site.btaWine Is Part of Communication Culture, Says Dragoshinov Winery Owner

BTA will present dozens of Bulgarian wineries in the New BG WINE Leads the Way series ahead of the 9th UN Global Conference on Wine Tourism, which will be hosted in Plovdiv. The forum is organized by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the UN World Tourism Organization.

Wine is part of the culture of communication, Dragoshinov Winery Owner Daniel Dragoshinov told BTA. The oenologist has dedicated his life to winemaking and  started his own production together with his wife in 2018 in the village of Natsovtsi, Veliko Tarnovo Region. 

The winery has a small capacity and works with about 20–25 tonnes of grapes per year to make some 10,000 bottles of wine. The product list includes 7–8 series between 500 and 1,500 bottles. Among the whites are Aligote, two types of Chardonnay and Riesling. They also make pink wine from Pinot Noir, while for red wines the main variety is Syrah, although there is also Marseillan. The winery also experiments with traditional Bulgarian varieties such as Kara Pamid and Misket.

The main focus is the work with a vineyard of Aligote, planted between 1970 and 1973 near Lyaskovets, which, according to Dragoshinov, is of exceptional quality. The winery also uses plantations with Syrah in Svilengrad Region. For the winter season, wormwood is produced, which the oenologist defines as the leading drink in the presentation of the winery. He pointed out that this is a specific and labor-intensive craft inherited from the traditions in the region of Kilifarevo and Osmar.

The winery began to develop wine tourism under a project of the America for Bulgaria Foundation in 2023. With the completion of the tasting room, on-site sales already provide about 80% of the turnover,  Dragoshinov noted. The winery works with tour operators, leading groups mainly from Germany and the Scandinavian countries, and annually receives 10–15 large groups and numerous individual visitors. The winery's production is not offered in mass retail chains, but only in specialized wine shops, bars and restaurants. The reason is both the small quantities and the need for proper storage.

Climate change in recent years has caused difficulties in production, Dragoshinov stressed, adding that after the spring frosts, the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc varieties are almost absent in Eastern Bulgaria, while grape prices have increased by at least 60%. Dragoshinov therefore commented that his winery will focus on old grape varieties, with the new products to be based on them as well. "We will emphasize Chardonnay, because their array survived the spring frosts that hit a large part of the vineyard arrays in the country. Having a given variety in a year when almost no one has it is valuable, so we will try to create something that deserves attention," the oenologist said.

Due to its small capacity, the winery is unable to apply for European programmes supporting innovations in the industry, and therefore has to buy its equipment with its own funds, Dragoshinov said, adding that he is coping for now, but this further complicates their competitiveness against larger companies in the industry. "We are succeeding thanks to the experience we have, our flexibility and the support of the people who like our wines," he emphasized, adding that there has been a unification of small wineries recently, which includes 19 wineries. They are making joint efforts to promote their activities and production through the Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals, Dragoshinov noted, pointing out that the goal is to create common wine tourism packages that will provide the opportunity to tour more wineries in Bulgaria.