VITeff Veille

Bulgaria

• One of the oldest wine producing countries
• A nation which is a big consumer of alcoholic beverages
• Wine production carried out by a hundred odd companies created in the aftermath of the privatisation of the old State owned cellars (vinprom).
  
  Wine-growing regions
  
  5 big regions
  
• The North with its continental climate: the central part of the Danube, the southern coast of the Danube and the North-West of the Danube.
• The Eastern region and the shores of the Black Sea: 30 % of the vineyards.
• The Sub-Balkan region which stretches from Sofia till the approaches of the Black Sea, benefits from well exposed slopes and clayey soil. Famous for its sparkling wines.
• The South-Western region
• The Southern region: 35 % of the vineyards.
  
  The Bulgarian vineyards
  
  
• Surface area of the vineyards: 129,580 ha.
• of which 53,498 ha of area for red wines (67 % of the total area) and 26,033 ha for white wines (33 % of the total area).
• Vine varieties: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pamid (the most widespread), gamza and Mavrud (for the red wines). Rkatsiteli (25 % of the areas cultivated for white wine), Chardonnay, Dimayat and Riesling (for the white wines).
  
• Production of 1,417,466 hectolitres in 2004. More than 200 types of wines: 24 % for quality wines and 76 % for table wines.
  
  Wine consumption
  
  
• On an average: 5 litres per person and per year. An underestimated figure given that 50 % of the grapes processed into wine is directly meant for family consumption.
  
  Wine exports
  
  
• 902,789 hl bottled wine exported in 2004.
• Main countries for export: Vietnam (45.7 % of the total of the exported volumes), Denmark, Turkmenistan and Poland.
  
  Wine imports
  
  
• 7,563 hectolitres in 2004.
  
  The sparkling wine market:
  
  
• Production of 6,337 hectolitres of sparkling wines in 2004.
• 10 wine producers equipped with installations and technical expertise for the production of sparkling wines.
• There is just one cellar which produces bottled sparkling wine according to traditional methods. The others produce sparkling wine according to the pressure tank method.
• Export of 4,959 hectolitres of sparkling wines (i.e. less than 1 % of the total exports).
• 1,317 hectolitres of sparkling wines were imported in 2004, i.e. a multiplication by seven times as compared to 2003. More than 70 % of the imports are from Germany.
  
  To be noted: MAGURA (cellar in the North-West) well-known for the quality of its sparkling wines.
  
  VINARIA: the fair showcasing wines and wine growing techniques of Eastern Europe: it is held in Plovdiv every year at the beginning of the month of February. It brings together around 300 exhibitors.
  
  Development potential
  
  
• Considerable for sparkling wines, provided that the Bulgarian producers find new partners for exporting their wines.
• With the entry of Bulgaria into the EU, the country will enjoy increased quotas for the import of sparkling wines.
  
  Language for correspondence: English.
  
  Vinimarket eletter no. 27 / 9 February 2006 + Economic Mission Sofia - February 2006