The Return of Bulgarian Wine

By Jonathan Rogers of VIN Wine Merchants, Emsworth

When I was in my teens in the mid 80’s I remember my father buying wine from The Sunday Times wine club, in particular some Bulgarian wine. As a family we had always enjoyed wine, but I only ever remember seeing French bottles. Buying Bulgarian wine was a whole new concept for my father and it was at this time I was beginning to enjoy wine and take a bit of an interest in it. I was intrigued about this wine from this Soviet bloc country and being one of the first ‘non-French’ wines to try. A couple of years later I got my first job with Oddbins when I was 18 and was excited to notice the same wines on the shelves.

By the late 70’s Bulgaria had achieved what it had set out to do in the 1950’s. This was to produce huge amounts of everyday wine intended for the Soviet Union. The plan went far beyond everyone’s expectations and soon the West took notice of the quality and value for money wines the country was producing.  Exports increased, and demand was high.

Then things took a turn. Gorbachev had introduced a purge on all things alcoholic during the late 80’s and this started to take effect on the wineries. The fall of the Soviet Union followed, and the economy started to shrink and demand for the produce simply vanished. Wineries and vineyards went into decline and most were neglected or abandoned.

After it gained its independence in 1990 the once state-owned wineries were privatised and started to receive millions of investments from the West and EU funds. Even today there is no shortage of investors looking for the value for money and quality wines that Bulgaria produced in the past. When Bulgaria became part of the EU in 2007 a quality wine scheme was introduced which although complex, ensures control and quality and enables wine makers master their techniques. Cabernet Sauvignon remains the dominant variety along with Merlot and Chardonnay, however indigenous varieties such as Mavrud and Pamid are proving very popular with wine makers.  Today there are around 62000 ha of vines with around 220 producers however these are on the increase.

I recently tasted a selection of wines from Domaine Boyar which was established in 1991. Today they are one of the most respected Bulgarian producers and are producing some of the most sought-after wines, not just in Bulgaria but from all over Europe. I have listed a few below for you to look at they will arrive on my shelves by the end of March.

Domaine Boyar Bolgare Merlot - £7.99 (approx.)
Medium body with softer fruit and a lingering finish.

Bolgare Chardonnay -£7.99 (approx.)
Creamy vanilla tones with a rounded silky finish.

Bolgare Sauvignon Blanc - £7.99 (approx.)
Fresh grassy tones with gooseberry hints and a crisp citrus character on the finish.