Celebrate the day of winegrowers and winemakers with the wineries around Melnik

December 2017 was quite busy for us so in January we mostly stayed in Sofia, relaxing and writing new articles about wine and travels. Few things can get us out in the winter because the weather is not very photo friendly. One of them is wine, and particularly wine cellars. They are among the few places whose invitations we cannot resist. And these days we were invited by several wine cellars to attend the celebrations of Trifon Zarezan, a Bulgarian holiday, celebrated as the day of winegrowers and winemakers. More importantly, these celebrations are held in the area of Melnik, Southwestern Bulgaria – a region well-known for its wonderful wine production. So we could not resist but say YES immediately. It is going to be a big event across 7 wineries in the area, so if you are around, this is definitely a good attraction to see in Bulgaria.

Melnik wineries open doors

Melnik wine is something that every Bulgarian has heard about. Melnik is actually the smallest town in Bulgaria with only a few registered residents. But it is quite a popular tourist attraction for many reasons. It is cosy and beautiful with its old houses and is also surrounded by amazing nature, including the Melnik sand pyramids. But Melnik is most famous about the wonderful wines being produced in the area and it would not be a lie if I say that this is the main reason people visit Melnik. Around Melnik there are tens of smaller and bigger wineries. Some of them are big industrial wineries, others are middle-range, family-owned. And there are many individual winegrowers and wine producers whose wine you can taste when in Melnik. Almost every hotel or guest house will offer you home-made wine.

This is the reason why Melnik is a great idea when looking for a Trifon Zarezan destination. Moreover, the local wineries are known as being friends and working together for popularising Melnik wine. This year for Trifon Zarezan they are organising Melnik Wineries Open Doors. 7 wine cellars will take part in the event on 17 and 18 February – Villa Melnik, Orbelia, Rupel, Libera Estate, Orbelus and Zornitsa Estate.

Where to go for Trifon Zarezan around Melnik – see the map

Event program

The big celebration will take place on 17 and 18 February. Each of the 7 wineries has prepared its own program but all of them have something in common – rituals on the vineyards, cultural program and of course wine tasting and free tours around the wineries. Every visitor will have the chance to meet the people who stand behind the wineries and who create wine. Below you will find the detailed program for each winery.

Villa Melnik

When we hear about Melnik, the first thought that comes to our mind is Villa Melnik. We can’t hide that it is our favourite winery in the area so far and it was the first winery we ever wrote about. So it will probably be the first one we will visit on 17 February. The events will take place in the winery near Harsovo village.

Villa Melnik wine cellar with its beautiful vineyards

Program:
10:00 Winery’s doors are open to all guests
10:30 Start of the local farmers’ market
11:00 Start of the ritual to bless the vineyards and prune the vines
11:30 – 15:00 Folklore program with local performance groups
12:00 – 15:00 BBQ and mulled wine
11:00 – 17:00:
• You have the chance to prune the vines with the help of experienced winegrowers
• Arts exhibition by N. Bozhkilov
• Tours of the winery facilities and underground cellar
• Tasting of the new vintages whites, roses, and young red wines
• You can of course buy Villa Melnik’s wines
• And many other surprises
Free entry, all are welcome.

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Orbelia winery

We first heard of them before we started to write about wine. But recently we met them again, this time because of wine. We will be happy to visit them in their winery in Kolarovo village, near Petrich. Here is the program:

17.02.2018
11.00 Ritual to bless the vineyards and prune the vines starts on the vineyards in  Mitinovo village . Folklore program

12.00 ч. – 15.00 Tasting of traditional food from the area, together with Orbelia wines

18.02.2018
11.00 – 15.00 Wine and food tastings

Both days the winery will be open for visitors.Every hour will start a free tour around the facilities. You will be able to meet the owners and winemakers.

Rupel winery

The program will start on 17 February, 11 am at Rupel winery in Dolno Spanchevo village, near Petrich. It will start with the traditional blessing of the vineyards and pruning. A folklore program will follow  with singer Тedi Eroteeva . The winery will be open from 11 to 18 h.

Orbelus winery

Orbelus winery

We first went in the attractive building of Orbelus winery in October 2016 by mistake. We were actually trying to reach Orbelia but because of the similarity of names, we found ourselves in Orbelus. The winery is specialised in organic wines. The celebrations for Trifon Zarezan will start at 12 pm on February 17 in front of the cellar in Kromidovo village.

Zornitsa Family Estate

It is quite a different place than the other wineries – a private luxury estate with a boutique hotel and a small boutique cellar. In  Zornitsa  you can attend a gourmet lunch with wines from Bulgaria, Italy and Portugal. The price is 80 lv (40 EUR) and you can see the menu on their event on Facebook.

Events with open doors will take place also in Libera Estate, Hotovo village, and Zlaten Rozhen, Kapatovo.

For the latest news join the event Melnik Wineries Open Doors on Facebook and also our group We Love Wines where we will share the latest details we know.

If you want to attend Trifon Zarezan event and taste wine in Sofia, read here: Celebrate Trifon Zarezan in Sofia – where and how?

Where to stay in Melnik area

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