site.btaRupel Winery Reports Strong Harvest Despite Drought

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.

Rupel winery’s vineyard was planted in 2000 and covers 30 hectares, of which 15 hectares are with local varieties such as Early Melnik Vine, Rubin, Sandanski Misket, and Tamyanka. The rest are planted with Merlot, Cabernet, and Barcelona.

The winery’s owner Pavel Gramatikov said that the 2025 harvest is the best in four years, regardless of the drought. “We cultivate the vineyards without irrigation, yet the average yield per variety is between 500 and 800 kilograms per decare, which is very good. Of course, drought affects the yield, but in terms of quality and the requirements of oenologists and technologists, the grapes are perfect. We are particularly fond of Early Melnik Vine, from which we produce red wines, roses, as well as dessert wine,” he added.

As a winery in the Struma Valley, Rupel produces mainly wines from local varieties and blends of local grapes with other varieties. Customer interest is mainly in the local varieties. “Each region has its own representatives, and customers like to drink wines typical for the region. Overall, our local varieties and especially the blends in the roses are in high demand. These are blends of local with other grape varieties, and the roses turn out excellent,” Gramatikov said.

According to him, the winery also exports small quantities abroad, but the main sales remain on the Bulgarian market.

Gramatikov noted a trend of slight price increases for wines, as grape production is directly linked to the price of fuel and the minimum wage. The costs of wine supplies, such as glass bottles, labels, and cartons, have also risen. “All these factors will eventually lead to a slight increase in the final product,” he added.