The best wines of Bulgaria

Discover the best wines of Bulgaria as well as the best winemakers of Bulgaria and estates of Bulgaria to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties of Bulgaria and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Top wines by regions >Bulgaria

Top wines of Bulgaria by region

Looking for a good wine of Bulgaria among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of Bulgaria. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of Bulgaria with technical and enological descriptions.

Great red wines of Bulgaria

See the top 100 best red wines of Bulgaria

Want to buy a red wine of Bulgaria cheap or sell a red wine of Bulgaria at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Bulgaria

Red wines from the region of Bulgaria go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of tournedos rossini, lamb tagine with onions, purple olives and lemons... or roast venison with green pepper sauce.

Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Bulgaria

On the nose the red wine of the region of Bulgaria. often reveals types of flavors of oaky, earth or vegetal and sometimes also flavors of microbio, blackberry or dried fruit.

The best vintages in red wine of Bulgaria

  • 2004With an average score of 4.70/5
  • 2007With an average score of 4.35/5
  • 2013With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2015With an average score of 4.27/5
  • 2016With an average score of 4.27/5
  • 2006With an average score of 4.26/5

The most used grape varieties in red wine of Bulgaria

  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Malbec
  • Petit Verdot
  • Rubin

The best wineries and winemakers for red wine of Bulgaria

A wine route planned in the region of Bulgaria? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of Bulgaria.

Discovering the wine region of Bulgaria

Bulgaria, while far from the most famous or prestigious of the world's wine-producing nations, certainly ranks among the most prolific. This Eastern European country has a Long history of viticulture, and its wine has more to offer than the sea of cheap reds (mostly Cabernet Grape/sauvignon">Sauvignon) that flowed westward in the 1980s would suggest. The country now has a growing number of promising wine pioneers, but perhaps the most remarkable era of Bulgarian viticulture dates back to the mid-14th century, just before the once-mighty Bulgarian Empire began to fragment and cede Power to the Ottomans. Bulgarian art, more than 1,000 years Old, depicts wine as Part of Bulgarian culture, especially among the ruling classes.

A remarkable painting from 811 AD shows the Bulgarian monarch Khan Krum drinking wine from the skull of the Byzantine emperor Nicephorus I, his opponent at the Battle of Pliska. Today, Khan Krum's Cellar in the Black Sea region bears his name. Bulgaria is gradually regaining its identity as a modern wine-producing nation, discovering New terroirs, grape varieties and styles. It has yet to establish a distinctive "Bulgarian" wine style, opting instead for reliable and marketable names such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling and Muscat.

These French varieties were introduced to Bulgaria in the 1960s, at the height of the communist regime, and their productivity earned them a place in many Bulgarian vineyards. They quickly replaced traditional varieties such as Kadarka (Gamza), Mavrud and Melnik. Only two sub-regions have been officially recognized by the EU at PGI level, which is roughly equivalent to a French PGI or an Italian PGI. These are - The Danube plains, including the northern part of the Black Sea region - The Thracian lowlands, including the Struma valley and the southern part of the Black Sea region In addition, there are 52 designations at PDO level (PDO/DO/DOC).

Great white wines of Bulgaria

See the top 100 best white wines of Bulgaria

Want to buy a white wine of Bulgaria cheap or sell a white wine of Bulgaria at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a white wine of Bulgaria

White wines from the region of Bulgaria go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of pulled pork (us pulled pork ), wild rice salad with tuna or nanie's diced ham quiche.

Organoleptic analysis of white wine of Bulgaria

On the nose the white wine of the region of Bulgaria. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or microbio and sometimes also flavors of vegetal, oak or tree fruit.

The best vintages in white wine of Bulgaria

  • 2019With an average score of 4.02/5
  • 2017With an average score of 3.96/5
  • 2015With an average score of 3.95/5
  • 2016With an average score of 3.93/5
  • 2018With an average score of 3.91/5
  • 2014With an average score of 3.91/5

The most used grape varieties in white wine of Bulgaria

  • Chardonnay
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Misket Vrachanski
  • Traminer
  • Muscat Ottonel
  • Dimyat

The best wineries and winemakers for white wine of Bulgaria

A wine route planned in the region of Bulgaria? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of Bulgaria.

Discover the grape variety: Marselan

Marselan noir is a grape variety that originated in France (Languedoc). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by large bunches and small grapes. Marselan noir can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Cognac, Bordeaux, Languedoc & Roussillon, Rhone valley, Provence & Corsica, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais.

Great sparkling wines of Bulgaria

See the top 100 best sparkling wines of Bulgaria

Want to buy a sparkling wine of Bulgaria cheap or sell a sparkling wine of Bulgaria at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of Bulgaria

Sparkling wines from the region of Bulgaria go well with generally quite well with dishes of veal, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of normandy style escalope, pork gyros or duck breast with peaches and spices.

Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of Bulgaria

On the nose the sparkling wine of the region of Bulgaria. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or microbio and sometimes also flavors of oak, tree fruit or spices.

The best vintages in sparkling wine of Bulgaria

  • 2018With an average score of 3.93/5
  • 2019With an average score of 3.88/5
  • 2017With an average score of 3.80/5
  • 2014With an average score of 3.72/5
  • 2008With an average score of 3.65/5
  • 2015With an average score of 3.60/5

The most used grape varieties in sparkling wine of Bulgaria

  • Pinot Noir
  • Chardonnay
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Mavrud
  • Melnik
  • Glera

The best wineries and winemakers for sparkling wine of Bulgaria

A wine route planned in the region of Bulgaria? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sparkling wine of Bulgaria.

The word of the wine: Yeast

Micro-organisms at the base of all fermentative processes. A wide variety of yeasts live and thrive naturally in the vineyard, provided that treatments do not destroy them. Unfortunately, their replacement by laboratory-selected yeasts is often the order of the day and contributes to the standardization of the wine. Yeasts are indeed involved in the development of certain aromas.

Great pink wines of Bulgaria

See the top 100 best pink wines of Bulgaria

Want to buy a pink wine of Bulgaria cheap or sell a pink wine of Bulgaria at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a pink wine of Bulgaria

Pink wines from the region of Bulgaria go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or spicy food such as recipes of vegetable noddles, saddle of lamb stuffed with chicken breast and basil or shrimp risotto with curry.

Organoleptic analysis of pink wine of Bulgaria

On the nose the pink wine of the region of Bulgaria. often reveals types of flavors of strawberries, non oak or spices and sometimes also flavors of red fruit, citrus or citrus fruit.

The best vintages in pink wine of Bulgaria

  • 2019With an average score of 3.84/5
  • 2018With an average score of 3.77/5
  • 2017With an average score of 3.73/5
  • 2016With an average score of 3.70/5
  • 2015With an average score of 3.68/5
  • 2014With an average score of 3.65/5

The most used grape varieties in pink wine of Bulgaria

  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Grenache
  • Malbec
  • Melnik

The best wineries and winemakers for pink wine of Bulgaria

A wine route planned in the region of Bulgaria? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best pink wine of Bulgaria.

Discover the grape variety: Muscat Ottonel

Muscat Ottonel has the character of a grape variety with a distant lineage. It was first obtained in 1839 and continues to be planted in nearly 2,000 hectares of vineyards around the world. It shows good vigour and promises satisfactory production, of the order of 6 kilos per vine. The bunches, which are rather loose, are quite large, bearing berries with a strong character. A pleasantly musky flavour and a lot of juice characterize the pulp, protected by a medium skin. The bluish-black skin contributes to the exceptional beauty of the vineyards at harvest time. The size of the ellipsoidal berries is another argument in favor of Muscat Ottonel, which is also known as Muscat Ottone or Muscadet Ottonel. Resin, toast, honey and wild flowers are all present in the wines made from this variety. If the foliage, which turns yellow in autumn, is one of its charms, remember to protect the fruit from grey rot and coulure.

Great sweet wines of Bulgaria

See the top 100 best sweet wines of Bulgaria

Want to buy a sweet wine of Bulgaria cheap or sell a sweet wine of Bulgaria at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sweet wine of Bulgaria

Sweet wines from the region of Bulgaria go well with generally quite well with dishes of spicy food, sweet desserts or pork such as recipes of lamb kebab, express cherry clafoutis or roast pork with prunes.

Organoleptic analysis of sweet wine of Bulgaria

On the nose the sweet wine of the region of Bulgaria. often reveals types of flavors of raisin, non oak or oak and sometimes also flavors of spices, red fruit or black fruit.

The best vintages in sweet wine of Bulgaria

  • 2013With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2012With an average score of 4.27/5
  • 2015With an average score of 4.00/5
  • 2014With an average score of 4.00/5
  • 2018With an average score of 3.59/5
  • 2008With an average score of 3.50/5

The most used grape varieties in sweet wine of Bulgaria

  • Riesling
  • Traminer
  • Muscat Ottonel
  • Mavrud
  • Muscat Blanc
  • Pinot Noir

The best wineries and winemakers for sweet wine of Bulgaria

A wine route planned in the region of Bulgaria? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sweet wine of Bulgaria.

The word of the wine: Slim

A thin wine, lacking flesh and body.

News from the vineyard of Bulgaria

Former mafia boss Michael Franzese targets international expansion for his wine brand

Franzese was known as the ‘yuppie don’ in the 1980s after rising to the rank of caporegime in the Colombo crime family. Fortune Magazine placed him at No. 18 on its 50 Biggest Mafia Bosses list, and he gained a reputation as one of the mob’s biggest earners since Al Capone. He was portrayed by Joseph Bono in Goodfellas. Franzese became a born-again Christian during a lengthy prison sentence for racketeering, and he managed to walk away from the mafia without going into protective custody. He is ...

DWWA 2022: Sneak preview of styles to look out for

With more than 18,200 wines tasted by our expert judging panels and entrants spanning 56 countries, the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2022 edition promises to deliver an eclectic mix of brilliant bottles to seek out – across a broad range of prices.  Official results for DWWA 2022, including the winners of coveted Platinum and Best in Show medals, won’t be published until 7th of June. However, here are just a few of the styles to watch out for, based on a selection of personal highligh ...

Vinexposium/IWSR report: Moderation and convenience on the road to recovery

While preparing to resume its calendar of trade fairs, Vinexposium, the company behind 10 of the world’s biggest alcoholic beverage trade events, partnered with market research agency IWSR and its consumer behaviour child company, Wine Intelligence, to issue a report charting the drinks sector’s road to recovery. For Rodolphe Lameyse, CEO of Vinexposium, ‘the last couple of years have been a game changer for the drinks industry’, with structural transformations in logistics, packaging, product d ...

Discover other regions and appellation of Bulgaria