For centuries the classic image of Bulgarian wine has been represented by the old Melnik wine produced from a local broad leaved vine. This wine could have been seen only on the tables of the privileged like Venetian doges, French counts and Spanish dukes.
In the XIII century the Ragusan merchants brought the Melnik wine to the wine connoisseurs among the European aristocracy. On the way back to Melnik, the caravans of the Ragusan merchants brought European fabrics, weapons, ornaments, glassware, Chinese porcelain.
The perimeter of the Melnik wine in the Middle Ages and Renaissance was Aegean Sea, Dubrovnik, Trieste, Budapest, Vienna, Venice, Genoa, Marseille, Paris, Barcelona, Liverpool. It has been a favorite wine of Sir Winston Churchill – he was buying 500 liters per year.
What made the Melnik wine so successful? People say it’s because of its intoxicating bliss, combined with unique bouquet of ruby darkness, fine flavor and gentle astringency.