Bulgarian wine is experiencing its heyday. This is an undeniable fact. But where does Bulgaria stand on the modern global wine map?

After Bulgaria experienced a quantitative boom in the 1970s, ranking among the top 5 wine producers, today it can undoubtedly be placed among the leading wine nations in terms of quality.

Over the past 15 years, fortunately, many positive changes have occurred. New and modern wineries have been established, and at the same time, there is a return to traditional varieties such as Mavrud, Pamid, Gamza, and Misket. Young enologists with international experience are the leading figures in contemporary winemaking, which, in addition to modern technology, also means a mindset focused on nature and respect for the terroir. The modern form of wine tourism is slowly emerging, attracting not only an international but increasingly also a local audience.

Bulgaria has an ancient wine history, and wine is an integral part of the daily life of many generations. After the turbulent wine era of the 20th century, in 2018, Bulgaria ranked 22nd in global wine production, and its official per capita consumption for the same period was 17.4 liters per year, which is significantly less than consumption in other wine-producing countries such as France (50.2 l/year), Slovenia (42.3 l/year), Austria (31.3 l/year), and Romania (27.1 l/year). However, statistics are unreliable, as those from the National Statistical Institute indicate that per capita consumption is only 4.5 liters per year.

In terms of planted areas, Bulgaria ranks alongside Greece and Serbia with approximately 60,000 hectares of vineyards. Officially, there are just under 300 wine producers. Approximately 1.5 million hectoliters are produced annually, with an interesting trend being that this quantity is consumed predominantly in the local market, unlike the increased exports in previous years. Another interesting phenomenon is that in recent years, sales of white and red Bulgarian wine have been almost equal. In comparison, years ago, red wine accounted for almost 75% of consumption. Interest in the production of rosé is also growing.

Bulgaria's climate is extremely suitable for winemaking, given its temperate-continental zone and its similarity to regions like Bordeaux. In addition, there is a variety of natural unique terroirs, such as Melnik with its sandy soils and Mediterranean influence.

The four seasons, an average annual temperature of 14.7°C, rainfall between 470 and 950 liters/m2 per year, and sunshine between 2200 and 2500 hours annually, make Bulgaria a true wine paradise. The soils are diverse: from cinnamon and gray-forest, to humic-carbonate, acidic, chernozem, mountainous, alluvial-meadow, and deep and shallow sandy. All of them are extremely favorable for the development of vineyards.

Unfortunately, there is still room for improvement in terms of regionalization. By law, Bulgaria is still divided into only two geographical wine regions: the Danubian Plain and the Thracian Valley, which makes it difficult to segment and recognize specific regional characteristics. For example, wine from Melnik is designated as wine from the Thracian Valley, which, geographically and especially in terms of wine style, does not correspond to the truth.

In the 1960s, there was a slightly more specific distribution, to which current legislation seeks to return. The five main wine regions, according to the different soil and climatic conditions in the country, are the Danubian Plain, the Black Sea Region, the Rose Valley, the Thracian Valley, and the Struma River Valley. In terms of varieties, red wines still have a predominance of about 60% over white wines (30%) and dessert wines (6-10%). The most planted red varieties are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pamid, and Gamza, and among whites, Rkatsiteli, Dimyat, and Chardonnay. Recently in Bulgaria, there have also been many experiments with new international varieties such as Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Malbec, and among whites with Viognier, Aligote, Riesling, Sauvignon Gris, Grüner Veltliner.

Bulgaria has wonderful conditions for both wine production and wine tourism. In the last 10 years, along with the establishment of new wineries, there has been increasing thought about presenting wine directly to the end consumer at the winery. Hotels, tasting rooms, and wine routes are being created. Undoubtedly, Bulgaria already produces quality wine, and in 2016 alone, Bulgarian wines won over 150 medals at international competitions.