About me
Hand-crafted wine and culinary experiences since 2014
Hello! My name is Ivaylo Katerski
Роден съм и израснал в София, България. Интересът ми към виното се развиваше в продължение на доста години, започвайки някъде след началото на хилядолетието. Това беше и началото на нова ера в българската винена индустрия, когато първите качествени вина от по-малки, занаятчийски винарни се появиха плахо по рафтовете на магазините, редом до масовите производители, заменяйки постепенно „винпромите“ от отминалите комунистически времена… Оттогава редовно посещавам изложения, курсове, дегустации на вино, конференции и други събития в България и чужбина. Всичко това съвпада със страстта ми и към пътуванията. Днес определено бих могъл да се опиша като винен ценител, много добре запознат с „винена карта“ на България и света. Не само това, но и се грижа винените ми познания да бъдат актуални, в крак с тенденциите при тази толкова динамично развиваща се форма на качествен и устойчив туризъм. Защото за мен винено-кулинарният туризъм е именно такъв и трябва да остане такъв – противоположност на масовия.
But how did it all start? With Bulgarian friends who live abroad quite often in the past, the spirit of our conversations revolved around the idea of unknown Bulgarian wines, delicious cuisine and beautiful nature. It is not surprising that both are among the things they miss the most when they are away from home. Subsequently, I came up with the idea – to organize special wine and culinary tours in my country for people from abroad, who would definitely enjoy a great experience and adventure that will leave a lasting mark on their memory. Since then, the concept has gradually matured and evolved. So, in 2014, after holding several meetings with my partners and friends from the travel agency Odyssey-in – certainly avid adventurers and travelers like me – I announced with pleasure and excitement: the "blend" is ready and VIA VINO wine adventure can begin!
In the first years, the emphasis was on foreigners who visited Bulgaria on a wine and culinary tour. Things were going well, albeit slowly. However this is a highly specialized niche, Bulgaria is mostly unknown beyond the all-inclusive holidays at the sea and skiing at a low price (fortunately, things are getting better)... And then the pandemic hit us. Literally from today to tomorrow, everything stopped and returned to the starting position. But every cloud has a silver lining! Gradually and timidly, I began to turn to Bulgarian wine lovers. At the same time, the wine culture in our country started to enriched. I launched wine and culinary tours in our neighboring countries (Romania, Serbia, Greece), I also reached Italy, Hungary, Germany, Portugal, Spain... And Bulgaria! It is good that in recent years the wine destinations in our country have been working more actively and successfully. I can boldly say – we, the locals, do not know our country, but also our wine. For some reasons we neglect and underestimate them. In the past I had repeatedly regretted the lack of contacts with Bulgarians and the opportunity to discover a wine and culinary treasure in our own country together. Today, outbound tours occupy a serious part of my activity.
A few details in my wine business card: I am a WSET® CERTIFIED Level 3 Award in Wines; a licensed tour guide and a member of the Association of Tour Guides in Bulgaria (AEB); I am recommended by the leading German tour guide DuMont for Bulgaria. I am also a co-founder and member of the Board of the Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals (BAWP). On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, I conduct wine presentations and tastings at the national stand of Bulgaria at the leading tourism fairs (ITB - Berlin, WTM - London, FITUR - Madrid).
In 2024, I founded my own wine club VIA VINO – also an idea that has been developing for years and fortunately for me, it finally comes to fruition. Our club has members who I can undoubtedly call wine friends. I am organizing various events, we are travelling, tasting, upgrading our wine culture and most importantly – we are having fun and sharing common wine emotions.
Wine for me is a passion, a hobby, a love and I would not categorize it only as a profession. The difficulties and demands of a profession can gradually turn it into a routine, and routine kills passion. That's why I am determined not to lose the pure pleasure of drinking wine, traveling, visiting wineries and finally, most importantly, sharing the experience with you. Cheers!
