Скъпи ценители на виното и пътешествията,

Време е да погледнем смело напред към 2023г.. Виното и ювелирно създадените пътувания за нас са не просто бизнес, а страст. С настоящите преживявания Ви предлагаме един оригинален прочит какво още може да представлява винено-кулинарният туризъм.

Виното е част от културната идентичност на България. Нашите предложения, от Дунавския бряг до Южен Сакар и от Черно море до Мелник, ще отговорят на всеки вкус. Към винения акцент добавяме и активности като колоездене и леки преходи, гурме и кулинария, по-слабо известни забележителности и други. Ще имате и възможност да се превъплътите за кратко в ролята на уайнмейкър и да купажирате свое вино, да се включите в забавни обучения и дегустации, а също и разнообразни игри. Вниманието ни ще бъде насочено към забележителни малки и средни, предимно бутикови и семейни изби. И нещо повече – отново ще излезем отвъд границите на България, за да посетим няколко много атрактивни винено-кулинарни дестинации – интересната и внушителна Сицилия, слънчевата и обичана Португалия, близката и непозната Румъния. Вижте и календара с преживяванията: Via Vino 2023

Пътувайки в малки групи, които ще бъдат водени лично от мен, Вие ще имате шанса да се срещнете с хората „зад етикетите“, да създадете полезни познанства с други винени съмишленици, да се отърсите от неприятните емоции, натрупани през изминалите месеци, както и да закупите от първа ръка вино на преференциални цени. Вашето пътуване е и средство да подкрепите същинския малък български бизнес и се осъществява с лицензиран туроператор. Преживяванията ни са създадени за всеки, който иска да опита и научи нещо ново и интересно, и да се позабaвлява. Не нужно човек да е сомелиер или винен експерт, за да избере винено-кулинарно преживяване! 

Наред с това съм на разположение за всякакви корпоративни събития на винена тематика за Вас, Вашите колеги и/или приятели – организиране на игри, водене на дегустации, занимателни обучения и т.н..

Заявете своя интерес сега. Споделете с приятели и посочете дата по Ваш избор!

Очаквам Ви!

Ивайло Катерски,

винен експерт (WSET Level 3 certified) и лицензиран гид,

председател на УС на Българска асоциация на винените професионалисти (БАВП)

It is time to celebrate Mavrud and local Bulgarian wine varieties for second time! After 2021 and all the pandemic restrictions and difficulties much better times are yet to come! We, the team of Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals are planning 4 (yes, four!) events – a B2B conference in Sofia on 26th October and three Urban Wine Fests in three different cities:

• URBAN WINE FEST – Varna on 15th October
• URBAN WINE FEST – Plovdiv on 22nd October
• URBAN WINE FEST – Sofia on 29th October

Гостуване и интервю по Bloomberg TV Bulgaria по теми като винен туризъм, конкурентни възможности преди алтернативния туризъм за България, тенденции по света и унас, БАВП и Международен ден на мавруда, нуждата от стратегии и съвместна работа между избите, бизнеса и институциите.

Интервюто в резюме и цялото видео може да намерите ТУК.

Да празнуваме Празника на виното и любовта заедно – ето акцентите на едно интересно предложение / винен тур, в партньорство с винен бар WINEGROUND bottles and beans от/до Варна между 11 и 16 февруари 2022:

👉Посещение на 7 винарни, 2 винени бара и 1 бъчварница в района на Североизточна България / Черно море
👉Включване в традиционните празненства по случай Трифон Зарезан в Сухиндол
👉Забавно обучение по зарязване на лозите – Празник на лозето и виното във Винарска Изба “Царев Брод”
👉Премиум дегустации / дегустационни обяди / вечери на селектирани вина от 13 изби – в малка група
👉Лични срещи със собствениците на избите / енолозите

На разположение съм за въпроси и повече подробности! Очаквам ви 🍷❤️

Скъпи приятели, изпращаме още една сложна година. Благодаря на всички, които се докоснаха до винената магия с мен, както и на моите партньори! И отново гледаме ведро напред – към 2022г. и нови винено-кулинарни преживявания, които да ни развеселяват, сприятеляват, забавляват, образоват… Виното е и култура, и емоция, и магия (да, повтарям), и какво ли още не!

Та какво сме Ви подготвили през новата година? Винени турове в България, но и няколко “Винени съкровища на Балканите” – Румъния и Сърбия – колкото близки, толкова и непознати. По-долу е календарът със събития, а подробности може да намерите ТУК. И, разбира се, на разположение съм за всякакви винени идеи и създаване на незабравими преживявания “по мярка” – спрямо индивидуалните Ви желания и предпочитания.

Очаквам Ви с нетърпение и Ви желая весели и уютни празници с хубаво (българско) вино! Наздраве от VIA VINO!

As a part of the organizing team and Chairman of the Board of Bulgarian Association of Bulgarian Wine Professionals here are a few highlights from the first edition of the International Mavrud Day.

First of all it was a huge pleasure for me to work with my fellow colleagues and to make it happen – under these crazy and unpredictable pandemic circumstances… It was simply not possible to complete all our initial ideas and plans due to the restrictions (a few events have been postponed for 2022 or were transformed, resp. organized online). But how nice is to see so much positive energy, a united wine branch (almost no critics), plenty of celebrating people, recognition, dedication to the local varieties and the Bulgarian king – MAVRUD! Just a few figures about #mavrudday: 102 events in 19 countries, 65 organizers, 53 participating wineries and wine projects!

How did it go?

Thanks a lot to our hosts from Dragomir Winery Estate and Villa Yustina for the support and the hospitality! In both wineries (renowned wine travel destination as well) we had impressive tastings – in addition to the useful information, provided on site.

Day 2 of International Mavrud Day (27th October) with 2 more attractive wineries – as part of the FAM:

– Winery Zagreus – Винарна “Загрей” – probably the most dedicated to Mavrud and highly respected winery in Bulgaria – with white, rose, red, Amarone style, sweet wines from Mavrud…;

– Винарска изба “Манастира”/ “Manastira” Winery – a boutique winery on the Western edge of the Thracian Lowland with excellent Mavrud wines in the elegant, medium-bodied profile;

And last but not least – the virtual tasting on 28th of 6 selected Mavrud wines with wine professionals from the UK, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Germany, Poland, Netherlands… Moderated by one of the best outside experts in Bulgarian wine at the highest level Caroline Gilby MW and myself. Thanks to DiVino.BG for hosting us and to ADL “Anywhere Delivery & Logistics” for supporting us!

Thanks and cheers from Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals – see you in person (hopefully!) at Международен ден на мавруда / International Mavrud Day 2022!

The latest issue (#42 / July-Sept. 2021) of the leading Bulgarian wine magazine DiVino is exclusively dedicated to wine tourism. Nearly 80 pages with analysis, travelogues, notes, reports, statistics, trends, hints and all kind of useful information for wine lovers and keen travelers! It was a huge pleasure for me to write the introduction and some other articles about:

• Bulgarian wine tourism in general;
• Wine and food tourism worldwide (in depth – with some examples and figures);
• An emerging and attractive wine travel destination – Northeastern Bulgaria;

Last but not least, it is an honor for me to be among such an author’s team – the best Bulgarian wine travel experts and at the same time passionate wine enthusiasts and fellows. The challenging times we all are now facing should be overwhelmed soon and let’s hope we will stay stronger than pandemic! Cheers!

Толкова близо, а всъщност толкова далеч…

Скъпи винени любители, замисляли ли сте се колко е лесно да открием вино от Испания, Чили или Нова Зеландия, а колко трудно (нерядко и невъзможно) e да опитаме вино от съседните ни страни? Да, понятия като маркетинг и реклама, винени нации, големи производители, силни дистрибутори, желания на клиента, са ни известни. Но също така знаем и колко винени тайни и съкровища крият Балканите! И то на един хвърлей разстояние!

Именно затова – в партньорство между USIT Colours & Via Vino – решихме да създадем една серия от винено-кулинарни преживявания, наречена „ВИНЕНИТЕ СЪКРОВИЩА НА БАЛКАНИТЕ“. Да ги открием заедно, да ги опитаме, да им се насладим. Ще посетим препоръчани, доказани и известни с качествените си вина изби, съчетавайки вината им с традиционни местни ястия и специалитети. Ще добавим и културни забележителности, които дори и понякога да не са свързани с виното, заслужават да бъдат посетени. И ще се забавляваме! А за мен ще бъде истинско удоволствие да водя тези винени турове на Балканите!

Едната дестинация е Румъния (22.09.-25.09.2021г.), като по време на това винено-кулинарно преживяване ще се съсредоточим върху Букурещ с винената му „сцена“ и най-вече Деалу Маре. Разположен на около час от столицата, в северна посока, този винен район очарова с компактно разположените си изби и е сравняван с Бордо и Тоскана – но не само по географски причини! Тук „властва“ Фетаска Неагра, заедно с популярните международните сортове, особено червените. Като бонус, на връщане ще се отбием и в две чудесни български изби в Северна България!

В началото на септември пък ще се отправим на винено-кулинарен тур на запад – към Сърбия (03.09.-06.09.2021г.). За да се запозанем с някои от най-добрите изби в близост до България (около Шумадия), а два дни ще прекараме край река Дунав, прекрасния Нови Сад и района на Фрушка гора. Едно магическо място, съчетаващо природа, духовност, иновативен туризъм и хубаво вино! Нашето пътуване пък ще съчетае по-големи изби, с бутикови и семейни такива, за да усетим цялостния винен дух на Сърбия.

А ето как започва резюмето на задната корица на книгата си “The Wines of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova” най-добрият винен експерт за Балканите на най-високо ниво (Master of Wine) – Caroline Gilby MW: “Eastern Europe is the last undiscovered gem of the wine world.”

Заповядайте на винен тур – да открием винено-кулинарните съкровища на Балканите заедно!

За запитвания – използвайте ФОРМАТА или се свържете за резервация директно с колегите от USIT Colours.

In February 2021 two respected “wine” ladies from Plovdiv – Krasimira Kodukova (Wine Tour Maker) and Gergana Todorova (Winetours.bg) – conducted a research on WINE TOURISM IN BULGARIA. In my opinion its results might be useful and interesting even outside of my country. So I have translated the analysis in English and am bringing it to your attention. This is a LINK to the article in Bulgarian.

PREFACE

The creation of this survey has been provoked by the desire to compare the answers of wine professionals with the answers of wine lovers to a very interesting and at the same time important question: What are the flagship wine grape varieties for Bulgaria – white and red?

However, we have decided to expand the scope of the survey and include wine tourism in order to “hear” the opinion of wine lovers and travelers. The expectations of wine travelers exceed the supply (offers) of this type of tourism / service in Bulgaria. Customer feedback helps always to upgrade the quality of the product. 

PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENT

The initial idea was to put a title WINE TOURIST PROFILE, but this would not be correct. Although in the national survey conducted among wineries in early 2020, most wineries identified Bulgarians as predominant visitors, the truth is that in better developed wineries (for wine tourism), foreign visitors have bigger share. The explanation – there is an available/approachable information about the winery and the services offered in English on leading tourist platforms, as well as the good collaboration with travel companies, working mainly with foreigners.

Thus, we separate the wine tourist in Bulgaria from the Bulgarian wine tourist. And since the situation has forced us all to focus on local tourists, we believe that the answers given in the survey will reduce the time and effort to attract wine lovers.

DISTRIBUTION

The survey has been distributed on social media, wine and travel groups, mailing lists to wine lovers, in order to collect answers from people, who are keen on wine and for whom wine tourism is not unknown.

THE PARTICIPANTS

The survey was completed by 231 persons (Bulgarians) in February 2021. More than half are at the age of 41-60 years, 1/3 are 26-40 y.o and 8% are 61-75 y.o. Nearly 2/3 are females and 1/3 – males.

It is not surprising that the respondents from the big cities Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna dominate, but in general the answers come from all over the country, even from small towns. Nowadays questions about the frequency of participation in a wine event or a visit to a winery will be, to put it mildly, incorrect, so we have added the remark BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. However, obviously the pandemic does not change the behavior of most of the tourists!

Ca. 28% of the respondents answered, that they visit a wine event (tastings, exhibitions and wine events NOT in the cellars) between 2-3 times a year, 20% choose the answer “5-10 times a year”, and 19% answer that they attend a wine event only during exhibitions, festivals and holidays such as Trifon Zarezan (the major Bulgarian wine holiday, celebrated in February). Only 13% take part at a wine event once a month.

More than 1/3 of the respondents visit a wine cellar 2-3 times a year, 32% visit a winery every time they are in a wine region for some reason, and 13% 5-10 times a year. 8% visit the cellar once a month.

WHERE ARE WE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE CELLARS AND WHAT ATTRACTS US?

To the following questions may be given more than one answer, so instead of a percentage, the number of answers will be indicated.

If we assume that the interest in wine tourism and in particular in a winery is being aroused, then here is what influences the desire of wine lovers to visit a specific winery:

128 people cite an article about the winery in a wine and/or tourist blog, which ranks this answer first. Surprisingly (more or less) 110 people answered, that the news about awards from international wine competitions makes them want to go to the winery. For 109 of the respondents, an article about the winery in a wine and/or lifestyle magazine provokes their interest.

Although the videos have been widely cited as a means of attracting interest, in the survey only 52 people indicated the answer “video from the cellar“, but the attention of 79 people was provoked by a “video about the region“. Only 17 people indicated that the travel awards of the winery are a factor in their decision to visit a winery.

INTEREST HAS BEEN AWAKENED – IT’S TIME FOR INFORMATION!

Here is how the respondents reply to the question “Where do you most often look for information about wine cellars, open for tourists in Bulgaria?”:

156 people are searching for information about the cellars directly on their websites and social networks, which once again proves the importance of their proper management. The lock-downs have had a positive effect on the digital presentation of the wineries and there is already a lot of information about the tourism they offer on their websites. The lack of such information is pointed out by most people in one of the following questions.

The second desired source of information about the cellars and their tastings are the sites, blogs and platforms for wine & wine tourism – 128 people.

94 people rely on a recommendation from an acquaintance, and 66 of the respondents are searching in catalogs, such as KA & TA and DiVino Guide to find the next cellar to visit.

ATTRACTIVE POINTS FOR A VISIT TO A WINE CELLAR

Here is what attracts tourists at most, in descending order:

1. Wine tasting (175 people)
2. Tour in the cellar and vineyards with a wine guide from the winery (147 people)
3. The overall experience (128 people)
4. The food and its pairing with wine (125 people).
5. Getting to know the history, nature and wine production in the region (122 answers)

IT’S TIME TO TRAVEL

193 of the respondents prefer to visit a wine cellar individually, with their own transport, which, as it turns out, is going to be probably a trend in the upcoming years. The fact that wine tours are not widely offered by travel companies to some extent predetermines such an answer, but for many wine lovers the personal contact/attitude is sought after.

83 people point out “Tailor-made tour for you (a group of acquaintances)”, and for 63 people “Organized wine tour shared with a larger group of tourists” is the preferred way to travel.

THE BOOKING

The most common means of booking of a visit to a cellar (146 responses) remains the phone. With one phone call the tourist makes it easier to find answers to all his questions, even if they are published on the site of the winery, but sometimes the phone number is the only contact, provided by the winery.

The following 2 answers certainly facilitate both the tourist and the staff of the cellar, resp. the organization of work: 100 people prefer to make an online reservation on the website of the winery, and 74 respondents travel with vouchers for tastings and weekend packages from a site for wine experiences, which also belongs to the direct online reservations. 64 persons prefer to visit a winery without prior notice, which certainly makes it difficult for them to choose, given that “booking in advance” is often required by the wineries.

OBSTACLES

We are listing in descending order the most common obstacles in organizing their wine adventure in a cellar, which wine travelers point out:

1. There is no information about the possibility/offers for tastings on the winery’s website (86 people)
2. The cellar does not work on weekends (85 people)
3. No signs on the road (82 people)
4. No accommodation near the winery (77 people)
5. The road to the winery is in bad condition (64 people)

THE “NEW NORMAL”

Here is what these 231 wine lovers shared as a reply to the question “Did the pandemic change your criteria when choosing a winery to visit, resp. what is important for you?”:

1. KOVID does not change your desire and requirements to visit a winery (130 people)
2. Outdoor tastings (106 people)
3. Observance of the hygienic recommendations of the health authorities for disinfection of the premises (76 people)
4. Individual visits, without meeting with other tourists (44 people)
5. It is possible to meet other tourists, but with a mask and a distance between them (28 people)

VIRTUAL WINE TASTINGS

It was the restrictions that were imposed on us that “gave the floor” to virtual meetings and tastings. They have occurred in Bulgaria slowly, but it seems that the interest of the Bulgarian wine consumer is missing or cannot be well aroused. Nearly half of the responding wine lovers have not participated in virtual tastings, but do not deny them, while 37% of participants definitely do not accept the idea. 23% say they take part in virtual wine events. Here is an original answer received from Varna: Virtual tastings are same as virtual sex: educational, but unsatisfying!

There is no doubt that the most reliable and professional annual wine ranking in Bulgaria is being organized by DiVino. Renowned experts, transparent rules, fair approach… That all means respectively a real prestige and recognition for the awarded wines. For the tenth consecutive year, at the beginning of 2021, the tasting team of DiVino ranked the 50 best Bulgarian wines for the past 2020 – based on year-round regular tastings and evaluation of over 500 wines! The results were announced in March, and the big winner – on 25 March (on the day of our major Christian holiday – Annunciation).

Although critical and difficult for the winemakers (and not only), the situation in the past 2020 definitely has not affected negatively the quality of the wines. On the contrary, Bulgarian wines are getting constantly better! And our country could be presented on the wine market with all these high quality wines – as an interesting and attractive European wine producer. Another good point are the awards for different types/categories of wines (Best Local Grape Wine, Best Dessert Wine, Best Buy, etc.).

And the 2020 winners are:

• BEST BULGARIAN WINES:

1. Red Church Estate Selection Individuelle 2018 (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc), Western Thracian Lowland; resp. awarded as BEST RED WINE
2. Midalidare Estate Grand Vintage Malbec 2018, Eastern Thracian Lowland
3. Edoardo Miroglio Brut Blanc de Blancs Metodo Classico 2015, Eastern Thracian Lowland; resp. awarded as BEST SPARKLING WINE

• BEST WHITE WINE: Stefan Pirev Eager Top Blend White 2018 (six varieties), national project
• BEST ROSE WINE: Logodaj Nobile Rose Broad Leaved Melnik Vine 2019, Struma Valley
• BEST LIMITED EDITION WINE: Zagreus Minimum Mavrud 2019, Western Thracian Lowland
• BEST NATURAL WINE: Zagreus Minimum Mavrud 2019, Western Thracian Lowland
• BEST DESSERT WINE: Tsarev Brod Ice Riesling 2018, Dabube Plain
• BEST LOCAL GRAPE WINE – WHITE: Staro Oryahovo White Story Vrachanski Misket 2019, Black Sea
• BEST LOCAL GRAPE WINE – RED: Rossidi Nikolaevo Old Vines Nikolaevo Mavrud 2018, Eastern Thracian Lowland; #12 in Top 50

Besides the individual wine prizes there are three categories, which have been recently introduced:

• BEST NEWCOMER (awarded by The Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals-BAWP): Damyanov Family Winery & Vineyards
• SPECIAL MERIT AWARD: Adriana Srebrinova, Borovitza Winery
• WINE TOURISM AWARD VIA VINO: Villa Yustina

On one hand I am really glad to be part of the wine travel award. On the other – as you well know – my focus is wine tourism. That’s why I will provide more details about the 2020 winner (just a quick reminder – the 2019 winner was Uva Nestum Wine & Spa).

Villa Yustina is the “founder” of the modern Bulgarian wine tourism. It may sound loud, but it’s a fact. The winery was established in 2006 in the village of Ustina, near Plovdiv in the so-called Rhodope collar – micro region of the Thracian Lowland. In 2013 it was renovated and transformed for wine tourism – tours in the cellar, walks among the vineyards with breathtaking views, an oenotheque and a wonderful tasting room. Perhaps the most valuable aspect has been also provided: a professionally working and inspired team.

It’s hard to be first and to climb the peak, but it’s even harder to stay there – to maintain quality and keep evolving. That is exactly the strength of Villa Yustina – in the increasing competition of attractive Bulgarian wine tour destinations and cellars they manage to upgrade: with a sparkling wine cellar, a cozy hotel complex with a restaurant next to the winery, and a SPA & wellness center (in progress). In the meantime, they support and initiate a number of activities, related to the development of wine tourism at regional level and conduct regular thematic events for wine lovers.

For this confused and extremely difficult 2020, we (DiVino & Via Vino) decided that there is no other suitable winner of the annual award for wine tourism than Villa Yustina – a kind of overall recognition for best contribution to Bulgarian wine tourism!

I had the pleasure to moderate on last Saturday, 20th of March a very interesting event – organized by one of my favorite wine wine places in Bulgaria (but not only): Uva Nestum Wine & SPA, part of their series “Wine Adventures”. This time it was dedicated to South Sakar – a tiny wine region, near the boarders with Greece and Turkey, which keeps lots of wine & culinary secrets and ancient mysteries. Thanks to our mutual efforts and partnership, we succeeded to provided to the guest some traditional foods, made in an authentic way – katak, sesame tahini, etc., a special wine selection and a plenty of stories about the region from my side.

The team of Uva Nestum organized perfectly the event, their 4-course pairing menu was simply fabulous. And nearly 60 Bulgarian wine&food enthusiasts were happy to be part of this tasty experience, forgetting for a few hours the tough pandemic time… Considering the fact that Bulgaria is from today again in full lock-down, I am really glad that we had the opportunity and were able to conduct the event in a proper way! On the other hand that is a very good example for collaboration between people, wineries and even different wine regions – that is how the future of wine tourism in Bulgaria should look like! Thanks a lot for the support of the participating wineries: Villa Bassarea, Chateuax Kolarovo, Zaara Estate and Bratanov, and especially to Tanya Avramova and Todor Bratanov!

But that’s not all! I was guided by the owner, Mr. Bilarev and we have made an exciting and comprehensive sample tasting of most of Uva Nestum’s brand new white wines series, most of which will be released soon for the first time. They are focusing on Tamianka, Muskat Ottonel, Alligote, Chardonnay – promising!!! We have not skipped the new vintage of the famous rose and the red stars (Rubin is marvelous) and the newcomer Mavrud! The latter are still aging in barriques, as the Cabernet Franc does, and will be probably vinified as premium wines. Can’t wait…

Thanks to Tzvetelina Bilareva and Ivan Bilarev for the kind invitation and the great time at Uva Nestum. Looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Заповядайте на винения и кулинарен тур “Из непознатия Южен Сакар” в края на май!

North Bulgaria is often being somehow underestimated when wine lovers think about local wine and tourism. With the much bigger density of wineries, better developed wine routes, its various nature, infrastructure and tourism in general our South has arguably the leading role. I don’t want to set a border line between both (as the Balkan Mountain Range geographically does). However, talking about wines, the North stands out as an example for elegant wines, with sense of place. In the following lines I will focus on the North-eastern wine region of Bulgaria predominantly as a wine route, including five distinctive wineries, one wine bar and a few stunning sights…

In the very beginning here is just a quick note – Bulgaria has only two PGIs: The Thracian Lowland and The Danube Plain. Many people (including me) share the opinion, that this doesn’t depict the nuances of the wines and more important for me: the travel destinations. So I prefer to speak about at least five or even nine wine regions. That’s a long discussion, which I will skip for now.

The climate of the north-eastern region is predominantly continental due to the wide Danube plain – flat area with slightly hilly landscape in some parts. The western and eastern boarders are flexible terms. In the west we have arguably an imaginary line from Svishtov to Suhindol (both used to be essential wine production places). Getting closer to the Black Sea in the east, its influence is getting stronger, of course. Well, it is at least clear, that in the north we have the Danube river and in the south – the Balkan Mountain Range. What is most important – NE Bulgaria is definitely the place for white wine lovers, for gentle Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir in Old World style!

I will start my journey with our former capital and one of my favorite cities – Veliko Tarnovo (by the way, in North Bulgaria are located 3 of our previous capitals before Sofia – since the country foundation in the distant 7^th century). On its main tourist street, the so called “Street of crafts”, you will find the recently opened Wine Tasting Centre, where you could choose between plenty of local wines to enjoy – including ones from cellars, which are not open for visitors. These will be combined with carefully prepared appetizers. The cellar-like space underground is being used also for tasting courses and wine educations.

Only 15 minutes’ drive south from V. Tarnovo is located Yalovo. This artisan winery has been founded by the visionary Anton and the winemaker Dimitar. The latter is one of the most passionate searchers of lost local varieties, like Kokorko e.g., which I had the luck to try. With the regime change in 1944 towards socialism, plenty of quality varieties were replaced by more fertile ones, following the goal to produce huge quantities… Yalovo’s home is the village school, built initially in 1938 and transformed into winery a few years ago. You will be impressed by the touch of eclectic art inside, creating some noble atmosphere, huge yard for hanging around with a glass of wine and place for the children to run around. In addition, the visitor will find a colorful portfolio of wines and labels – including scandalous, traditional, minimalist – all in all almost everything one can think of!

Not far away, near Elena (famous in whole Bulgaria with its dry-cured ham, similar to Prosciutto) is another wine place of interest – the family Maryan Winery, founded in 2010. The history of the village with the same name goes back to the legend of Kera Tamara – daughter of one of the most successful Bulgarian rulers Tsar Ivan Alexander. Kera Tamara is also one of the famous brands of the winery. Stefan, the charming winemaker and friend of the family, has created within the years some really good wines – Chardonnay, orange wine, Sauvignon Blanc (including one, which was aged in oak), the local Dimyat and some distinctive red blends. The winery is buying grapes from different places within the country.

We will make now a big jump towards the North – a short drive from another beautiful city (Ruse) and on the Danube River is located Seven Generations. Another new Bulgarian wine project or better said a dream of Mr. Luben Rabchev, which came through after he returned back to Bulgaria after 40 years in USA. And he founded this beautiful place, following the wine traditions of his family. A long time ago, in 1878, a young man named Iliya Rabchev left his family in Bulgaria and went to France, to study wine-making. Four years later Iliya returned to the village of Byala Cherkva and founded the Rabchev wine cellar. Soon the “Rabchev” family cellar becomes the largest producer of wines and spirits in the region. Nowadays the estate includes also a cozy hotel with a nice view to the river. Don’t miss their Red Cuvee and the wines from Cabernet Franc. Being in the region you should visit the Ivanovo rock-hewn churches, built in 13^th century by hermits and declared as UNESCO heritage site.

Near the city of Shumen is one of the most distinctive Bulgarian wineries – mostly thanks to the talented and dedicated winemaker Nikolay Krastev – Tsarev Brod. The flagship variety turns out to be the local Gergana (a cross between Dimyat and Muscat Ottonel). But you should taste the whole selection of the winery, and even their Sauvignon Blanc. I am saying “even”, because as you well know this variety is a massive trend worldwide. Bulgaria is not an exclusion and one could hardly find a winery, which is not working with it. But Tsarev Brod owns the oldest plantings of Sauvignon Blanc in our country – planted in 2001! Another highlights are the Pet-Nat wine, Chardonnay and Riesling (including Ice wine) and some excellent Pinot noirs. In addition, the visitors are being treated in a very kind way, the tasting room is nice and comfortable and it is highly possible to leave Tsarev Brod as a friend and big fan of them.

Here we should mention two essential sights in the area. I will start with The Madara Horseman – an outstanding early medieval large rock relief, carved on the Madara Plateau, dated in the 8^th century (UNESCO). Who is representing the relief is not clear, most probably one of the Bulgarian Khans, who ruled at this time… On the top of the hill in Shumen, in 1981 was officially unveiled the Founders of the Bulgarian State Monument, dedicated to the anniversary 1300 years from the foundation of Bulgaria. Well, it is hard to describe this typical expression of socialism art. It is huge, brutal, strange and for sure valuable from architectural point of view. You simply should see this giant!

Our next destination (last, but not least) is Salla Estate, which is very close to the Black Sea, but still influenced mainly by the land. We are talking about another precise master of white wines, plus Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Anelia Hristakieva became fully deserved Bulgarian Winemaker of 2019 – a prestigious title, because only winemakers are allowed to vote. There are a couple of rooms for accommodation and a restaurant in the complex. The owners of Salla adore horses and have 10, some of them participating in (and winning) competitions. The complex is respectively very appropriate for horse lovers and kids – also because of the large spaces… You shouldn’t miss the picnic site of Salla, ca. 3-4 km away from the winery, providing a marvelous view to the hills around.

As a conclusion I can say, that definitely the wines from NE-Bulgaria are improving constantly and quickly. I would even add, that this region is “pushing” Bulgaria into the right direction – towards the current wine trends worldwide of fair, gentle and elegant wines, less oaky, with varietal, terroir expression. Just go and explore the region – why not together, by joining our Винен тур “Между Дунав и Черно море” or Via Vino comprehensive Food and Wine tour in North Bulgaria!

През 2020, годината на многото “Т” – тегава, тъпа, трудна, тъмна и т.н. – изгряха 2 светли лъча на литературно-винения небосклон у нас. Сменям обаче стила, че ще вземе да стане прекалено…

Започвам с още малко патос и шедьовъра (не е пресилено) на Яна Петкова „а,б, вино“. Все още не мога да се нарадвам на заглавието! Книга за виното от такъв калибър на български автор смея да твърдя, че не се е появявала. Едновременно много обхватна и професионално написана, но на разбираем език и по забавен начин. Колкото и клиширано да звучи – тук има за всеки по нещо, и то точно толкова колкото е необходимо. От една страна е задължително четиво и справочник за винените ценители, както и професионалисти. От друга е силно препоръчителна за всеки, който проявява дори и бегъл интерес към виното. Все си мисля обаче, че след тази книга интересът им хич няма да остане бегъл. Да не пропусна и бонусите – елегантни и компактни винени карти на важните световни винени региони, включително и на България.

С повече уклон към винения туризъм е “Виненият журнал” на Гергана Тодорова. В началото има хубави карти на винените райони на България, с отбелязани изби, които приемат гости и са интересни за посещение (казвам го и от личен опит)! Може да “потренирате” в някоя винарна, като оценявате вина спрямо прoфесионален системен подход за дегустация, използвайки първичните, вторичните и третичните характеристики на виното. Всички те са представени в журнала. Или просто да се позабавлявате с приятели. Всъщност може и сами, в компанията на бутилка или различни проби хубави вина – в случая не се изисква дистанция, даже напротив! А защо виното да не е и българско?! Нека не забравяме, разбира се, че консумацията на вино трябва да бъде отговорна и умерена.

Та ако търсите подаръци за Коледа – горещо препоръчвам творенията на тези две симпатични и много знаещи за виното дами!

Да си пожелаем и весели празници, както и Нова година с повече положителни емоции, винени турове и приключения! Очаквайте приятни изненади от Via Vino!

2020г. ще остане в историята – едва ли някой се съмнява в това. За съжаление, пандемията покоси туризма по безпрецедентен начин. 100% анулация или отлагане на всички мои турове през годината с чужди гости – нещо, градено години наред рухна за дни. Доскоро проектът ми Via Vino беше насочен навън, съответно гостите на винените ни турове в над 95% от случаите са чужденци. Перспективите продължават да са неясни, но ние трябва да сме иновативни, да се борим и да търсим решения. И колкото и парадоксално да звучи – тук искам специално да „благодаря“ на Covid-19 за шанса, който ми предостави – да ускорим процеса по създаване и предлагане на винени турове за българи в България.

Както споменах в едно интервю за винения блог The Wine Inside – все ми става малко тъжно, че много неща остават скрити за повечето българи, като виждам какви прекрасни изби имаме, какви уникални, упорити и страстни винари работят, като опитвам вина на много високо, понякога дори и световно ниво, като откривам постоянно местни ястия и специалитети, непознати и за мен до момента, като виждам възторга и положителната изненада в реакциите на гостите ни – винени ценители от цял свят!

Активни и предприемчиви хора правят кулинарни чудеса и дърпат своите региони напред – за примери мога да посоча с. Доситеево до Любимец, селата около Гоце Делчев, Подгорието в подножието на Беласица, “Джуджевата къща” в Панагюрище, с. Влахи, с. Черни Вит и много други… Така че, най-важното алтернативно решение е точно това – да открием и опознаем българското вино и кухня! И да помогнем на същинските, малки бизнеси по този начин – често избите се намират в изолирани райони, които най-вече чрез партньорсто и развитие на качествен, устойчив туризъм могат да се популяризират и да спечелят! Отлично се развиват и цели дестинации за винен туризъм у нас. Естествено, ще започна с Долината на р. Струма – може би най-добре организираният и компактен винен район. Други добри примери са избите от Тракийската низина около Пловдив, микрорегионът Южен Сакар, а от скоро и избите от Североизточна България „седнаха на една маса“ и направиха чудесна карта на своя регион!

Виненият туризъм преди пандемията се определяше безспорно като една от най-бързо и успешно развиващите се форми на нишов, алтернативен туризъм в световен мащаб. Тук ще дам няколко примера, касаещи перспективите и ползите, първо за една далечна, но доста активно работеща дестинация – Чили. През 2016г. малко над 90 изби посрещат гости, а за 2020г. броят им нараства до около 150, като винените туристи достигат близо 1 милион на годишна база – ръст от над 30% за същия период! За сравнение – у нас официално за 2019г. има общо 282 изби, като около 60% от тях са отворени за винен туризъм, но подробна статистика липсва. В Австрия – страна, която може да ни послужи като еталон във винения туризъм – генерираните приходи от него възлизат на около 0,5 млрд. евро (според статия от 2018г.). Пак за сравнение – приходът от целия международен туризъм в България за 2017г. възлиза на 3,6 млрд. евро. В Испания “местните” винени туристи заемат дял от около 3/4 от общо 3 милиона човека през 2019г., решили да предприемат такъв тип пътуване!

Освен всичко казано дотук, виненият и кулинарният туризъм много добре се вписват и в „новото нормално“ – малки групи, повече време на открито, ексклузивни пътувания, на кратки разстояния, без да се минават граници. През това лято 94% от французите са избрали за своята почивка… Франция. Избите са сигурни, чисти – много от тях разполагат с пространство, място за пикник, обяд сред лозята… Covid-19 може дa „помогне“ на винения туризъм да изпъкне със своя чар и да се наложи. Чисто психологически – натрупаното напрежение, умора, страх могат да бъдат преодолени чрез едно качествено и активно винено преживяване! То добавя стойност и може да надгради всеки тур (културен, приключенски или какъвто и да било). Според становище на Международната туристическа организация към ООН „гастрономията и виното са се превърнали в ключови фактори за пълноценно изживяване на културните аспекти и бита на всяка една дестинация, а също и в растящ стимул за пътуване“. А може и да се комбинира – Bike&Wine е нишова форма на туризъм, която набира скорост в световен мащаб! Според едно актуално проучване в САЩ най-предпочитаната алтернативна форма на туризъм е колоезденето (Cycling), докато кулинарният туризъм (в т.ч. и виненият) се нареждат на четвърто място – всеки един от трима анкетирани го е посочил! В Австралия пък през 2014г. 13% от всички туристи са посетили поне една изба!

Винаги съм искал да спомогна за опознаване на родината ни и чудесните вина, които се създават тук – от вдъхновени и вдъхновяващи хора. Затова и създадохме тези няколко качествени преживявания – а за 2021г. съм замислил нови дати на вече готовите пътувания, но и още изненади, които все засега няма да разкривам. Разбира се, на разположение сме да предложим и частни или корпоративни преживявания – според изискванията и желанията на клиента! Не е нужно хората да бъдат винени експерти, за да се запишат на подобен тур – нека заповяда всеки, който иска да опита не толкова познати, но изключителни вина, да хапне вкусни, традиционни за региона ястия или с една дума – да се позабавлява. Обещаваме, че ще има много възможности за това! Пък може и да научи нещо ново за виното! Децата също са добре дошли – те помагат, забавляват се, а когато сме сред лозята – имат много място за тичане и игра. Тук няма и сезонност – е, лятото може и да малко по-горещо, но всички годишни времена има с какво да допринесат за едно приятно винено изживяване.

И така, нека заедно, с усмивка да преоткрием една „друга“ България – отвъд масовия туризъм. Защото всъщност има много какво да видим и опитаме!

Скъпи ценители на виното и пътешествията,

Време е да погледнем смело напред. Виното и ювелирно създадените пътувания за нас са не просто бизнес, а страст. С настоящите уикенд преживявания из България, ние, от Виа Вино и Зиг-Заг Холидейз / Одисея-ин, Ви предлагаме един оригинален прочит какво още може да представлява виненият туризъм.

Виното е част от културната идентичност на България. Нашите предложения, от Дунавския бряг до Южен Сакар и от Черно море до Мелник, ще отговорят на всеки вкус. Към винения акцент добавяме и активности като колоездене и леки преходи, гурме и кулинария, по-слабо известни забележителности и други. Ще имате и възможност да се превъплътите за кратко в ролята на уайнмейкър и да купажирате свое вино, да се включите в забавни обучения и дегустации, разнообразни мероприятия покрай гроздобера. Вниманието ни ще бъде насочено към забележителни малки и средни, предимно бутикови и семейни изби. Пътувайки от София в малки групи – от 4 до 12 души – Вие ще имате шанса да се срещнете лично с хората „зад етикетите“, да създадете полезни и весели познанства с други винени съмишленици, да се отърсите от неприятните емоции, натрупани през изминалите месеци, както и да закупите от първа ръка вино на преференциални цени, в компанията на г-н Ивайло Катерски, винен експерт (WSET Level 3 Award in Wines certified) и лицензиран екскурзовод. Вашето пътуване е и средство да подкрепите същинския малък български бизнес.

Разгледайте подробно пътуванията ни в секция ВИНЕНИ ТУРОВЕ 2020, както и на следните линкове:

• Вино и колела из Белоградчишкия край
• Между Дунав и Черно море
• 3 в 1: вино, гроздобер и леки преходи около Мелник
• Из непознатия Южен Сакар

Заявете своя интерес сега! Споделете с приятели и посочете дата по Ваш избор.

ОЧАКВАМЕ ВИ!

Туровете се реализират с лицензиран туроператор – “Зиг Заг Холидейз” ЕООД, с адрес: София, бул. “Ал. Стамболийски” 20-В и Удостоверение за регистрация: 03591/ 2005 г. Подробности и форма за записвания ще намерите ТУК, а въпроси можете да изпращате и ТУК.

BG Wine Tours 2020

A few months ago I wrote a post about Bulgarian cuisine and its history. Now it is time to continue my story, moreover we all need to think/write/talk about topics, others than Covid-19, don’t we?

As I pointed out, Bulgarian food is a colourful and tasty mix, heavily influenced by our not less colourful neighbours on the Balkans. But also by the numerous civilizations, who have left their marks on the crossroad between the East and the West for thousands of years. My guests are often asking me during our F&W tours to tell them (and taste, of course) the typical Bulgarian meals. You already understand how tricky this question is. Still, there are at least two things which should be mentioned and which we, Bulgarians are really proud of – let’s throw a glance at these distinctive, traditional dishes.

Number 1, without doubt, something which is being served almost at the airport, upon arrival of the foreign visitors and then is being eaten at least once a day. Did you guess it? Yes, it is Shopska salad (Шопска салата). This is the symbol of Bulgaria – you can try it even in other countries under (almost) the same name – Czech Rep., Serbia, North Macedonia, etc. – or something similar (Horiatiki in Greece). The story of this simple mixture of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onion and white cheese, plus sunflower oil and vinegar is not that thrilling as some might suggest. And it is further getting less exciting – this is not an ancient discovery as well. I have asked my grandparents who used to eat the vegetable solely – they even didn’t know the meaning of the word “salad” in the first half of the 20^th century! In the 50’s however, our stately owned, one and only tourist corporation Balkan Tourist has decided to create a Bulgarian salad that is simple, tasty, representative and… depicts the three colors of Bulgarian flag – white (cheese), green (cucumbers and/or peppers) and red (tomatoes and/or red peppers). The massive success, which followed surprised even the inventors! Nowadays this dish is to be found in most local restaurant and is served often on the table of every Bulgarian home. It can vary slightly – one could add parsley, baked peppers, some spices (sharena sol e.g.). But don’t forget the essential rule – Shopska salad has to be consumed as an appetizer, paired by rakia. A fresh, white wine is also a good choice!

The second meal, which I decided to write about, is not that popular, but much older and tasting it in its original shape is a rare chance. The latter is not valid not for the guest of Via Vino wine and food tours in Bulgaria, who decide to visit the South Sakar wineries – a region where katak/cruckmach (катък/крукмач) is a flagship appetizer. It looks like a yoghurt, but is prepared only by the last sheep milk at the end of the summer (August) when it is more thick and fatty. It is then treated – some complicated, time-consuming (and secret) actions need to be undertaken. At the end it is put in a container and stored in a cool place. E.g. a lady from the village of Balgarin, near Harmanli uses for this purpose the bottom of their well (!) in the garden.  It can then last for months! The Proto-Bulgarians are believed to be the first who started producing katak (more than 13-14 centuries ago) in order to keep the milk eatable for a longer period of time. Spreaded on a slice of bread and paired by a full-bodied, complex red wine is one of a kind experience!

As an epilogue I would like to use two beautiful pictures (below) and a quote from the book “100 Bulgarian Dishes” from Ivelina Ivanova, Gourmet Publishing, which I definitely recommend! “The Bulgarian cuisine has always been part of the Mediterranean tradition and still is. Apart from dishes prepared with regional products, it is also the heart and soul devotion to tasty food, joy in experiencing and sharing the table with other people. The Bulgarian table is always well laden with numerous and tasty dishes, good wine and rakiya and many joyful people ready to share them with pleasure”.

Yes, food and wine are important for us, locals. I would even say, they are part of our social environment and cultural heritage. If you want a true experience, then you may join our Food and Wine tours in Bulgaria or let us organize a tailor-made trip, especially for you!

And if you want to learn more about traditional Bulgarian meals, “paired” with excellent pictures, then please click here.

With regard to COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions taking place I would like to kindly inform you that a state of emergency has been declared in Bulgaria – valid until 13 April 2020. All tours within the country have been suspended, traveling within the country is heavily restricted. Our boarders for incoming guests from most countries are closed as well. Restaurants and wineries are not allowed to welcome guests.

We do hope to welcome you in Bulgaria on our Food & Wine Tours very soon!

Via Vino & Odysseia-in team

*Update (3 April 2020): The state of emergency has been prolonged until 12 May 2020. The above mentioned restrictions remain.

*Update (18 May 2020): State of emergency is over since 13 May and most of the restrictions have been replaced by lighter regulations – working and carefully keeping distance and disinfection procedures. Open areas of restaurants and hotels are allowed to work. Such with inner areas, including wineries with inside tasting rooms will probably start working from 1 June. There are no limits for traveling within the country at the moment. From June boarders should be open – exact information to be announced.

*Update (15 June 2020): ALL wineries, hotels, restaurants and bars are allowed to work by keeping the necessary precautions measures, like disinfection, social distance, etc. Bulgarian citizens could travel to most of European countries, including France, Spain, Sweden. Please check the current situation and regulation of your authorities before traveling to Bulgaria.

*Update (21 Sept. 2020): Entering Bulgaria from EU countries is allowed – there is a form/declaration re Covid-19, which should be completed at the boarder. Check this web site before traveling: https://reopen.europa.eu/en For other countries – please ask for current information before your trip. Masks are obligatory indoors.

*Update (28 Nov. 2020): The second lock-down in Bulgaria has been announced – from today until 21 Dec. No group tours, tastings, closed wineries (for visits), restaurants, bars, no school for the kids, etc. Most of the small/corner shops remain open. From 01 Dec. there will be limits/bans for entering Bulgaria from countries outside of Europe – please check the current list.

*Update (21 Dec. 2020): The lock-down has been extended until 31 January 2021. There are some slight changes with regard to the restaurants in hotels – they are allowed to work only with their guests until 22:00h. All other restaurants, bars, wineries (for visits) remain closed.

Despite all, HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM VIA VINO!

*Update (01 March 2021): Bars, restaurants and resp. winery tasting rooms are open from 01 March – working inside AND outside with limited capacity for guests and necessary distance between the tables. Strict limits for incoming guests in Bulgaria are still valid – please check the current list. However some tours within the country are allowed.

*Update (22 March 2021): Another full lock-down in Bulgaria is in force from today. All bars, restaurants, schools, shopping malls are closed until 31 March (at least).

*Update (01 April 2021): The bars, wineries and restaurants, which have premises outside/tables/gardens are allowed to work. All indoor spaces remain closed.

*Update (12 April 2021): The bars, wineries and restaurants are opening from today.

You could follow the current, updated situation regarding restrictions about entering Bulgaria HERE.

Liebe Weinliebhaberinnen und Weinliebhaber, wir sind froh Sie zu einer unvergeßlichen Wein- und Geinießerreise nach Bulgarien einzuladen! Diese findet zwischen 10 und 17 Mai 2020 statt.

Das Erlebnis wird von uns – Via Vino und Odysseia-in organisiert, in Partnerschaft mit Discover Bulgaria und Herrn Götz Feige (Weinbotschafter von Mosel und leidenschaftlichem Freund von Bulgarien und Bulgarischen Weinen). Und ich (Ivo Katerski) werde die Reise gerne führen! Bitte, kontaktieren Sie uns für den detailierten Reiseplan und weitere Fragen!

Wegen COVID-19 ist Alternativtermin im Herbst angeboten: 18. bis 25. Oktober! Das Program der Reise bleibt dieselbe.

This year’s edition of the leading Bulgarian wine event took place between 22 and 24 November in Sofia. It went in a more different (and intensive) way for me, that’s why I have decided to split my post in 3 parts… Of course, the tastings and exploration of new good Bulgarian wines were, as usual, quite exciting, but two more essential aspects should be highlighted!

1. The Conference

For the first time a conference under the name “The Bulgarian Wine in the 21^st century” preceded the tasting event. It took place on 22 November and I am delighted that it was visited by many wine professionals. There are lots of issues and critical aspects in the development of our vine-and-wine sector. The main purpose was to draw the attention on them (predominantly by the state/local authorities) and to start solving those afterwards (a Declaration with exact measures was announced at the end of the day).  The lectures were various, so were the topics – wine law, wine trade, wine production and what was important for us – wine tourism. I and two more wine travel experts have been invited to close the plenary session and talk about wine tourism in Bulgaria. We have called our lecture “Why should we build a sustainable strategy for the wine tourism in Bulgaria”. The presentation could be downloaded from the link. Besides that, we have prepared a comprehensive and informative report on the topic in advance… All in all lots of work, but what matters, is that we have done a good job and we have received mostly positive feed-back!

2. The Elegance

I haven’t missed any edition of DiVino.Taste – starting in 2011 with 37 wineries in the aristocratic Military Club in Sofia and reaching in 2019 more than 80 wineries and wine projects or nearly 600 Bulgarian wines, adequately spread in the main exhibition center of Sofia – IEC. The number of visitors doubled – from 3000 in the beginning to over 6000 wine lovers and professionals. Every time there is a wine or winery, a moment, a speech, a person or simply an emotion which remains and turns to be my personal highlight. This time? The elegance, the cleanliness, the emotionality of the wines from North Bulgaria! Of course, there were excellent samples among the “usual suspects” from the South – don’t forget that more than 2/3 of all Bulgarian wineries are located solely in the Thracian Lowland! However I am quite happy that this year much more wineries from the North have been presented – showing well the unique terroir of the different parts of The Danube Plain! Also Caroline Gilby MW (a true Bulgarian and Balkan wine expert) has told me that she found more cleanliness in the presented wines compared to previous years, when the full-bodied, higher in alcohol and overwhelmed by oak wines were much more common! Let’s hope that our winemakers will keep further this trend, which in fact is well pronounced and apparent worldwide!

3. The Association

DiVino.Taste 2019 is the place where The Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals (Българска Асоциация на Винените Професионалисти) was officially “born”. And our first common event happened – the presentation at the conference. I am delighted and proud to be in the Managing Board, but mostly to work with other like-minded wine experts towards our common goal – to put again (!) Bulgaria on the world wine map where it deserves to be. Sommeliers, winemakers, traders, journalists, lawyers, wine travel experts – the union is diverse which brings positive and negative aspects. But I am sure that the broad expertise of the members and the sharing of similar visions is the main strength of this association! Being part of the division “Wine Tourism” we have many ideas, respectively much work needs to be done. Bulgaria as a wine travel destination is not improving well enough due to the insufficient support from the state – Ministry of Tourism, local authorities, municipalities, etc. Another reason is the disunity between the “players” in this complicated process where many different objects need to be involved. And last but not least there is a lack of competence, expertise regarding wine tourism. So, as I said, we should work hard. However I believe that the result will come!

DiVino.Taste is exciting and well organized. DiVino.Taste is useful and important. DiVino.Taste is inspiring and the benchmark setting Bulgarian annual wine event! See you in 2020!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Via Vino, dear wine lovers!

Dear partners and wine lovers,

Odysseia-in & Via Vino will participate again at some of the leading travel events in Europe. Please find below information about these exhibitions and conferences, where you will have the opportunity to learn more about our food & wine tours in Bulgaria. Click on the blue link and get familiar with the details.

1. WTM London, UK, 4 – 6 November 2019, Stand – EU1400;

2. Philoxenia Thessaloniki, Greece, 8 -10 November 2019, Pavilion 13, Stand 09 (thanks to our partners from Uva Nestum Wine & Spa);

3. Ferien-Messe Wien, Vienna, Austria, 16 – 19 January 2020, Halle A, Stand A0701;

4. f.re.e, Munich, Germany, 19 – 23 February 2020, Halle A4, Stand 509;

5. International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC), Triest, Italy, 24 – 25 March 2020 (Exhibitor – in partnership with Melnik Wine Region)

In addition, I am very pleased and proud to be a speaker at the leading Bulgarian wine event DiVINO TASTE 2019 (22-24 November, Inter Expo Centre, Sofia, Bulgaria).

The participants of the 9th edition will be 84 wineries and wine projects, presenting over 550 wines! Besides the interesting master classes for the first time this year will be organized a conference in collaboration with The Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals – “Bulgarian Wine in 21st century”

Some colleagues of mine and me have prepared a comprehensive report on the topic Wine Tourism in Bulgaria and we will have a presentation at the conference.

Looking forward to meeting you!

I totally agree with the statement: Wine is the best friend of food (and vice versa of course). So, there is no way to skip the food topic. Moreover, Bulgarian cuisine has a long, interesting history or better said – background, going back to the ancient tribes and civilizations that lived in these lands millennia ago! However the most important reason to write about the local food is that… I personally like it and savor it with great pleasure! You surely know people who eat in order to survive but I am confident there are not many like this among the wine lovers. During Via Vino food and wine tours in Bulgaria choosing the typical, well pairing meals is not less important for me than the wine selection!

Many recipes are being transferred from one generation to another. Though we have a huge problem to solve! Old people who have valuable information about our cuisine but live in small villages and isolated places often don’t teach the youngsters (there is simply no one left) and the traditions are simply fading away. Good that there are new projects and people who have started to evaluate the importance of this heritage and strive to protecting and keeping it!

Bulgaria’s location – on the crossroad between Europe and Asia, West and East, has reflected without doubt the local cuisine. Many tribes and civilizations have more or less influenced our culture but also our food. The Thracians used to eat garlic and onion which play an essential role in our meals even today. Besides good winemakers these people were engaged in agriculture (they have grown wheat cultures) and stock-breeding (goats, cows, sheeps). They have mainly boiled and “grilled” the meat. According to Xenophont (a Greek author) the “meat and sour bread were cut into pieces by the King and given to selected people during the feast”. They have fermented milk and prepared cheeses…  Talking about dairy products the Proto-Bulgarians were also “experts” in this area – you will understand why in my next post on the topic – they have created recipes to store the milk products for months and keep them eatable. The meat was their main food – they avoided growing and eating plants, treating the plowing as a portent. On the opposite, the Slavs, coming from the North (in fact, both the Salvs and the Proto-Bulgarians founded the First Bulgarian State in 681) had a good knowledge on the cereal plants, they adored millet and rye and used them to bake bread!

It is really difficult (some might say impossible) to name the local cuisine with a different name than Balkan cuisine. Certainly, there are nuances and our neighbors who are more nationalist orientated would not be very happy with that statement. But our region has definitely many common things. All countries have been part of the Ottoman Empire for 4-5 centuries – it is not a surprise that meals like gyuvetch, kjufte, kebap, lokum, baklava etc. are crossing the current political boarders. On the other side – Greece is also a big influencer (don’t forget that Bulgaria was part of Byzantium for nearly 200 years). So, no surprise that citrus fruit (oranges and lemons), aubergines and courgette, olives are easy to be found in Bulgaria. Among the traditional meals in Bulgaria are Moussaka, Snezhanka (our equivalent of Tsatsiki), stuffed peppers with rice, etc….

So, dear food and wine lovers, grab your appetite and curiosity and choose some of our exciting Food and Wine Tours in Bulgaria!

To be continued!

Sources & inspirations which I partly used and definitely would recommend:

1. “Казанлък – Земята на Траките” – Татяна Узунова, Нарцис Торбов, “Витамин арт”, 2017;

2. “100 Bulgarian Dishes”, Ivelina Ivanova, “Gourmet Publishing”, 2016 – copyright of the pictures below;

3. Joan Damen – copyrights of the introduction picture / photogrid;

Ich bin sehr stolz und erfreut mitzuteilen, dass Via Vino Weinreisen nach Bulgarien wirde in einem der führenden deutschen Reiseführer empfohlen – DUMONT (Herausgeber: DuMont Reise, Authoren: Georgi Palahutev, Simone Böcker, 2019 – 3. Auflage). Die gute Sache ist, dass es nicht mit Werbung zu tun hat (soweit ich weiß, ist das überhaupt nicht möglich), sondern eine Anerkennung für unsere harte Arbeit und unaufhaltsame Leidenschaft für Wein und Reisen seit mehr als 4 Jahren! Und ich verspreche, weiterhin mein Bestes zu tun, um unvergessliche Wein- und Gourmet-Reisen nach Bulgarien anzubieten!

Nicht an letzter Stelle – der Text über bulgarischen Wein im Buch (Bulgarischer Wein – alte Tradition rund um die Traube) wurden basierte auf meinen Notizen und Anweisungen. Der gesamte Reiseführer ist eine sehr amüsante und nützliche Informationsquelle – mit interessanten Gesichtspunkten und ausführlichen lokalen Tipps – vertrauen Sie mir!

DuMont Reiseführer können Sie finden, bzw. kaufen (auch als E-Book) von HERE.

The history of Bulgarian wine

The Thracians – Part 2

Continuing from Part 1

Thracian wine has been drunk from the cradle to the grave – in ceremonies when a baby was born (a sad event, because for these people the life on earth was undesired and unhappy, just a short preparation for the life beyond), during the life (food for the poor, pleasure for the rich, remedy for everyone) and when a man died (they celebrated the transition of the soul into a better world)… Exactly the graves and tombs are the only visual evidences, depicting the living of the Thracians – thanks to the precious frescoes on their walls – very often including wine ceremonies and vessels. Fortunately many of them are now open for visitors – The tomb in Kazanlak, Alexandrovo tomb, Sveshtari tomb, Golyama Kosmatka, etc. Only in The Rose Valley (a wine region as well!) are found and researched more than 15 Thracian tombs – most of them dated to 4th-3rd century BC. In recent years the area is also known as The Valley of The Thracian Kings! There is no need to say that we pay a visit there during our round wine tours in Bulgaria.

Another important artifact is the mentioned in Part 1 ornate vessels, known nowadays as “The Thracian Treasures”, which have been used during various special rituals – magnificent and amazing precisely worked out jugs, rhytons, phials, amphoras etc. This is absolutely clear evidence about the importance of the wine. The Thracians haven’t simple quenched their thirst and haven’t drunk from wineskins like the primitive cultures! They simply enchanted and respected the wine! There was a strict hierarchy in drinking the wine – the king or resp. the one with the highest rank was allowed to start first and… to get drunk first! And one more evidence – the goods in the Thracian societies belonged to the community. There were only two exclusions, having their individual owner – the sword and the wine goblet.

You may also wander how have been used these vessels? The rhyton for example had a bigger hole for pouring in and a small one for drinking (on the muffle) – the picture above. And its bottom was not smooth – the vessel had to be held in hands and drained. During Via Vino wine tours in Bulgaria we always try not to skip these precious pieces of art and admire them – presented in several museums around the country: The Treasures from Panagyurishte (consisiting of 9 golden pieces, with total weight 6 kg), Borovo (5 pieces/gold and silver), Valchitran (13 pieces, 12,5 kg/gold), Rogozen (165 pieces/silver), Lukovit (15 pieces/silver) and many more. Only the total number of phials found on the territory of Bulgaria is more than 180…

There are also sanctuaries in Eastern Rodopi Mountain where specially “equipped”, separated areas for wine production have been discovered! Our ancient varieties, still grown nowadays like Pamid, Mavrud, Misket red may have been used also by the Thracians – who knows?! The methods of wine-making were certainly much simpler but similar to the modern, following the basic steps for red wine production. The vine growers and winemakers had definitely good skills and knowledge about the vines, the climate, the soils; they were even familiar with the grafting! And they haven’t used fertilizers because were afraid of the bad smell in the wine afterwards (!).

The wine market in ancient Thracia was very well developed. The valuable good has been exported for the Mediterranean kingdoms and to the North of the continent; also by ships via Black Sea to Asia Minor… What was the price of the wine at that time? Here is interesting information from ancient Greece. 1 drachma was the price of 5 l wine. For the same money one could buy 2 l of olive oil, 25 kg dried figs, 8 kg wheat… A cow cost 50 drachma and a horse – 1 200 drachma. An architect earned daily 2 drachma, temple constructor – 2,5 drachma. Lower paid were the ship constructor, the potter, the mining workers who could afford with the loan of 1 day all in all 5 l wine.

I will end up Part 2 of the story about the Thracian wine with a funny statement, with which I always amuse Via Vino wine tour guests! The Thracians were said to be the drunkards of the ancient civilizations. What was the reason for that? They have never diluted the wine by water!  What did the Thracians reply? Water is for bathing and wine is for drinking! Cheers!

And again a quick reminder about our wine tour in Bulgaria (in the Southern part) dedicated to the Thracian “On the Trails of the Thracians”  / “Auf den Spuren der Thraker”

Sources & inspirations which I partly used and definitely would recommend:

1. “Виното в древността” – Ирко Петров, ТИЦ-Хасково, 2013;

2. “The Wines of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova”, Caroline Gilby, “Infinite Ideas Limited”, 2018;

3. “Das Bulgarische Weinbuch”, Jassen Borislavov, Trud, 2006;

4. “The Wine of the Thracians. Myth, Ritual and Art”, Ivan Marazov, Academic Book Market Publishers LTD, Sofia, 2014

The image above was made by one of our wine tour guests. All rights reserved.

Скъпи ценители на виното, каним Ви между 1 и 5 май, 2019г. на едно незабравимо винено пътешествие в може би най-живописния и спиращ дъха със стръмните си лозя винен регион в света – МОЗЕЛ.

Via Vino wine tours, заедно с Винен клуб The Wine Inside и нашият германски партньор – “Винен посланик на Мозел” / Mosel Weinbotschafter Götz Ви предлагаме една наистина разнообразна програма, съчетаваща специално подбрани малки, семейни изби, старинни градчета, замъци, приказни гледки към река Мозел, природни забележителности и много други. Или казано по друг начин – 6 изби, 5 дни, 4 нощи и … 3 държави. Да, ще “отскочим” и до Люксембург за 2 дегустации на прочутия им Cremant, както и до Франция. Ще си поговорим с местните винари, ще Ви предизвикаме да изкачите някое стръмно лозе (Bremmer Calmont e най-стръмният лозов масив в света с наклон, достигащ 65 градуса!), ще вкусим от местната кухня. Ще се концентрираме, разбира се, върху “Краля на сортовете” Ризлинга в сухите и по-сладките му разновидности, но ще се запознаем и с други типични за региона – Elbling, Weißburgunder, Solaris, Spätburgunder и други.

Елате с нас, за да се потопим в една уникална атмосфера!

Подробности за нашия винен тур ще намерите тук – Mosel 2019, на страницата на The Wine Inside както и във ФБ страницата на събитието. Записването е до 15.03.2019г.

За всякакви въпроси, моля ползвайте контактната форма.

Willkommen in Mosel!

We, the team of VIA VINO & Odysseia-in are happy to announce our fourth participation in a row at the leading global wine and culinary tourism event – The Annual International Wine Tourism Conference, Exhibition & Workshop (IWINETC).

The 2019 edition will be held in The Basque Country, Spain between 12 and 14 March. The area (Rioja Alavesa) is a thrilling wine tour destination as well!

First of all Happy New Year, dear wine lovers and friends! I wish you a healthy and prosperous 2019! And of course – lots of good wine and exciting wine experiences!

Now let’s start in style the New Year! Between 10 and 13 January Via Vino & Odysseia-in will participate at the biggest Austrian travel and holiday show FERIEN-MESSE WIEN with 800 exhibitors from over 70 countries…

We will be in Halle A, Stand: A0701. You are warmly invited to check out our brand new food and wine tours in Bulgaria!

Learn more about the event HERE.

Wir freuen uns auf Ihren Besuch!

The history of Bulgarian wine

The Thracians – Part 1

It is totally unpredictable how long will be my effort for presenting the history of wine in our region. Hopefully not as long as the dispute where wine-producing has started… One thing is clear – we are proud of our winemaking history and there is a simple reason for that. The inhabitants of our lands (arguably the Thracians) are definitely among the first civilizations worldwide that started producing wine. This happened 4 000-5 000 years ago! We find information about this great civilization in the literary works of famous ancient authors like Plato, Xenophon, Athenaeus, etc. Even Homer described Thrace as a land where good wine was being produced. But when I say wine, please have in mind that a quite different liquid should be considered compared to what we enjoy today! Much sweeter, much thicker, much higher alcohol degree, much more aromatic and very deep-colored (red);

The ancient Thracians migrated from Asia Minor (though there are different hypotheses) and settled down in our lands, plus parts of Greece nearly five thousand years ago. They were craftsmen, engaged in the agriculture, breed-stocking, used to live in kingdoms, resp. they were divided in different tribes – Odrisi, Medi, Daci, Bessi, Tribali etc. And they have never became united (a bad habit which is so typical for our mentality even nowadays)! The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that “if the Thracian tribes were united, they would have conquered the world”. But that never happened. They were skilful soldiers and adored horses (the horse was buried very often together with its owner who has just passed away). Same happened occasionally with the wives (note the plural form) of the died ruler; some scientists assert that the women were still alive when they were buried – and it was actually a great honour for the woman or women. Probably I should have asked all feminists to skip the last sentence…

The Thracians were extremely good in two things – gold/silversmith and – guess what – wine-making! I will focus certainly on the second aspect but the first one is narrowly related to the wine also. Keep on reading (it is not that long and boring – hopefully) and you will understand why. The Thracians believed wine to be a gift from God. Their wine cult was extraordinary. The divine drink was firmly incorporated in their way of living and their special rituals. Its paramount, sacred function was people and Gods to merge into one. This civilization apotheosized Zagreus – the lord of the sun, wine, and jubilation, and Zelanos – the supernatural power that breathed magic into wine… Well known are their “followers”: the Greek God of wine Dyonissos and the Roman – Bacchus. In Thracian the word zelanos meant coveted and consequently the modified zelas was used for wine (actually this is one of the very few Thracians words that is known today).

Wine has been drunk from the cradle to the grave – in ceremonies when a baby was born (a sad event, because for these people the life on earth was undesired and unhappy) and when a man died (they celebrated the transition of the soul into a better world)… Exactly the graves and tombs are the only visual evidences, depicting the live of the Thracians – thanks to the precious frescoes on their walls – very often including wine ceremonies and vessels. Fortunately many of them are now open for visitors – The tomb in Kazanlak, Alexandrovo tomb, Sveshtari tomb, Golyama Kosmatka, etc. Very often we are paying a visit to some of them during our Via Vino wine tours in Bulgaria!

Another important artifacts are the above mentioned ornate vessels, known nowadays as “The Thracian Treasures”, which have been used during various, special wine related rituals. I am talking about magnificent and amazing precisely worked out jugs, rhytons, phials, etc. This is absolutely clear evidence about the importance of the wine. The Thracians haven’t simply quenched their thirst and haven’t drunk zelas from wineskins like the primitive cultures!

Everyone (men and women, young and old) simply enchanted and respected the wine, they deified the wine! It was food for the poor, pleasure for the rich, remedy for all! The slaves were allowed to drink wine as well. The Thracian wine has been sought-after and “exported” – in order to be enjoyed by other civilizations. And one more eloquent fact – the goods in the Thracian societies belonged regularly to the community or simply to a group of people. There were only two exclusions, which had an individual (!) owner – the sword and the wine goblet!

To be continued…

In Part 2 you will find out how have been used these wine vessels, what was the “price” of the ancient wine, but also what kind of knowledge and skills did the Thracian winemakers have. You may also check our Food & Wine Tour “On the Trails of the Thracians”  / “Auf den Spuren der Thraker”.

Sources & inspirations which I partly used and definitely would recommend:

1. “Виното в древността” – Ирко Петров, ТИЦ-Хасково, 2013;

2. “The Wines of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova”, Caroline Gilby, “Infinite Ideas Limited”, 2018;

3. “Das Bulgarische Weinbuch”, Jassen Borislavov, Trud, 2006;

4. “The Wine of the Thracians. Myth, Ritual and Art”, Ivan Marazov, Academic Book Market Publishers LTD, Sofia, 2014

Liebe Weinliebhaberinnen und Weinliebhaber,

in Partnerschaft mit unseren Freunden von IMPERIA MAGAZIN-Stuttgart laden wir herzlich zu einem unvergeßlichen Wein- und Genusserlebnis nach Bulgarien (Melnik und Struma-Tal Weinbaugebiet)! Die Reise ist bestätigt und es gibt nur geringe Anzahl von freien Plätzen.

Anmeldung: HIER, nur bis 31.08.2018!

Mehr Info über die Weinreise: Melnik Sept.2018

  Das Team von Via Vino&Odysseia-in steht für weitere Fragen gerne zur Verfügung!

Ето че дойде време и за едно незабравимо винено преживяване, специално създадено за винените пътешественици и любители на вкусната храна и качественото, истинско вино в България!

Заповядайте на 18 и 19.08. ПОД НЕБЕТО НА ЮЖЕН САКАР заедно с Odysseia-in, Via Vino и Vino Orenda – за мен ще бъде изключително удоволствие да водя този винен тур!

Дегустации в 4+1 малки, семейни изби, историите и емоциите на “хората зад етикета”, вечеря с вино под звездите, фото разходка из живописните лозя и още много изненади…

Повече информация за винения тур ще намерите тук: Южен Сакар 18-19 август.

More information abot the wine tour: South Sakar 18-19 August.

Egészségére! This is one of the very few words I know in Hungarian language, however it is an essential one, beacuse it means… Cheers! Moreover, it was relevant for the purpose of my third visit in Hungary – the major international wine tourism conference!

The country is located only 800km/500miles away from Bulgaria and is popular with its completely incomprehensible language! In addition Hungary was unknown wine travel destination for me – well, at least in the wine area we have something in common and namely the local variety Kadarka, known also in Bulgaria as Gamza…

We, Odysseia-in and Via Vino participated for third time in a row in the leading global event for the wine and culinary tourism industry – The International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC). After Catalunya (2016) and Sicilia (2017) this time was Budapest’s turn. The 10th Annual event was held on 10 & 11 April 2018 (+ Workshop on 12 April) in the capital of Hungary.

A few words about IWINETC…

The 3 day event delivers thought provoking professional education, an extensive exhibition area to discover wine travel destinations around the world and their wines, a focused business environment for tour operators to meet wine tourism experience providers and a chance to discover the wine tourism highlights of the host destination. Attended by approximately 300 professionals from more than 50 countries, it involves a programme of around 25 talks, workshops, panel discussions, tastings and symposiums as well as a vibrant social programme.

And it all started unsurprisingly on a boat on the Danube river! Adding a glass of Furmint and so many great people it turned into a pleasant kick-off of this intensive event in the bautiful city of Budapest…

I said above intensive and I mean it! Lots of discussions, panels, talks, networking events, exhibitors, exciting wines for tasting – not only from Hungary, but from Greece, Armenia, Spain, Italy, etc.  Among the highlights I would like to mention the highly professional approach and presentation of Hungary as a wine and culinary travel destination lead by Zsombor Gal, the session “How to Thrive in the New Tourism Economy” – Felicity Carter (Australia), Treasure Hunting in Hungary (the traditional tasting of local wines, moderators: Ronn Wiegand MW & Agnes Herczeg).

Last but not least – the organization of the whole event was simply perfect. Thumbs up for Anthony Swift with his team and the Hungarian Tourism Board!

Of course, we found time to have a sip of excellent Hungarian wines and relax a bit, talking to friends from all over the world. By the way, Budapest is nowadays a quite busy tourist city (a huge change since my last visit more than 15 years ago)!

I attended the conference as a delegate, but also participated in the B2B Workshop in partnership with the new pearl of the Bulgarian wine map – Zornitza Family Estate – the first and only up to now Bulgarian member of Relais & Châteaux!

Bulgaria (I was the only representative from my country at the Workshop) has been presented thanks to Odysseia In & Via Vino Bulgaria; among friends, colleagues and partners from different regions – all of us enlightening this double magic, called WINE & TRAVEL around the world… During the lunch we had the pleasure to taste varous wines from distinctive wineries in Hungary, Armenia, Italy, Portugal, Greece and of course – Bulgaria (I have brought Syrah from Zornitza Family Estate and Mavrud from Manastira Winery – there is a limit of the bottles a delegate is allowd to bring).

During IWINETC I met wine travel agents from USA, Spain, Singapore, India, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Canada, Slovenia, Italy, Hungary, Georgia… And hopefully I have introduced successfully my country as an emerging and exciting wine and food travel destination. Now more people have a clue about the rich cultural heritage of our country, the long wine & culinary traditions and Via Vino various wine tours!

Now I am looking forward to IWINETC 2019 which will be held in the Basque Country, Spain – only the name of the region sounds more than exciting!

Dear Wine & Food lover, join our VIA VINO Exclusive Gourmet Tour in Sofia, Bulgaria!

• Taste the local flagship drink rakia in a stylish communist-era retro bar;
• Savor a 6-course pairing menu in a trendy gourmet restaurant for modern Bulgarian food;
• Explore Sofia, the Bulgarian capital on a city tour with a licensed tour guide;
• Visit two distinguished wineries in the Thracian lowland on a day trip;
• Small group (max. 12 pax), heritage 5* hotel in Sofia city center and much more…

Check here the exact itinerary: Sofia Gourmet Tour_en 2018

2018 Sofia Gourmet Wine Tour dates (code: Gourmet18): 13-16 June (CONFIRMED);

Price: EUR 479,- per person in DBL (valid for a group of 12 people)

Book now here!

A few years ago, after “opening” the boarders and by following the world marketing trends, we started celebrating St. Valentine’s Day…

But from ancient times 14th of February is the Day of St. Trifon Zarezan – the patron of vine growers and wine makers! According to some sources it is even related to the Thracian God of Wine Dionysius…

Trifon Zarezan (Трифон Зарезан) is a huge holiday in Bulgaria, celebrated not only by wine professionals but also by all wine loving people. Wine is deeply “rooted” in our culture for millennia and one could see grape vines in most of the village houses grown by the locals for the production of home-made wine or simply for keeping the outdoor dining table in shadow during the hot summer days

On the 14th of February, early in the morning people go to the vineyrd and prune it (Зарезан/Zarezan comes from the word зарязвам/zaryazvam=to prune), pouring some wine on the vine and eventually taking a small twig back home. Commonly there is a priest and all are praying for a good wine year.

GRÜEZI!

For a second year in a row Odysseia-In & Via Vino participated at FESPO – Switzerland’s biggest travel and holiday fair! 2018 edition which took place in Messe Zürich between 25 and 28 January 2018.

We presented our brand new food and wine tours in Bulgaria, among them:

• CARPE DIEM – a luxury 7-day food and wine tour in partnership with Zornitsa Family Estate – the first and only Bulgarian member of Relais & Châteaux;

• ON THE TRAILS OF THE THRACIANS – the comprehensive, 8-day  Via Vino wine and food experience in South Bulgaria, including rich cultural program and visits to the major Bulgarian sightseeings;

Of course, our guests had the pleasure to sip some excellent local wines during the exhibition!

And special thanks to our partners from B!Vino Switzerland (Bulgarian wine importer) and the wineries Bratanov and Manastira!

Another new year and another reason to look back, to summarize, to make plans for the future… I have decided to make a visual retrospection of our wine tours in Bulgaria in 2017. A lot of exciting moments throughout the country, happy people (and guide!), good wine and food, great hosts!

Cheers from VIA VINO, no more words are needed 😉

This November, Sofia will became the wine capital of Bulgaria. The seventh edition of the largest forum for Bulgarian wine DiVino.Taste will be held from 17^th  to 19^th  November 2017. DiVino.Taste will be again  in the National Palace of Culture, but this time in Halls 7, 8, 9.

Whether you are a wine connoisseur or just an enthusiast, you will have the opportunity to meet the people who create the best wines in Bulgaria. DiVino.Taste will help you find more than 400 wines from more  than 70 Bulgarian wineries and you can orient yourself in the huge market offer.

Together with the exhibition section this year, DiVino.Taste will offer a rich program of master classes and lectures. Wine regions such as Burgundy and Champagne in France, as well as lesser-known Hungary, will be represented. A proper attention will be paid to a city in Bulgaria that has given its name to a wine variety, and moreover Melnik.

During DiVino.Taste, wine researchers and professionals will talk on important and interesting themes backed by tasting selected bottles, most of which are impossible to try elsewhere in Bulgaria.

Since the first edition, in 2011, DiVino.Taste has shown that it is the most successful format for popularizing the quality Bulgarian wine. During the exhibition, visitors are given a unique opportunity to try out new products, learn more about individual subareas or varieties, and orient themselves in the wide variety of markets. DiVino.Taste gathers together the people who create the Bulgarian wine and those for which it is intended.

In addition to tasting the vast variety of wines, visitors will also have the opportunity to buy their favorite at special rates thanks to our Casavino partners.

Tickets can be purchased for one, two or all the three days of the show. The master classes are with tickets, and the buyers of at least one master class or lecture have access to the three-day exhibition.

More information about the event you can find here: https://taste.divino.bg/

Some wine professionals are passionately asserting that the best place for cultivating of vines in Bulgaria is the Eastern part of the Thracian Lowland and more precisely the South Sakar sub-region. Certainly, I could argue with these guys but I have much fewer arguments after visiting 4 wineries from the area (the majority of them – for the first time). The occasion was a kind invitation from Tanya Avramova (manager in the family winery BRATANOV and part of the family) for the first edition of a Wine Festival, which took place on 9 and 10 September 2017 in the small town of Harmanli. I missed the first day because of conducting a dinner tasting for a group of Swedish tourists in Sofia but early on Sunday morning I set off, direction South-East. The good news is that Sofia and Harmanli are completely connected by a highway (meaning only 2-2,5 hours’ drive) and the wineries in the region are close to each other. Besides wine there are plenty of cultural and historical heritage sites in the area of Sakar and the Eastern Rhodopes – the Thracian cult temples Perperikon and Tatul, the Roman estate Villa Armira, the Thracian tomb of Alexandrovo, some other dolmens, megalith stones, the church in Uzundzhovo, the abundant collection of costumes in the Historical museum of Harmanli… A VIA VINO wine tour to South Sakar is definitely on the short-term agenda!

The wine tour was called “4×4 extreme wine tour South Sakar”. Well, nothing extreme in the tour except 4 wineries x 4 wines + lunch + 1 extra winery in 1 day! The awsome South Sakar wine sub-region, is located very close to the boarders with Greece and Turkey. Sakar Mountain itself is a mild one, the highest peak – Vishegrad is less than 1000m. Regarding the wine, the region is extremely popular with its reds, above all Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah… Though people are making efforts to cultivate also white varieties (Viognier, Chardonnay, etc.) and other reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Rubin, Petit Verdot, Marselan, etc.), I would say that the flagships of Sakar are the above mentioned three wines. There are some differences in comparison with the Thracian Lowland in general – South Sakar is hillier; there are rivers, which are influencing the vines; the soils are predominantly brown earth – rich in nitrogen, well-drained, keeping the moisture.

Villa Bassarea

The first wine stop was Villa Bassarea – a new, tiny winery with very passionate winemaker, persuading the fair, terroir expression of the wine. And respecting the Thracian heritage – Bassareus is a Thracian name of Dionysus. They don’t have their own vineyards but are carefully selecting the grapes they are buying. I was amazed by their Syrah ’14. Moreover this was one of the hardest years for the Bulgarian wineries in the new history due to the extremely high precipitation.  The cabernet sauvignon, aged in a cherry barrel was also a nice surprise without the wood being too aggressive. The memorable wine experience and a great gesture from Villa Bassarea was the 3 days old rose, presented for tasting!! Thumbs up also for the variety of tasty local appetizers, especially the cheese products, incl. a typical “katak” (cream cheese).

Villa Bassarea

Bratanov Winery

The second winery which we visited was Bratanov – producing arguably some of the best wines in the region in terms of quality and recognition. And they proved it! Though the family winery has less than 15 years history, their ancestors have been kept busy with wine for ages! By the way, this is a common case in the area where the passion for wine is being passed from generation to generation. Most of the houses even nowadays have a small vineyard – a heritage from the grandfather… We were happy to taste only premium wines of Bratanov – I was impressed by the fascinating Merlot ’13 but that was not only me. This wine was selected by the cooks and sommeliers of the French president Macron during his visit in Bulgaria a few weeks ago for the official dinner! Ivo Varbanov, who is using Bratanovi Winery for vinification of his own wines, presented personally two of them. The Syrah & Viognier blend (so untypical for Bulgaria) was excellent!

Bratanov Winery

On our way to the next wine travel destination we dropped by a local celebration – 140 years from the inauguration of the church in the village of Balgarin (interesting name, ha). These festivities have their specific charm, based on ancient traditions and are something essential for the locals. So I was glad to be part of it and to taste homemade “kurban chorba” (mutton soup) and “krushova rakia” (pear brandy).

Malkata Zvezda

Winery # 3 of the wine tour Malkata Zvezda has been named after the area where it is located (meaning “Little Star”) and is only a few meters away from Via Diagonalis. It is an ancient Roman road, built in the 1^st century AD, 924 km long, starting from Singidunum (today the Serbian capital Belgrade), passing by Danube coast to Viminacium (mod. Požarevac), through Serdica (mod. Sofia), Philippopolis (mod. Plovdiv), and reaching Constantinople (mod. Istanbul). The road is nowadays still in use! The recent wines of “Malkata Zvezda” by the young winemaker Svilen are fresh and fruity, excellent as an aperitif. We tasted also some older vintages, like Essence Quattro ’13 – a Bordeax blend which arguably could compete with plenty of French wines. Did you know, by the way, that the terroirs of Bordeaux and Bulgaria are quite similar? Ask Michelle Rolland who is consulting another winery, less than 3 km away…

Malkata Zvezda

Chateau Kolarovo

The fourth winery which we visited during our wine tour in South Sakar was Chateau Kolarovo – another unglamorous, boutique winery with charming and friendly hosts! To be the last after so many pleasant experiences and excellent wines is a tough challenge. But Iliana (the winemaker) and their wines made our visit unforgettable! I started with the three flagship varieties of South Sakar, and here, at Chateau Kolarovo I was assured that I am right – both wines from “Megalith” brand which we tasted (Merlot’ 12 and Syrah ’13) were fabulous – full bodied, spicy, showing some typical variety characteristics but also the local terroir. I am curious to have a sip of the present which every participant of the wine tour received as a gift from Chateau Kolarovo – a dessert wine from Merlot ’12!

Chateau Kolarovo

In conclusion, here is my summary of the “4×4” wine trip – lots of passionate winemakers, small and charming family wineries and simply astonishing red wines paired with tasty, local deli food! Special thanks to Tanya from Bratanov Winery and the whole organization team! These wineries will definitely become soon part of the VIA VINO wine tours in Bulgaria!

Shiroka Melnishka Loza or Broad Leaved Melnik Vine (literally translated in English) is one of the most interesting autochthonic Bulgarian varieties. Well, it is really difficult to be pronounced so you can commonly find it simply as Melnik vine. It is growing exclusively in the Struma Valley Wine Region/Melnik (SW Bulgaria – close to the Greek boarder) and it could be undoubtedly called the symbol of that region. The name tells much – on the picture you can see my outstretched fingers under the leafe. And my hand is not small at all!

The berries of Melnik are notably small with thick blue skins. It is a powerful, ancient, late-ripening variety (harvest in October) that benefits from the hot summer and the long, stable autumn weather of the region, ensuring full ripeness in most vintages. The young wines are distinguished for their dense cherry colour, their intense flavour dominated by cherry, enough density and a typical piquant tartness. The wine is rich in tannins and definitely benefits from oak aging, evolving a rich, complex flavour in which one could discover interesting nuances of tobacco and leather; the wine taste preserves its freshness and mild tartness. Jancis Robinson, MW compares the oak aged Melnik with Nebiollo!

Melnik has ancient history. The legend says the local wine was so thick and dense that one could carry it in handkerchief. The region of Melnik was important trading center and among the highly valued and mostly exported goods to Western Europe in the 17th and 18th century was the wine. It was one of the favourite wines of Sir Winston Churchill who used to order it by the barrel. Nowadays the variety is still widely spread and passionately respected by the locals in the Struma Valley Region. There are rarely winemakers who are not working with it – as a single variety, with its “relative” Melnik 55 (a hybrid variety of Broad Leaved Melnik and a few less known French varieties – predominantly Valdiguié) and of course – by blending it…

The best way to learn more about Shiroka Melnishka Loza is to taste it, preferably on site, feeling the unique atmosphere of the region! It is so simple – join VIA VINO exciting Melnik Wine Weekend and a give it a try 🙂

Via Vino & Odysseia-In participated again in the leading global event for the wine and culinary tourism industry. The 9th Annual International Wine Tourism Conference, Exhibition & Workshop (IWINETC) was held in the region of Catania, Sicily, Italy 28 & 29 March 2017.

The 3 day event (2 day conference & 1 day Workshop), followed by winery visits (2 days) in Sicily delivers thought provoking professional education, an extensive exhibition area to discover wine travel destinations and their wines, a focused business environment for wine tour operators to meet wine tourism experience providers and a chance to discover the wine tourism highlights of the host destination…

There are 3 major varieties which are growing in the Etna region – Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio (reds) and Carricante (white). These are actually needed for the classification Etna rosso, resp. Etna bianco DOC. Of course, the minerality is dominating but quite typical are the sweet spices and the dry finish. Some wineries are producing also sparkling wine (the classical method) / Spumante – mostly off-dry and very refreshing. The trend among winemakers today are light bodied wines, avoiding often the oak aging. We had the opportunity to taste plenty of local wines in the wineries but also during the perfectly organized and conducted Grand Tasting of Etna Wines.

Almost 250 delegates from 32 different countries were attending. The grape escape destinations such as Italy, Spain, USA but also “emerging” ones as Hungary, Georgia, Slovenia and of course Bulgaria have been presented. The conference programme was interesting, though it could be further improved…

I would mark as essential the numerous useful meetings, the networking and a few fascinating wine cellars which we have visited – Benanti, Murgo and Fattorie Romeo del Castello. The latter has provided one of the most impressive wine experiences I have ever had – hospitality, homemade food, breathtaking nature, excellent wine and much more!

Talking about breathtaking nature I must say a few words about Etna – the most active European volcano, stretching high above and appearing suddenly when travelling in the area with its constantly smoking peaks… Yes – it is impressive! On top of that it is influencing strongly the wines – ashes from the erruptions form the soil, lava flows sometimes could be devastating for the vines but generally speaking the volcano contributes to the uniqueness of Etna wines!

Once again – connecting to like-minded, nice people and experienced professionals is great and priceless. As much as the joy of enchanting together good food and wine – not only Italian but Hungarian, Portugese, Georgian, Greek (thanks to my friends Sissy and Marian from Grapefool)… And a few bottles Bulgarian which I have brought to impress the wine lovers from around the world knowing nothing about our wines and our country. Well, I think I succeeded! 🙂

Next year the conference will take place in Budapest, Hungary. Knowing the nice guys from Wine A’More (a leading Hungarian wine travel provider) and the way Hungary is developing the wine tourism as a national strategy I am sure it will be successful and well organized event!

In the very beginning of The New Year I decided to summarize some interesting articles, blog posts and other online reading materials. Though the topics are various, I am sticking to the Via Vino main point – Wine Tourism in Bulgaria. Actually I am happy to share with you that I had to select the best readings – a proof that Bulgaria is a trendy wine travel destination and people around the globe are writing exciting, inspiring materials after visiting the country. Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy reading the best 17 as a start of 2017!

1. Deliberately I begin with one brand new ranking – The 10 Best Wine Travel Destinations of 2017 according to the prestigious Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The Bulgarian Wine Region THRACIAN LOWLAND has been ranked second! That’s simply amazing and definitely one of the best “awards” for Bulgaria as a wine travel destination ever… “Bounded by the Black Sea to the east and Greece to the south, Bulgaria’s Thracian Valley combines archaeological wonders with modern wines.”

https://www.winemag.com/2017/01/05/2017winetravel/

2. Another “fresh” recognition of Bulgarian wines, this time coming surprisingly from… sunny Andalusia! As a colleague of mine said: “What’s going on? Articles about Bulgaria as a wine travel destination are just popping up?! And that’s great!” Extensive and informative material with many pictures, presenting in details a cupple of excellent wineries!

https://www.undertheandalusiansun.com/2017/01/wine-tourism-in-bulgaria-boutique.html?m=1

3. Are you hungry? Well, this is a read which will make you starving and hopefully choosing Via Vino&Odysseia-In “tasty” FOOD&WINE tour! I always say that the good food is the best friend of the good wine and vice versa, isn’t it? Bulgarian cuisine is influenced by the Greek, Turkish, Serbian, etc., so you will recognize lots of similarities while being and eating in the Balkans.

https://travellingbuzz.com/10-foods-you-have-to-try-when-you-are-in-sofia-bulgaria/

4. The next post is not focused on wine only. But because of its impressive picture and I confess – I like so much the depicted region – I decided to include it here. Things are never fair, aren’t they J It’s about the Rozhen Monastery, the fascinating tiny village Melnik and the area around with stunning nature – part of the Struma River Wine Region with its flagship autochthone variety Shiroka Melnishka Loza (Broad Leave Melnik)

https://www.andrey-andreev.com/en/2016/rozhen-monastery/

5. Sofia, Bulgaria will host the 40th World Congress of Vine and Wine and the 15th General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) between 29 May and 2 June 2017. They will be held in conjunction with the sixth edition of the BALKANS INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION AND FESTIVAL (Sofia, 1-4 June 2017). Check oiv.int for more details about this major wine event!

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1276621135709331&id=360467933991327

6. Are you looking for a brief presentation of the Bulgarian wine in general? If so, that’s your “cup of tea”! There is also a good map of the wine regions in the country – also quite useful when picking up some of our wine tours 😉 “Have you had Bulgarian wine before? If not, give it a try, you will not be disappointed.” Nazdrave=Cheers!!

https://www.hungrytravelist.com/home/2015/10/20/getting-to-know-bulgarian-wine

7. No way to skip probably the best video about Bulgaria I have ever watched! No more words needed here, just watch!

https://www.hiking-bulgaria.com/2016/12/20/hello-bulgaria/

8. One more “ranking” (by the mighty Forbes) in which Bulgaria is appearing – “The 30 Cheapest Places to Travel In 2017”. You will definitely be very happy to visit Bulgaria if you are keen on travelling on a shoe string! “From wine country to snowy peaks to the Black Sea coast, it’s an adventure playground that every budget can afford.” How about a wine tasting for less than $ 10 including wine, water, bread and most probably some local appetizers? Last but not least, in September 2016 Ryanair started operating flights between Sofia airport and 21 European destinations (in addition to WizzAir with nearly 40 destinations from/to Bulgaria)!

www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2016/11/30/30-cheapest-places-to-travel-in-2017/#4b45954f7d0d

9. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Für unsere deutschsprachige Weinfreunde – ein schönes Artikel in Süddeutsche Zeitung über Weinreisen weltweit! Ich mache euch besonders aufmerksam auf “Die Reben der Thraker”… Mit vielem Dank an Odysseia-in Bulgarien für die organisierte Journalistenreise und Villa Melnik für die Gastfreundschaft (wie immer)!

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/Weinreisen_Sueddeutsche.pdf?token=AWz538n-_-LrRRqZmQBfj8G73etgbxHGK56cTTVlP8v6JmFQzeono0v6EhsI2envi1hRsyiGBI0hzVnwde0_anys9J_7IYvSkzlWqRsf7PXYqOSf7IY0Bx5zkmopZ3k6E5w7rzT71oKmHX0Dsw111Mky3lCcf7dVi3s76Dv8tS8gxw

10. Lonely Planet is also talking about Bulgaria! The post is relatively old (2014) but to a large extent – up-to-date. Moreover it is well structured with regard to the Bulgarian wine regions, informative and… true: “Forget France, ignore Italy and give Spain the shrug: for oenophiles in search of a veritable vino, Bulgaria can’t be beaten. One of the oldest winemaking countries in the world, this Balkan nation has been stomping grapes since the time of Thracians who, unsurprisingly, were big fans of Dionysus.” This statement makes my day every time I am reading it!

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/bulgaria/travel-tips-and-articles/wine-tasting-in-the-balkans-a-guide-to-bulgarias-wineries

11. Lonely Planet is also talking about Bulgaria – Part 2. This time the article has been written by a participant in a FAM trip, fully organized, sponsored and guided by Odysseia-In in 2016. The read is really comprehensive and actually is not about wine only but it is starting with… wine. Yay!!

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/bulgaria/travel-tips-and-articles/exploring-bulgarias-backcountry

12. 8 reasons why Bulgaria is Europe’s next big thing! Guess reason # 4! The post is making one familiar with Bulgaria, bringing various attractive sights to light in an amusing way, e.g. “The UFO building” and “The Lord of the Rings fortress”. “Bulgaria is the European gem many people are looking for. They just don’t know it yet.” Fully agree!

https://www.gadventures.com/blog/8-reasons-why-bulgaria-europes-next-biggest-thing/

13. I adore cycling, probably as much as wine. Combining both is like a dream coming through! J This article is drawing our attention to Bulgaria mostly as a cycling destination, adding to the story stunning pictures. Of course, wine is in as well, mentioning 2 of my favourite wine cellars close to Melnik. And don’t forget to check Via Vino&Odysseia-In. BIKE&WINE tour

https://longhaultrekkers.com/cycle-touring-bulgaria/

14. Once again a few reasons to visit Bulgaria… “Wineries are everywhere in Bulgaria and the wine is delicious. Melnik is a popular area for wine, which is where we enjoyed this wine. Probably the favourite drink of Bulgarians though is “Rakia”, a type of fruit brandy that can be very strong in alcohol content especially if it is home-brewed.” In addition, this is arguably the best photographic report about Bulgaria, absolutely top professional quality, made by Odysseia-In friends from Creative Endeavors.

https://photoholidayce.com/5-reasons-you-should-put-bulgaria-on-your-bucketlist/

15. Traumurlaub Bulgarien? Noch ein Material auf Deutsch, diesmal ein Video-Bericht von einer Journalisten-Reise im Jahre 2016, geleitet von meiner Kollegin in Odysseia-In Radi Yotova. „Denn Bulgarien hat viel mehr zu bieten als Pauschalreisen zum Goldstrand. Wir entdecken für Sie Land und Leute.“ Zum Beispiel WEIN!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4o6jrTA1SI

16. Are you interested in statistics? That’s a remarkable article starting with the staggering statement: “Wine tourism is one of the fastest growing travel trends of 2016” The guys have created the 2016 Wine Price Index, comparing the average cost of wines in 65 countries across the globe. Bulgaria has been ranked 8^th (!) as one of the least expensive destinations for wine, with an average cost of £8.48 for a 750ml bottle of wine. No need to say but low average price doesn’t mean bad quality!

https://www.shareacamper.com/wine-price-index/

17. I am closing my selection with a look back to the history. But by saying back I mean thousands of years! And I am more than proud that this reputable article about the “cradles of wine” is starting with Bulgaria. “Archaeological evidence of Bulgaria’s wine history extends as far back as 5,000 years or more”. Let’s go together on the trails of ancient civilizations and wine with our Wine & Thracian Discoveries Tour!

https://www.winemag.com/2016/12/16/the-historical-cradles-of-wine/

In conclusion, I would say that 2016 was a successful year. Concours Mondial de Bruxelles took place in Plovdiv in April. Vintage 2016 is a promising according to the most winemakers with whom I have talked. Divino Taste 2016 (the leading Bulgarian wine event, held annually) has set another record – 73 participating wineries, more than 500 wines, 6 000 visitors. Wine quality, wine places, wine culture are all improving… And as you see clearly above – Bulgaria is definitely winning recognition as a wine travel destination worldwide. I am looking forward to an even better 2017!

This is a title, resp. topic which is expected to be a cliché (frankly said, I agree) and you will probably skip it (please don’t!!!) because you have read thousands of similar articles…. However I decided to write a few words!

1. It all started 5 000 years ago or even more

Yes, that long ago, and it has been proved. Bulgaria has had a rich history in winemaking for over 5 000 years. The Thracian ritualistic hollow-ware, the hundreds of wineries and local cellars, as well as the vineyards spread on all over Bulgaria are evidence of a real wine civilization that originated here. It has survived until today with ceremonies and traditions related to cults to different gods, such as the Thracian god Dionysus and Christian patron and Saint of vineyards Trifon. Thanks to its high quality, modern viticulture and wine methods Thracian wine became famous throughout the whole Roman Empire! Well, the Ottomans who occupied our country for 500 years were not interested in wine at all (due to religious reasons, of course) and during the communism the quantity was all that mattered. But… please keep on reading…

2. Wine and wine tourism in Bulgaria are on the rise

I state it! The wine-growing trends in the country are really optimistic; increasing number of small “boutique” cellars appears next to the big wine producers. Thanks to EU programs lots of investments have been made in this segment in the past 10-15 years. There are also additional factors such as the passion and broad knowledge of local and international wine experts. The result: Bulgarian wines are getting better, although they are still rather unknown abroad! More and more wine lovers from all over the world get fascinated after being in Bulgaria and drinking Bulgarian wine. I have good examples with Via Vino wine tourists from different countries including also such as France and Italy! “Undoubtedly the country is producing the best wines she has ever done”, said Caroline Gilby, MW in an interview in 2013. Probably the rising number of awards for Bulgarian wineries from respected international wine competitions verifies this statement as well.

3. Bulgaria is unknown wine travel destination

If a Bulgarian wine is found abroad in a shop, then it would be mostly by chance or after a detailed research. Only a few days ago I was so positively surprised to see a good, organic red on the shelves of Systembolaget in Stockholm, Sweden… And what about Bulgaria as a wine travel destination? Totally unknown and… fascinating! In spite of everything would you believe that my country is ranked in top 10 among all European wine producers and in top 20 in the world?!? Talking to many people from abroad I have arrived at a conclusion that the south/eastern “wine boarder” of Europe nowadays is Hungary and to some extent Greece. Plenty of exciting places on the Balkans, including of course Bulgaria remain hidden (what a pity!) and are typical off the beaten track destinations. Many people would consider this fact a disadvantage. But hey, always look on the bright side of life! Aren’t you fed up with Bordeaux, Rioja or Toscana? Isn’t it a good opportunity for all adventurers and wine lovers to discover and enchant something new and really worthwile at the same time? How about being the first, striking a new wine path and telling others about it? Aren’t you curious about Bulgarian indigenous grape varieties (44, at least on paper) and some unique terroir wines from international ones?

4. Bulgaria is so close

You don’t need to bother about reaching Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital and Odysseia-In & Via Vino home office, resp. wine tours main starting point (of course, upon request we could start elsewhere). As mentioned, Bulgarian wines are still far away but Bulgaria as a geographical location is near! I would recommend you to come to Sofia by air. All major airlines are operating regular flights from/to Sofia airport. And if you prefer to travel on a shoestring – Easy Jet, Ryanair and Wizz Air are offering a number of low-cost flights between Sofia (same airport) and nearly 60 European destinations, including ones in Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malta, Sweden, UK, etc.

5. Bulgaria is inexpensive

I don’t like the word “cheap”. Moreover, when we are talking about wine tours, I find this word as extremely inappropriate. But prices in Bulgaria are generally reasonable, just as the wine prices. According to a research which I read a few weeks ago (Wine Price Index by SHAREaCAMPER), Bulgaria ranked in the 10 least expensive destinations for wine, calculating in position 8 with an average cost of £ 8.48 for a 750ml bottle of wine. In a Bulgarian store you can buy a decent local wine for EUR 5,- and a premium one for less than EUR 15,-! The costs for accommodation, food, museums and similar are still quite low, compared to these in Western Europe or North America. And this is what Robin Kick, MW told me a few months ago: “I also think it is a great idea to give wine tours in Bulgaria. It is a more affordable trip for wine lovers so hopefully that will help you draw visitors too.”

6. Wine and much more from Via Vino & Odysseia-In

Bulgaria is a small country (as big and as populated as Virgina in USA and five times smaller than Spain) but has so much to offer – gorgeous nature, turbulent history, impressive heritage sites, hospitable people, delicious food and no need to mention – really exceptional wines! Our team has enthusiastically, carefully and professionally elaborated various “Wine and more” experiences: Bike & Wine, Yoga & Wine, Food & Wine, History & Wine, Roses & Wine, local wine holidays, day trips, wine weekends, comprehensive wine tours – choice is yours! Thanks to 26-years’ experience in the special interest tourism and passion for wine Via Vino & Odysseia-In wine tours combine all this to create a premium blend for our special guests and to let them know that it is worth visiting Bulgaria and tasting its wines…