Bulgarian Wines

For the wine lovers out there I thought I would take the time to divulge some of the better wines of Bulgaria.

I am a wine enthusiast. I wouldn't go so far as to say "professional", by any means. No, I simply enjoy the soothing chorus of flavors washing over my tongue, from the chocolate and pepper spiciness of a good Shiraz, to the bite of a particularly dry Cabernet (one of my favorite "cheese" wines when I'm munching on a good chunk of something).

Today I'll focus on one of the more common, but not that well-known outside of the country: Mavrud.

Mavrud is a red wine unique to Bulgaria. It comes from the Thrace region, which is one of the prime vineyard locations in this country. It is a crystal clear red wine, both brisk and refreshing with a beautiful sparkle. The aroma is clear and enduring. The taste combines that of grapes with a nuance of forest fruits. I myself enjoy the darker fruits.

Mavrud is one of the "sweeter" wines. It does not contain the dry bite of a Cabernet. If I had to compare it, I'd say it could be compared to a really high-quality Merlot. The grape and berry flavors are very full.

This is not one of my particular favorites, but it is a good wine nonetheless. I generally enjoy the dry, spicy wines (Cabernet, Shiraz, Chianti, Syrah, etc.) rather than the berrylicious ones, but I've been known to enjoy a good Bordeaux from time to time. Evy brought back a bottle of Bordeaux with some Prima Donna a few months ago when she went to Paris with her mom, and I was in heaven for a few hours!

That's it for this installment. There will be more, as Bulgaria is definitely a wine country, and as a recent addition to the EU is only just beginning to unveil its secrets to the rest of the world.