site.btaMidalidare Estate: Focusing on Expanding Production, Introducing Innovations, Launching New Wines

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.

Midalidare Estate is focusing 2025 on investments to expand production, introduce innovations, and launch new wines, the winery told BTA. Key projects include the renewal of vineyards and the construction of a new production and storage facility in the village of Mogilovo, designed to increase annual output from the current 650,000 bottles to 800,000. In 2024, Midalidare produced around 500,000 bottles.

Among the winery’s latest market releases are the sparkling Midalidare Blanc de Noirs, two mid-range reds from the Premium Selection series (Tannat & Merlot and Malbec & Syrah), and two high-end wines – Barrel Fermented Tannat and Cane Cut Syrah.

Midalidare is also adopting innovative approaches in both viticulture and winemaking. The Cane Cut method, originally from Australia with roots dating back to Ancient Greece and Rome, involves cutting the fruit-bearing canes at optimal ripeness, leaving the grapes to dry naturally on the vine. This process concentrates sugars, pigments, and phenolics, producing wines with richer aromas and pronounced spice notes.

In winemaking, the estate now employs Carbonic Maceration – a technique mainly associated with young Beaujolais wines in Europe. Whole bunches or berries are placed in a sealed vessel with carbon dioxide to create an anaerobic environment, triggering intracellular fermentation inside intact grapes. The fruit is later destemmed, crushed, and finished with yeast under standard winemaking conditions, resulting in wines with pronounced fruit character, especially from less aromatic varieties.

Midalidare’s sparkling wines achieved their best-ever performance at the prestigious Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, winning five gold and three silver medals. The winery emphasized that this is the only competition they enter annually, focusing exclusively on sparkling wines.

The estate cultivates varieties carefully matched to Mogilovo’s terroir: whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Sémillon, Viognier, Riesling, Traminer, and Pinot Gris, as well as reds including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Meunier, Tannat, and Mourvèdre. Its newest project centers on developing Tannat, with a second vintage soon to be unveiled. The area’s large temperature range, diverse soils, varying altitudes, and steady air currents shape the distinctive character of Midalidare wines. The winery’s philosophy is that “wine is created in the vineyard”, which is why much of its investment is directed toward viticulture.

Beyond winemaking, Midalidare hosts cultural events, most notably the Midalidare Rock in the Wine Valley festival, first held in 2017. The family-friendly event combines music with games, football and backgammon tournaments, cycling, children’s theatre, open-air cinema, book presentations, and artist meet-and-greets. The sixth edition will take place July 10-12, 2026, with Twisted Sister and Helloween already confirmed.

Midalidare introduced its first vintage in 2009, and within a decade, the winery had earned recognition as one of Bulgaria’s leading producers of traditional-method sparkling wines. By blending centuries-old practices with modern innovation, it continues to craft terroir-driven wines with distinctive style and character.

Located in the village of Mogilovo near Chirpan, the estate encompasses two wineries and a semi-underground sparkling wine facility surrounded by 160 hectares of vineyards. Guests can also enjoy wine tourism experiences with tours and tastings, fine dining at the estate’s restaurant, relaxation at the Midalidare Hotel & Spa, and casual meals at the Gastro Pub.