The most successful wine grape varieties through the centuries of the Bulgaria wine history.Mavrud (Мавруд) is a traditional Bulgarian red wine grape considered to be one of the oldest local varieties. This the most planted Bulgarian grape. It grows mainly in the Assenovgrad region as well as in small areas, such as in the Perushtitsa, the Pazardjik, and the Stara Zagora regions, also known as the Thracian valley. There are two clones of Mavrud. Clone 1 – is used for producing a table wine. Clone 2 - the noble in the family, gives balanced distinguish reds. In general, those varietal wines are with intense red ruby colour, with a good deal of tannins and acidity and a distinctive pleasant aroma with hints of blackberry and ripe mulberry. The best quality varietal wines develop very well in oak barrels with a powerful, complex aroma and a full-bodied well-balanced flavour. Besides the red wines, Mavrud gives also interesting rosé wines.Rubin (Рубин) is a red variety grape selected in the end of the 1940s in the Wine and Viticulture Institute in Pleven crossing of Nebbiolo and Syrah. It is recommended for the South and Eastern Bulgarian wine-producing regions. Working with this variety is not that easy - it ripens in the first half of September and becomes quickly after that raisin with increased sugar content. It has strong growth, good fertility and medium yield. The variety is used for the production of high quality dry and sweet wines. They are characterised by intense dark red colour and a well-balanced flavour with a hint of blueberry, blackberry and violets. The wines of Rubin have a very good ageing potential.Broad leaved Melnik or Melnik (Мелник) is a local grape variety for red wines, that ripens very late in the year. As warm weather conditions for ripening are especially present in the southwestern part of Bulgaria, the Melnik grape variety can only be found there. The very late harvesting makes it also a not very strong variety, because unstable climate conditions at the late autumn have destructive impact upon quality. Young varietal wines are with intense cherry colour and aroma. The wines are often compared to Châteauneuf-du-Pape with similar profile of spice, leather and power. They have the ability to develop complexity by ageing in oak barrels.Early Melnik or Melnik 55 (Мелник 55) is a hybrid wine grape variety of the Melnik family. This mixture from Broad leaved Melnik and the French Valdiguié, Durif, Jurançon and Cabernet Sauvignon, is called also the ‘Beta’ version, mostly because of its early harvesting period. The grapes ripen around 20-25 September, have high growth rate and high fertility. The variety produces wines with an intense ruby colour, rich aroma of cherries and a potential for ageing. It is cultivated only in the Melnik, Sandanski and Harsovo regions, known as Struma valley.Dimyat (Димят) is Bulgaria’s most widely grown indigenous white grape and its wine is often consumed chilled in the hot summer days. It is well known for its big, aromatic grapes. It mainly grows on the Black Sea coast and in the Rose valley in the center of the country. The grape ripens in the second half of September. The variety is used for the production of easy drinking white wines and as a high-quality cognac distillate. Varietal wines are aromatic, usually dry and well-balanced.Tamianka (Тамянка) is a local branch of one of the most ancient and aristocratic Muscat varieties grown on Bulgarian lands since time immemorial. Although the name derives from the old Bulgarian word for ‘frankincense’, the strong aromas of dry sparkling wines are rather floral, citrus and spices. The wines of Taminaka grape typically are consumed young and fresh but they can develop some complexity with ageing in bottle. The variety feels good in warm regions with a lot of sunshine hours and mild winters. The grapes ripen early, in the first half of September. It has average growth, good fertility and average yield. Sensitive to rot. The sunny slopes with stony soil of South Sakar (South-East Bulgaria) are the ideal place for Tamianka.Misket Cherven (Red Misket) is an old Bulgarian wine grape variety, cultivated all over the country. It has red skin berries and only gives white wines. It ripens relatively late – in the second half of September and it has high fertility. To the family of Red Misket belong two regional wine grapes, the Vrachanski Misket and the Varnenski Misket. Red Misket has no genetically relation to Muscat, while similar taste and style.Gamza (Гъмза) or Kadarka is a local red wine grape variety, mainly grown on the hills in north-western Bulgaria, in Vidin and Novo Selo region. The variety has a very high yield and it is late ripening – late September, early October. The berry is very susceptible to cracking and grey rot in rainy autumn. That makes it also difficult to cultivate. Young varietal wines are with bright red ruby colour and fruity aromas similar to Pinot Noir.Ruen (Руен) is a red wine grape variety created in Plovdiv by crossing Broad Leaf Melnik and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes ripen late September. Berries are dense, dark blue with a skin rich in colouring matter . Ruen wines are dark red and fresh.Eumolpia / Evmolpia, ook bekend als Thracische Mavrud, is een rode wijndruivensoort, geselecteerd in Bulgarije door kruising van de Mavrud- en Merlot. variëteiten van Dimitar Bakrikov Er zijn ook plantages in Australië en de Verenigde Staten.Eumolpia (Evmolpia), also known as Thracian Mavrud, is a red wine grape variety selected in Bulgaria by crossing Mavrud and Merlot. varieties of Dimitar Bakrikov There are also plantations in Australia and the United States.The vines have moderate to strong growth and high fertility. Good care and sometimes "green harvest" are needed to limit the yield for quality grapes, which is why this variety is not well known yet, but it promises a lot in the future. The variety has an increased cold resistance which is good in the colder Danube plain especially in winter. The grapes ripen around the beginning of September and have a high sugar content.The variety produces high quality red wines, rosé wines are more and more made from it. They have a deep ruby red color, a red fruit concentration also aroma of spices. Taste is harmonious, rather full with nice structure like the good Mavrud wine, but less tannin than Mavrud which makes it more accessible to the customer.Bulk weight: 300-350g ; Grain weight: 1.4 g ; Ripening time: 1.09-10.09 ; Yields of 1 hectare: 1500-2000 kgKeratsuda (Керацуда) is Minor Bulgarian white variety making simple whites in the Struma Valley. Keratsuda, meaning ‘girl’ in Greek, is an indigenous Bulgarian variety that was probably born on the banks of the Struma, which runs through Bulgaria and Greece, where it has traditionally been cultivated.Fertile and productive. Very compact bunches of medium-sized, thick-skinned berries. Late ripening. Sensitive to low winter temperatures but resistant to drought. Susceptible to downy & powdery mildews but moderately resistant to botrytis bunch rot. Keratsuda is used to make simple, low-acid wines for early domestic consumption, although it is also made into a semi-sweet Jerez-style fortified wine. When yields restricted can produce characters wine. Something that today in modern winemaking witnessing. There were just 8 ha (20 acres) in Bulgaria in 2008, almost all in the province of Blagoevgrad and town of Melnik in the far south west. Now that Bulgaria is rediscovering the rare grapes at the bottom of this Keratsuda, more and more is being planted in the region with more know-how and better site selection for the vineyards.Bouquet (Букет) is a red wine grape variety selected in 1951 in an experimental vineyard near the town of Septemvri through the crossing of Mavrud and Pinot Noir. It ripens in mid-September. It is characterized by good sugar content and acidity; its extract and colour composition are suitable for intensively coloured dry and dessert wines with decent alcohol content and a well-balanced, pleasant taste.
