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Borovitsa

Borovitsa

"I believe that making such distinctive wines is more a philosophy and a way of life than a business."

Ognyan Tsvetanov

Borovitza Winery is nestled among the Belogradchik rocks and near the village of the same name. The winery is mainly focused on creating highly limited batches of wines. These wines are characterized by a distinct character and reflect the specificity of the terroir. Northwestern Bulgaria is a region that offers good opportunities for producing grapes and wine with distinctive characteristics.

Due to the extremely limited quantities of processed grapes, the wines produced in Borovitza Winery are in minimal quantities but with a strong character, reflecting the specificity of the terroir. Some of the vineyards are located beneath the famous Belogradchik rocks on red sandy-stony soil.

At Borovitza Winery, small batches of excellent white and red wines, rosés, and a limited edition of the original natural sparkling wine Ognyan Tzvetanov Premiere Cuvée are produced. "When we planted a Chardonnay vine, it turned out that when the grapes were crushed, a deeply saturated orange color was produced, which subsequently, during fermentation, gave the wine orange hues. In most cases, to achieve a similar color, colleagues have to macerate the wine for hours or a whole day. But with us, from the very beginning, we got a 'Fanta orange' color. It is one of the gems of our winery. Orange wines are a hit – in England and the USA, especially in wine bars. Moreover, they are rare. Connoisseurs say about ours that they have never tasted such a delicate orange wine. We created the first one in 2008. The second time in 2014, which was a somewhat difficult year. We also made it in 2017.

The potential of the region is enormous."

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Climate

In terms of winemaking conditions, the region turns out to be a true gem – Northwestern, as Adriana likes to call it. The hilly terrain and soils around Belogradchik, reminiscent of the eponymous rocks – red and sandy-stony, are an ideal prerequisite for excellent vineyards. The presence of many caves, diverse soil, and a perfect climate for people and perennial crops. "It's warm during the day," explains Adriana Srebrinova. "The grapes manage to accumulate the degrees necessary for ripening. And at night it's cool, and the vineyards rest. As evening approaches, invariably, whether from the river or from the Balkan Mountains, cool air begins to blow. This temperature difference leads to achieving the balance so sought after by technologists.

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Grapes

Their varieties are recommended by their consultant, a Frenchman who works for two elite châteaux, one of which is in the top 3 in the world. Marsanne and Roussanne, he insists. They are expecting some Syrah. “Believe me, believe me!” – Mathieu kept repeating. He grew up on such reddish soil, with a high iron content. The fact is, he knelt when he saw the land, and kissed it. You have a treasure, believe me. He was very ambitious to succeed and he did. And we succeeded. And the region succeeded. Because no one associated Belogradchik with grapes, no one believed that wine could be made here. And our wines entered the world stage 7-8 years ago.”

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Terroir

The soil is unique. Planting takes 3-4 days. Very proud of the vines, standing like soldiers, they decide to boast. They invite friends for a picnic. It starts to rain. They wait with a glass of wine until the rain passes. When they go to the vineyard, what do they see? The vines are hanging in the air. They are told that if they don't replant them within a week, they will dry out. They are enologists, winemakers, but not viticulturists. It turns out that the plow could not handle the sandy-clay soil, which was like concrete, and its "paws" bounced up, failing to press down the vines. With tractors, their feet in water, fifty people - everyone who responded - replanted 30,000 vines in one week.