site.btaAlexandra Estate: Launching Bulgaria’s First Orange Wine from Ribolla Gialla

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.

Alexandra Estate winery plans to release an orange wine made from Ribolla Gialla, a grape variety not previously grown in Bulgaria. Its owner Svetlana Slavova said that the winery has been producing orange wines since 2020, but the variety will be used for the first time.

“Orange wines are, broadly speaking, white wines made by the “red method”. For white wines, the grapes are crushed, the juice is extracted and fermented, while in red wines the fermentation takes place with the solid parts in large inox vessels before they are removed. For orange, also known as amber wine, we apply the red-wine method to white grapes,” Slavova explained.

The winery uses qvevri, which are traditional Georgian egg-shaped clay vessels, some of them buried in the ground to maintain the best fermentation temperature. “Georgia is the country with evidence of winemaking as far back as 8,000 years ago,” Slavova added.

By the end of the year, Alexandra Estate will present the new Ribolla Gialla wine, as part of its orange wine series. “We are experimenting with this variety, as it has never before been used in Bulgaria. In previous years we made orange wines from Sauvignon Gris and Vermentino. Our focus is on combining different grape varieties and fermentation vessels. An example is the Rubin, for which we are the only winery in Bulgaria to use qvevri,” Slavova said.

In addition to international varieties such as Cabernet, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Tamyanka and Chardonnay, the winery also works with less common grapes such as Mourvedre, which, although not widespread in Bulgaria, is used in blends. Besides clay qvevri, Alexandra Estate uses concrete eggs, a modern version of traditional clay vessels, oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. “Usually, clay and concrete preserve the varietal character best, because the material doesn’t impart anything, so the wine stays clean and true to itself,” she stressed.

Another distinctive approach of the winery is combining Sauvignon Blanc from Northern and Southern Bulgaria. “It’s interesting to compare the two, because they have very different characteristics due to the climate. Tamyanka is also very well liked, it is light, airy and with a lower alcohol content. Among whites, we also ferment Roussanne and Marsanne together, instead of blending them separately. Our Chardonnay is made in a concrete egg to avoid being overly loaded with oak notes. For rose, we use less familiar varieties such as Mourvedre and Grenache,” Slavova said.

She described 2025’s grape harvest as very poor. “I cannot recall a worse year, frost, late snow and hail all caused damage. Yields, if any, are extremely low. Those who managed to preserve grapes are now selling them at twice the previous year’s price,” she said.

When choosing wine, Slavova emphasized, the most important thing is pairing it correctly with food. “Even the best wine can be ruined by the wrong combination. Conversely, a modest wine served properly can bring real pleasure. And the most important thing is the people around you, then everything else fades into the background,” she shared.

Alexandra Estate story began in 2012, with the first harvest from its own vineyards in 2013. An important stage was the creation of the wine house in 2019, when an authentic stone building was renovated and equipped with fermentation tanks, a bottling line, oak barrels, Georgian qvevri and concrete eggs.

Over the years, Alexandra Estate has developed several memorable wine brands with the winery’s distinctive style - expressive, complex, yet elegant and juicy, following the original vision.

Since the 2023 vintage, the technologist has been Monika Kenarova, who brings her own touch to the established portfolio while also creating new wines. The winery produces white, rose and red wines across several series.