| Bulgaria
has had an antique history of wine:
 Bulgarian
wines are known to many wine aficionados. But behind
the contemporary image remains hidden centuries-old
winemaking tradition. The winemaking history of the
country dates back to ancient time - the Thracian tribes,
which populated the territory of contemporary Bulgaria,
grew grapes some four thousand years ago. Indeed, Homer
praised the wines of the ancient Thrace in the Iliad
and the Odyssey. During the ancient times Bulgaria was
a melting pot for Thracians, Slavonic and Protobulgarian
tribes, Greeks and Romans. The latter two also contributed
to the advances in viti- and viniculture by introducing
new techniques and expanding the area under vine. Wine
was further integrated into the daily life of medieval
Bulgaria.
The first mention of a grape variety was in a legend
that has survived to present days. The 'Mavrud' legend
probably dates back to the time of the Bulgarian ruler,
Khan Krum in the nineth century. Mavrud
is an indigenous variety which was named after a youth
who was brave enough to ignore the Khan's recently introduced
wine prohibition order. Mavrud drank wine, made from
a secretly kept vine. It gave him the strength and courage
to capture a lion that roamed free after escaping from
the Khan's palace. His bravery convinced the ruler that
wine should be cherished and the grateful citizens named
the variety Mavrud.
Winemaking not only survived the 5- century Ottoman
rule (end of IV-XIX century) but notes of merchants,
travellers and, later on, Western journalists and diplomats
mentioned wines of different regions and incorporated
comments on their qualities.
Phylloxera hit Bulgaria too:
The Phylloxera that struck Europe in the nineteenth
century did not spare Bulgaria's vineyards either. However,
this disaster acted as an incentive for the growers
who introduced new varieties, disease-resistant stocks.
At the time, growers started to co-operate to improve
their access to finance and technology.
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