site.btaVilla Yambol Works on Varietal Diversity and Invests in Technology

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.

Southeastern Bulgaria’s oldest winery Villa Yambol is facing challenges in 2025's grape harvest, but the combination of its large vineyard holdings and the professionalism of its team provides confidence for once again excellent results. “It is in difficult harvests that the winemaker’s mastery shows,” Villa Yambol Executive Director Krassimir Avramov said.

According to him, in the current year’s continuing drought, the harvest is lower in some places in terms of yields, but with high sugar levels. “As a large producer, however, we have two essential advantages. First, we cultivate nearly 1,000 hectares of our own vineyards, as well as leased ones. We grow over 10 Bulgarian and foreign varieties, not concentrated in one place. Our second advantage is the rich professional experience of our team. We apply certain practices already in the field, such as pruning, harvesting, constant control and daily monitoring of grape development and the winery itself. This ensures we make optimal use of the harvest,” Avramov explained.

“This is not our first difficult year. Our experience shows that it is precisely in challenging harvests that unique wines are born, as demonstrated by our achievements at the largest international forums, we aim to replicate in the future,” he added.

The winery is not planning to release a new wine series, focusing instead on varietal diversity. “Our portfolio is well structured across the main price categories. The Villa Yambol basic series is among the most popular and best-selling brands on the market. Kabile, inspired by Thracian traditions, is a record-holder in terms of medals won at international competitions. Our premium line, Vineyards Selection, has proven to be at a unique level,” Avramov said.

“Technologically, we can boast being at an international level. Two years ago, we introduced technology for sparkling wine production, and today we are using the classic method from the French Champagne region. At the vineyard level, our efforts remain focused on good care. We will invest in new technologies and in our own vineyard plots,” he noted.

At present, the winery is focused on production and does not have hotel facilities or a tasting hall for end customers. “Nevertheless, we are fully aware of how strong the personal touch with our brands can be, and we will certainly consider ways to be closer to our customers,” Avramov said.

Villa Yambol is one of the oldest wineries in Bulgaria. This year marked 100 years of winemaking traditions with a major event in Yambol’s city garden. Thousands attended the celebration, organized with several tonnes of wine, delicious food, and performances by popular artists. A photo exhibition tracing the winery’s 100-year history and the winemaking traditions of the region was also presented.

The Yambol winery participates in the world’s most prestigious wine competitions. One of them is Vinalies Internationales in France, organized by the Union of French Oenologists. This year Villa Yambol won six gold medals there, two of which were Grand Gold medals, awarded to the terroir wine Vineyards Selection Tenevo (a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, 2019 vintage) and to Kabile Reserve Syrah, 2019. “This is equivalent to an Olympic title. No Bulgarian winery has ever won that many before,” Avramov pointed out.

“This year was also particularly strong for us at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, where we set a record with 10 medals. Again, we won two Grand Golds, both for Syrah wines, Vineyards Selection Topolitsa 2019 and Kabile Reserve Syrah 2019,” Avramov added.