Grapevine

Bulgaria has grown vines since Thracian times, and in February it celebrates Trifon Zarezan – the feast of winegrowers and vine pruning.

A climber of the grape family with a woody, twisted trunk and palmately lobed leaves, clinging to supports with tendrils. Its tiny, greenish, fragrant flowers are gathered in panicles, which in summer develop into bunches of berries – green, pink or dark blue. The vine likes sunny, warm slopes and free-draining soils, and its roots reach deep in search of water. The fruit is eaten fresh or dried and made into wine and strong spirits.

Significance in the country

Among native varieties, red Mavrud from around Asenovgrad and Shiroka Melnishka from Melnik are famous, and grapes are distilled into the popular rakia. St Tryphon’s Day (Trifon Zarezan), celebrated on 14 February, is the feast of winegrowers, who ritually prune the vines and pour wine over them.

Where it grows

Vineyards lie across lowland and foothill Bulgaria: in Thrace (Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Haskovo, Sliven), on the Danubian Plain, on the Black Sea coast and in the Struma valley around Melnik.

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