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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/458161
www.cheersonline.com 18 • January/February 2015 director for the Vinzavod Asenovgrad winery. The rubin grape has a lot of soft tannins, so it doesn't need a lot of time in the barrel, Chatalbashev adds. The wine is light-bodied with fresh fruit and spice fl avors. MAD ABOUT MAVRUD But Bulgaria's most important indigenous grape is mavrud— the red varietal is believed to be one of the oldest grapes in Bulgaria. Mavrud is grown primarily around the region of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city after the capital, Sofi a. About 70% to 80% of the mavrud in Bulgaria comes from Asenovgrad, Chatalbashev says. What's unique about mavrud? The wine is deep, purple-red in color (the name mavrud comes from the Greek word for black), with a rich texture and fl avors of ripe berries and spice. Mavrud has the potential for longer-term aging compared with some of Bulgaria's other wine varieties, Chatalbashev notes. He adds that mavrud also boasts a healthy dose of the antioxidant resveratrol: 7.5 mg. per liter, vs. the average 3.5 mg per liter for most red wines. "Mavrud is a grape that speaks Bulgarian and can interpret the language of the terroir," says Nicoletta Dicova, brand ambassador for Neragora, a new organic wine estate in the Chernogorovo region of the Thracian Lowlands. Some think mavrud could be to Bulgaria what carménère is to Chile, though the red wines are quite different. Mavrud is a big grape with more aromatics, Avramov says, so the wine is fruitier and heavier than the more herbaceous carménère. But while mavrud has had a following in the U.K., it's not well known or well promoted in the U.S. For that reason, Vinprom Yambol is focusing on the more popular wines for the North American market, such as chardonnay and merlot, Avramov says. Neragora, which is releasing its fi rst wines this spring, believes that the Bulgarian terroir is also good for pinot noir, Dicova says. The vineyard had initially planted the varietal to use for sparkling wine, but the quality and aroma of the pinot noir grapes inspired them to experiment with still wine as well. The resulting pinot noir is "intense and aromatic, and richer than Burgundy style because of the generous Bulgarian climate, yet very fi rm and elegant," she notes. COMMUNICATING A QUALITY STORY Although it's part of the Old World and has an ancient wine history, Bulgaria now shares some of the same challenges as new-world winemakers like Australia and Chile. One hurdle is getting consumers in countries such as the U.S. familiar with and interested in its unique wines. Another problem is that some markets had been fl ooded with Bulgarian wines during the Communist years. So the country has been trying to shed its image as strictly a bulk and bargain wine producer. The winemakers are doing best to change that perception. Vinzavod Asenovgrad, which includes the Chateau Asena, Version Plaisir Divin and Temptation wine brands, invested $6 million in its new Asena boutique winery, which opened in November 2013. "We're choosing the best grapes and using modern technology to produce premium wines here," says Chatalbashev. After purchasing a 70-year-old winery from descendants of the original owners in 2001, Todoroff refurbished the facility to focus on producing small batches of high-quality wines. Todoroff also added a hotel and wine spa to the winery in 2007. Bulgaria's National Vine and Wine Chamber (NVWC), established in 2000, aims to further the development and Bulgarian Rhapsody Bulgarian Rhapsody Top, Vinzavod Asenovgrad's new Asena boutique winery opened in late 2013 and focuses on premium wines. Directly above, a vintage bottle of mavrud from the Asenovgrad cellar.