As you get into this, I ask you to remember that I promised to try to do some videos. I never said a thing about doing good videos. What I will say is that you can tell this is the first I’ve done in a decade or so. There were issues on-site as I learned how to operate the new equipment, so there are some gaps but the core information is there.
The tasting of Bulgarian wine and cheese was fantastic, and I highly recommend Alexander to those of you lucky enough to travel to Sofia. You can get information and sign up through Air B&B or go directly to the website for his shop, Coupage Wine & Cheese. The man is personable, professional, and knowledgeable — and it shows both in the video and even more in person. Spending time at one of his tastings, be it wine or other, is time well spent and at a price that is a steal.
I’m going to let him speak for himself in the video, but will note that we tried two whites and three red wines. The wine and the cheese that accompanied the wines were all from Bulgaria. I’m beginning to seriously question why Bulgaria is not more of a food destination, as I’ve found the cuisine to be robustly complex and the quality of the ingredients to be high indeed. The cheeses in particular hold their own, and there is a wide variety from which to choose. The local wines and spirits do so as well, and I’m reminded of both Australia and South Africa when they were new to the world when I deal with Bulgarian wines.
Again, I’m going to let his comments speak to the individual wines we tried, but will share the following. The white wines we tried were solid, and I would cheerfully have them again and pair them with a variety of foods. That said, it wasn’t a particular wine that moved me; rather, it was two variety of grapes unique to Bulgaria that rocked me.
Wines from the Rubin variety of grapes are solid, rich, and complex. They should pair incredibly well with everything from Italian dishes to ham and other strong dishes. The color is dark indeed, and both the nose and the taste feature a complex array of spice, tobacco, leather with a depth that would put a lot of cabs to shame.
The second variety of grape is Mavrud. The color reminds me of dark garnet or ruby. In the nose and taste, I caught blueberry for a delightful moment, then black currant, blackberry, and similar notes. It is unusual in that it is a dry wine, but incredibly fruity. In some ways it reminds me of an old vine zinfandel, but kicked up a couple of orders of magnitude. It is an incredibly complex flavor, with a solid mouthfeel where tannins come out on the sides of the tongue even as leather and tobacco take center stage on the palette. It is quite good with beef and I’ve found it to work well with a variety of foods.
The Melnik/Melnik 55 wines are quite good as well, and I suspect will more than hold their own on the world stage. That said, I think anyone who gets wines from the Rubin and Mavrud varieties onto U.S. menus and palettes is going to make bank. Add in some of the Melnik wines as a base tier, keep all of them as limited editions/non-bulk, and it should be a slam dunk.
Yes, there are some junk Bulgarian wines. I’m sure there is a version of ‘no wine before it’s time which was five minutes ago’ wine out there. By sticking to these grapes and avoiding the standard varietals (Syrah, cab, etc.) I’ve had some very good wines at a very good price. Again, think of Bulgarian wines as you would have Australian wines 20-30 years ago, or South African wines a decade ago. The better Bulgarian wines are a solid addition to any cellar.
Largest problem you are going to have with that is that very little is exported overseas for now. There are some efforts underway to get Bulgarian wines into the U.S. market, but those are hampered by the fact they are not mass-produced, which limits interest from the big importers. Which is why I think a smaller operation will make bank on them by keeping it small and good, and going for quality rather than quantity.
More to come, as I also did a Rakia tasting with Alexander. Oh, and if you are wondering about why he (we both, actually) kept looking away, it was because of things going on outside his store or when customers came in. It is a working store with a small footprint, and made for a relaxed experience. I would go so far as to say that it added a special charm to things you won’t get in a more sanitized and isolated corporate event.
One of the things I’ve very much enjoyed on the Pilgrimage is that things can be a bit more relaxed here. It is nice to pull up a table outside, have a nice hot or cold libation (the weather has been interesting, with days in the 40s or in the 70s and nights staying in the 30s), and just watch the people and critters. Being able to sit back and be relaxed with Alexander meant a much deeper and rewarding experience, as he was able to digress into discussions of regions, varietals, and other topics that were of interest but seem never to get covered in more formal events.
So, if you get the chance to visit Alexander and take part in one of his tastings, do so! They are also a great opportunity for a small group event (5-7 people). Highly recommended, especially if it is your first visit to Bulgaria as you can learn a lot about the country and it’s wine.
If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.