The wine month – February always begins with the veneration of Saint Tryphon Zarezan according to the church calendar on 1 February, but traditionally the feast is celebrated on 14 February. This is the date on which Bulgarians mark the feast of vine-growers, wine, and the ancient traditions related to viticulture and winemaking dating back to the times of the Thracians.
In antiquity Thrace was called the “Land of good wine”. The Thracian god of fertility and wine Sabazios, better known as Dionysus, is the predecessor of the Christian patron of vine-growers St. Tryphon.
On Tryphon’s Day all vine-growers visit their vineyards, lying in their winter sleep, and choose a “king” of the vines for the upcoming agricultural season. Usually, the person chosen must have extensive experience and possess the largest and finest vineyards in the area. It is believed that his skills and prosperity will be passed on to all other landowners.
Just as the vine-growers set off early in the morning to visit and „prune” the vines and end the day at a rich table with full-bodied wine, so we will trace in our own day the wine routes in the country.
On the wine route
For the fourth consecutive year the wineries from the Melnik region will open their doors to wine enthusiasts from 14 to 16 February 2020. The wine producers from this area are joining forces to present not only quality regional wine varieties, but also to promote the developing wine tourism in Melnik and the surrounding area. The following wineries will take part in the „Open Doors Days 2020“:
Villa Melnik, village of Harsovo, www.villamelnik.coм
Orbelia Winery, village of Kolarovo, www.orbeliawinery.bg
Orbelus, village of Kromidovo, www.orbelus.bg
Rupel Winery, village of Dolno Spanchevo, www.rupel-wine.com
Zlaten Rozhen, village of Kapatovo, www.zlatenrozhen.bg
Libera Estate, village of Hotovo, www.liberaestate.com
Zornitza Family Estate Relais & Châteaux, village of Zornitsa, www.zornitzaestate.com
Sintica Winery, town of Sandanski, www.sinticawinery.com
Augeo Family Estate, village of Vranja, www.augeofamilyestate.bg
Uva Nestum, town of Gotse Delchev https://uvanestum.com
Via Verde; http://viaverde.bg
Seewines, village of Harsovo https://seewines.com
Winery Sveti Vrach / Winery St. Vrach, 7 km from Sandanski
For the convenience of visitors, a map of the wine routes in the region has been developed, which you can download HERE. It includes all the main wine sites plus other tourist attractions in the region of the town of Melnik, Sandanski and Petrich, the Rozhen Monastery, Rupite and Zlatolist, Heraclea Sintica, Samuil’s Fortress, spa and mineral baths, restaurants and others.
Wine tours across the country
In 2019 the platform Wine Trips was launched in joint partnership with Greece and Italy. The wine journeys will not only bring producers directly together with lovers of the divine drink, but will also generate interest in the nature, traditions and lifestyle of the area in which they are held. In recent years Bulgaria has focused on the development of family wineries offering local varieties and quality wine. In fact, more and more foreign tourists are showing interest in such platforms, which bring together in one place the best of the wine business. On the website you can discover not only unknown wine destinations, but also a detailed interactive wine map prepared by its creators.
The platform offers various ideas and encourages the organization of wine tours in Bulgaria, Greece and Italy. Online registration of sites and presentation of different tourist experiences is completely free of charge.
