Zina Sorensen is a Danish expat in Plovdiv. With her Plovdivian husband, Vasil Zlatev, they organize wine tours to wineries in the Plovdiv area. Tours are in English and Bulgarian. For more information, visit their website: www.bulgariawinetours.com
Villa Yustina
Villa Yustina Winery attracts plenty of wine lovers - and for good reason! Situated 26 km from Plovdiv at the foot of the Rhodopi Mountains in Yustina Village, this winery is only a 40-minute drive from Plovdiv. Established in 2006, the boutique winery grows its own grapes on 43 hectares of vineyards and produces high-quality wines. The grapes grown are Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Aligoté, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Mavrud, Rubin &Dimyat. The region offers magnificent scenery, a long wine history and rich heritage. The wines of Villa Yustina are divided into four lines – Villa Yustina, 4 Seasons, Monogram and Reserve.Many different grapes are grown on the estate including three local grape varieties: Mavrud, Rubin and Dimyat! The winery creates all styles of wines - even sparkling wine! Take a walk in the vineyard park, book a wine tasting in the tasting room, enjoy a meal at the restaurant and spend the night in the guesthouse!
Website: www.villayustina.com
Address:51 Nikola Petkov Str., 4228Ustina
Phone:+359 882626668; +359 879212 752
Good to know: The tasting room is open every day for wine tastings but we recommend calling in advance to book a wine tasting. You can also book a room in the adjacent Yustina Villas and spend the night!
Zagreus
Zagreus is a family winery located on the main road E80 to Istanbul between Popovitsa and Parvomay - a 40-minute drive from Plovdiv. The planting of the vineyards started in 1998 and the grapes grown are Mavrud, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. Today, Zagreus has 120 hectares of vineyards. The majority of its vineyards are planted with the native grape variety and their signature grape - Mavrud! Since 2013, Zagreus has been a certified organic producer - one of the few organic wineries in Bulgaria. Various different styles of wines are produced at Zagreus. You can even find Mavrud as a white wine, rosé wine, red wine and sweet wine. Visit Zagreus with a group of friends. In the summer, their outdoor tasting area overlooking the vineyards is the perfect place to relax with a glass of wine.
Website: www.zagreus.org
Address:30 Iglika Str., 4282Parvomay
Phone:+359 88 3568278; +359 87 8909681
Good to know: It is necessary to book a wine tasting in advance. Usually, the minimum group size is 4 people for a wine tasting.
Bendida
Bendida Winery - named after the Thracian Goddess of Fertility and Hunting - is a small family winery established in 1936. The boutique winery is located in the village of Brestovitsa, which is only 18 km from Plovdiv. The village is referred to as the wine capital of Bulgaria due to its long history of wine making and concentration of wine producers. Through four generations of thePortevi family, the winery has existed but was temporarily discontinued due to the political changes after 1944. Today, the head winemaker is the daughter,ElizabetPorteva, who is the great grand-daughter of the founder. All family members are involved in the family business. The production is small with a capacity of ~30000 bottles and they produce limited series of handcrafted wines. The grape of preference is Rubin - a local variety that is a hybrid between Nebbiolo and Syrah.Bendida sell their wine and offer wine tastings at their own wine bar in Kapana-deGUSTOStation - and at their Plovdiv wine shop.
Website: www.bendida.eu
Address:Village of Brestovitsa
Phone:+359 032 640 771; +359 0889 555 622
Good to know: It is necessary to book a wine tasting at the winery in advance. Wine tastings can also be organized at deGUSTOstation wine bar in Kapana or at EnothekaBendida in Plovdiv.
DZHINVIRA WINERY
The Dzhingarovifamily have been in the grape business since 1940. For four generations, the family traditions in viniculture and winemaking has seen its ups and downs. In 2018,Dzhinvirawineryopened its doors. Behind the winery are the two great-grandchildren of the original founder -GeorgiDzhingarov and Tanya Dzhingarova. The sister-brother team have a deep passion to continue the family legacy, develop the winery and create authentic wines from the land that has been in their family for centuries. The vineyards and winery are located in the village of Brestovitza - close to Plovdiv (20-minute drive). The winery produces small quantities of wine. Labeled under the brand ‘Thracian Rider’, you will find all three colors: white, rosé and red. A visitor can expect to be met with genuine friendliness and hospitality. Take a stroll in the vineyards, sit down for a wine tasting at the small winery and feel the history dating back centuries.
Website: www.dzhinvira-winery.bg
Address:37 Alexander Stamboliiski Str. 4224 Brestovitsa
Phone: +359 886 55 31 49; +359 888 85 47 37
Good to know: It is necessary to book a wine tasting in advance.
DRAGOMIR ESTATE WINERY
Dragomir Estate Winery is the creation of two Bulgarian oenologists – Natalia Gadjeva and Konstantin Stoev. The philosophy is to produce attractive, intriguing and consistent wines. They work with both international grape varieties and the Bulgarian grape varieties: Mavrud, Rubin and Dimyat. For years, the wine production was located in the town of Plovdiv. In 2019, they moved their winery into a brand new and modern building. The new winery is located in the village of Brestnik - 10 km from Plovdiv and only about a 15-minute drive. The production is small with limited batch wines released under the following brands: Pitos Reserve, Dragomir, Dessert Wines and Sarva. During a visit to Dragomir, you will feel the excitement for the new chapter of Dragomir Winery Estate’s history at their new home in Brestnik. You will sense their passion and commitment to quality and professionalism. You will hear how they want to show the world the character and potential of Bulgarian wines. The doors of Dragomir Winery Estate are open and all visitors are welcomed with enthusiasm and friendliness.
Website: www.dragomir.bg
Address:Nezavisimost Str., 4107 Brestnik
Phone:+359 888 325 830
Good to know: There is a dedicated tasting room and shop but it is recommended to call and book a wine tasting in advance.
