I can "Amazing Bulgarian Wines"

Dear readers,

as you know, I often write about Bulgaria or make some references to Bulgarian cuisine and wine.

Today’s post is completely dedicated to Bulgarian Wine because the Wines from Bulgaria merit a Post of its own.

Probably most of you readers do not know much about Bulgaria, its Folks, food or in this particular case Wine.

Let me remind you that Bulgaria is a European country (one of the oldest), member of the European Union and NATO. It is a South-eastern country that borders Romania in the North, Greece in the South, Turkey in South-east and Serbia and Macedonia in West and South-west to be precise.

In the all East it kisses the Black Sea.

Bulgaria is a small country with a population of only 7,5 million inhabitants.

Its population is a melting pot of different cultures as it was one of the main gates of all migrations towards Europe and maybe it is also the main reason why many believe that it was inside this territory that wine was first created.

It has been a long discussion where wine was first produced, from latest investigations it seems that the birth of the precious nectar was in the Thracia region. Such region was also integrant part of the Roman Empire and probably it was because of them that wine was first industrialized. There is also a reference in Homer’s Iliad which describes the honey sweet black wine, which the ships of the Achaeans brought daily from the Thracian city of Ismarus to their camp outside Troy.

Bulgaria has five wine regions, the Danubian Plain (north Bulgaria), the Black Sea (East Bulgaria), the Rose Valley (sub-Balkan), the Thracian lowland (South Bulgaria) and the Stuma River Valley (South west Bulgaria).

Today most of its production is of known international grapes namely Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Traminer, Gewurztraminer but there are also many native grape varieties such as Mavrud, Melnik (also the name of the region of the famous Spartacus) Gamza, (Red) Misket Cherven, Pamid, Dimiat.

Being born in a Wine Country such as Portugal, I was not aware of the beauties of Bulgarian Wines or to be fair of any other country.

I was first introduced to Bulgarian Wines by my lovely wife and later by my Brother-in-law Bobi, he was the main responsible for my better knowledge of the wines, producers and different varieties.

It is hard to find good Bulgarian Wines in Wine Shops thus, try to find it in the net, I am sure that you will be able to directly contact some producer or intermediary that will send you a few cases.

Here’s my personal list and my favourites:

1)      Red Wine - Black C – Santa Sarah – Good Wine

2)      Red Wine – Enira (best one the 2006) - Amazing Wine

3)      Red Wine – Terra Tangra Cuvee (2006) – Amazing Wine

4)      Red Wine – Thcerga – Good Choice

5)      Red Wine – Katarzyna Estate Twins – Good Wine

6)      Red Wine – Katarzyna Estate  Halla – Amazing Wine

7)   Red Wines - Via Diagonalis - Good Wine

So here it is, another of my precious secrets, I keep a good collection of some of these exquisite wines in order to support many of my dishes and with that generate surprise and wonder to my guests.

Like they say in Bulgaria…

Nasdrave (Salut)

Chef Gourmet Du Art