50 Bulgarian and foreign wineries are participating in the 24th edition of the international specialized exhibition Vinaria, which is part of the agribusiness, food and drinks megaforum – AGRA 2016. Vinaria 2016 is a kind of rehearsal for the world wine forum Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, which will be held from 29 April to 1 May at the International Fair Plovdiv.
For the 20th consecutive year, at the Ball of the Wine Community in Bulgaria (24 February), the most prestigious awards for wines – the “Golden Rhyton” of the International Wine and Spirits Competition, organized by the National Vine and Wine Chamber, were presented. The award was established in 1996 by the Association of Producers and Traders of Wines and Spirits at the initiative of its then chairman Bogdan Mandjukov, and the statuette is the work of the sculptor Svilen Kostadinov. This year the prestigious “Golden Rhyton” prize has a new design. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the award, the National Vine and Wine Chamber announced a competition for a new work under the guidance of Prof. Bogomil Nikolov from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia. The project of the young sculptor Petya Kirilova Popova won the competition.
For a second consecutive year, the wines participating in the specialized exhibition can be tasted by lovers of the magical drink in the City of Wine. The venue successfully recreates the style and atmosphere of the National Revival culture. According to the Competition regulations, 30% of the wines receive awards. “So that the other wines with excellent qualities are not overlooked, we are giving everyone the opportunity to taste them in the Free Tasting Zone in the City of Wine in Pavilion 11 of the fairgrounds,” said Radoslav Radev, Chairman of the National Vine and Wine Chamber.
The holders of the “Golden Rhyton” from Vinaria 2016 in the individual categories:
Winemakers Union – Rigit Elm Chardonnay 2015 (for young white wines)
Sintika (COS – Sandanski) – La Poesie Rose 2015 (rosé)
Villa Yambol – Merlot 2015 (young red wines)
Santa Maria – Chardonnay Barrique 2013 (white wines from older vintages)
Edoardo Miroglio – Cabernet Sauvignon Elenovo 2011 (red wines from older vintages)
As is traditional, the National Vine and Wine Chamber also presented the “Winery of the Year” award. The competition is organized jointly with the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria and is part of the accompanying programme of the International Exhibition of Viticulture and Winemaking “Vinaria”. The prestigious distinction “Winery of the Year 2016” was awarded to “Medi Valley”, which is located in a picturesque area near the village of Smochevo, on the road to the Rila Monastery. The award was received by the oenologist and manager of the winery, Stoycho Stoev.
A special prize for architecture, production and environment was awarded by the jury to the wine estate “Angelus Estate”, located in the immediate vicinity of the Zhrebchevo Dam. For presentation and attractiveness, the winery “Boyar” – Pomorie was distinguished.
The Grand Prize in the category of grape rakias was awarded to “Kaylashka Grape Rakia” of “Vinprom Peshtera” JSC.
