The New Face of Bulgaria (As Seen from Outside)
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The new face of Bulgaria (as seen from outside) Some perspectives based on my recent Divino seminar. “The new face of Bulgaria” was my original theme when I was asked to select some wines for a master-class at Divino’s autumn wine weekend; but I quickly came to realize that my topic would be better described as “a new version of a very old face”. As I’m sure everyone in Bulgaria already knows the country has been producing wine for hundreds, if not thousands, of years – with links back to ancient Dionysian legend. I‘m quite sure that, because of this long history, in the past people knew what grew well and where - something that today we might describe as an understanding of terroir. Sadly it seems that much of this link between land and people was broken in the previous era, when as wine production became so collectivised and industrial. Even after the change of regime, it has taken years for Bulgaria to sort out the whole land ownership issue enough to put herself back in the situation where wine producers can start the long process of relearning their links with the land. As many readers of Divino know, I’ve been coming to Bulgaria since the beginning of this new era and, as an outsider; I’ve definitely seen many changes and considerable progress over the last two decades. In my view, wines in Bulgaria today are better than ever before. Obviously I don’t know the ins and outs or the deep politics of the industry as many locals do. However, if Bulgarian producers want to export (which seems to be a necessity given three things: firstly that more wine is being produced than can be drunk in the domestic market, secondly some high price levels and thirdly the weak state of the economy) then an outside perspective may be at least worth listening to. Over recent years Bulgarian wine has lost its once strong position on many key export markets and in my view, if the country wants to be recognized on the global wine stage again, she needs to be producing wines that have something unique about them. In other words, something that makes them stand out and justify their place – a unique signature of Bulgaria if you like, or even a sense of “terroir”. Otherwise the wines will just be copies and buyers may as well seek out the originals. To explore the idea of terroir a bit further, three factors need to come together. First is the place itself – the soil, climate, microclimate, aspect, rainfall, wind, sun, altitude and nearby water, and of course vine varieties that suit all these factors. Second is competent winemaking, which allows what the place gives to shine through. It mustn’t dominate, either with faults or through being too technical and manipulative. Third and arguably most important is the human factor – the passion to aim for high quality and to experiment. And yes, this may mean being prepared to put your reputation on the line … and admit you got it wrong sometimes (and I know this is not something that comes easy given the national character). I also firmly believe that it is vital to develop a culture of food and wine to support all this, as there must be a market place to sell these wines into. For all the wine industry’s fancy talk about the details of concepts such as “terroir”, wine is a commercial business that needs customers prepared to pay for its products. In my Master Class I picked a selection of wines to illustrate some of these points and highlight some of the issues the country still has to deal with. A very brief summary follows. First was Midalidare’s Eric Moro and here I liked the blend of Sauvignon and Semillon, and how the winery is trying to find a white style that works for its location. Bulgaria is too warm for the classic aromatic or very flinty mineral Sauvignons that the Loire and New Zealand have made popular, and Semillon is a classic blending partner – filling out the fruit weight that Sauvignon can lack on the palate. Next came Rossidi Gewurztraminer, which I selected for the appealing aromatics and delicacy it shows. It is quite an experimental wine for this area and is already showing some distinctiveness. To quote Edi Kourian from Rossidi “Our primary objective is to draw attention to the regionality and uniqueness of the wines produced from the vines of this particular region. He adds, “And yet, we are in the beginning of this process. We learn things on the go. These first two vintages we count as purely experimental.” The third white I picked was the Marble Land Chardonnay from Yamantiev, and here I felt this was genuinely a proper terroir wine – a lovely complex rich wine from a specific plot of land and a stand out wine from this winery. Moving onto the red line up, I started with Chateau de Val’s Grand Claret, which is a unique blend based on the old celebratory tradition of mixing up all the wines people brought. It varies every year but usually includes Saperavi and reflects both a Bulgarian tradition but also the fresher style of reds from the northeast. Medi’s Merlot was selected as a fresher, sleeker Merlot than the typically heavy, alcoholic style that so often appears in Bulgaria, and that I rarely like, particularly as single varietal: often undrinkable and soupy. Rumelia’s new release, Erelia is an impressive illustration of how a local variety like Mavrud can be added to a classic blend to give true local character. At the same time, by blending Mavrud with international varieties, the wine style is not too ethnic for a wider world of consumers to understand. Levent’s Cabernet went into the line up as a well-made wine and a tribute to the role Cabernet has played in putting Bulgaria on the world wine map and this shouldn’t be forgotten. Finally I showed two very different blends to highlight the role of blending in making more complete and complex wines, and to express different effects of location. Dragomir Reserve, the richer, warmer and perhaps more immediate wine from the warmer and better known red zones of the south (in this case 8 year old vines on the Chirpan heights). Finally Valley Vintners’ stunning Dux 2006 shows the role of vine age in getting genuine depth and natural balance (coming as it does from 58 year old gnarled vines). It also highlights the potential for great reds from the less well-known northeast – where the cool climate and hilly vineyards, combined with long sunshine hours and the influence of Danube give such wonderful structure and finesse. I’d like to explore a few of these issues in more depth, and I see age of the vines as a particular concern right now, though this will of course solve itself with time. It’s good to see that wineries have understood the need to control their raw material; this is vital in quality and cost terms, and the change in attitude from technology towards the land shows a major mental switch. I also admire producers who are trying new things in different areas. As already mentioned, there’s a need to understand what are the right locations for say Gewurztraminer or Pinot Noir, and not just plant it because a winery has been able to buy a plot of land. Look at France for examples of where the link from people to land has been uninterrupted for centuries. There are long established reasons why Pinot and Chardonnay grow in continental Burgundy while Cabernet and Sauvignon reign in the Atlantic climates of Bordeaux, and Loire, and Syrah and Viognier suit the baking heat of the Rhone. It’s worth noting how little varietal overlap there is too. While new vineyards have their place, and young vines will get older and better balanced in time, I’d like to make a plea to not forget the old vines – especially gnarly old things planted decades ago. Such vines are often naturally in balance with roots reaching deep into the soil but also they are not the modern clones that are increasingly widespread – which suggests they have survived because they suited Bulgaria’s conditions. I would love to see someone taking cuttings before this potential treasure trove disappears in a sea of French or Italian clones. Local grapes varieties are another interesting question in the debate about sense of place – often such grapes have remained strictly local because they don’t produce good enough wine (Pamid, anyone?), but in other cases with modern cultivation to protect against diseases there could be some gems out there that are unique. Mavrud certainly springs to mind as a signature variety for Bulgaria, and its robust structure and character certainly seem make it popular locally. However I remain to be convinced it can make great wine on its own – good wines maybe, but that’s all - though I’m prepared to have my mind changed. I certainly feel it may be easier for small boutique wineries to focus on quality where they don’t have to answer to shareholders and balance sheets in quite the same way as the bigger producers. That’s not to say big guys can’t do it too – and competition is always a strong motivator. I’m also pleased to see signs of a wider food and wine culture developing, and that quality over sheer quantity is starting to be appreciated – which must help wine producers with aspirations.