A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a wine tasting featuring the wines of Bulgaria, hosted by Grapes and Barley importers at Chef Geoff’s downtown.
Bulgaria has been producing wine since the time of Alexander the Great. In the past several years, winemakers have been focusing on crafting high quality wines. Grapes and Barley importers started importing many of these wines to the US in the past five years.
These were some of my favorites:
Bulgariana Pinot Noir 2011
K Cellars Pinot Noir 2011 (not pictured)
K Cellars Cabernet Syrah Blend
Castra Rubra Via Diagonalis Sauvignon Blanc 2014 
Villa Melnik Miroglio Elenovo Mavrud 2011 Mavrud is the grape indigenous to Bulgaria. If you find this one at your local liquor store, don’t hesitate to get it. (not pictured)
I already stocked up on K Cellars Pinot Noir and Syrah/Cabernet blend. I also found Bulgariana Imperial Red Blend at Costco for a very accessible price. This red blend is a mix of Bulgarian grapes (Rubin and Mavrud), and Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s well balanced, full bodied, and spicy. These would be a great addition to the Thanksgiving table, or to have around the holidays for when unexpected guests drop by. Most of these wines are under $20 but I’m sure they won’t stay at that price point for long. Once more people learn about them, prices are sure to go up.
You can find some of these wines at Costco in Pentagon Centre and Paul’s in Friendship Heights. You can find a more comprehensive list of stores that carry G&B Importers’ wines here.
One Vanilla Bean 