site.btaAhinora Winery: First Sparkling Wine and New Horizons for a Family Cellar

BTA will present dozens of Bulgarian wineries in the New BG WINE Leads the Way series ahead of the 9th UN Global Conference on Wine Tourism, which will be hosted in Plovdiv. The forum is organized by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the UN World Tourism Organization.

This year, Ahinora Winery, located in the village of Selanovtsi, Vratsa Region, is making its first-ever naturally sparkling wine. It is part of the family's growing line of natural and single-varietal wines that reflect the philosophy of the people behind the cellar.

"We make wine guided by our senses and intuition," says Antoaneta Genova, who has been running the winery for six years. At just 31, she is the oenologist behind the entire portfolio.

The winery produces about ten different wines each year, focusing on Bulgarian varieties like Vratchanski Misket, Misket Kaylashki, Storgoziya and Cabernet Sauvignon. Around 7 hectares of vineyards surround the cellar, some planted back in 2008.

Misket Kaylashki is a grape developed at the Institute of Viticulture and Oenology in Pleven, Antoaneta explains. It is resistant to disease and produces fresh, fruity white wines. Harvesting is done with the help of seasonal workers, and the winery team is usually just four or five people. This year, the family is celebrating a particularly good vintage.

Alongside their new sparkling wine, they are experimenting with grape juice, so far only for family use, but if it works out, it may hit the market next year.

Most of their wines are marketed in Sofia and Varna, though Ahinora already exports to the United States and Belgium.

The winery was founded by Antoaneta's father, Geno Genov, who tells how he and the owner of Tipchenitsa Winery in Mezdra Municipality worked together to bring back the Vrachanski Misket variety. Genov first came to Selanovtsi nearly 20 years ago as an amateur fisherman and fell in love with the river and the landscape. "My wine-making hobby turned into a profession," says the former construction engineer.

The family's winemaking philosophy is rooted in heritage and personal journey. Through family constellation therapy, they discovered that Antoaneta's great-grandfather was a respected winemaker in Stara Zagora Region. "Antoaneta was meant for this place - she makes her own decisions, and I trust her completely," Genov says.

Antoaneta studied at the Institute of Vine and Wine in Bordeaux, one of just five accredited programmes in France offering a nationally recognized diploma. "My education gave me a broad outlook and a strong foundation in terroir, soils, wine-making and wine marketing," she explains. She spent seven years in France and even received offers to work in the Loire Valley, but chose to return home instead and build a family wine line.

The winery's signature collection is the Equinox Series, created in 2012: natural wines without additives, unfiltered and stabilized only through natural processes. There are four wines in the series - one for each seasonal turning point. A rosé from Storgoziya marks the spring equinox, a Vratchanski Misket white celebrates the summer solstice, an orange wine from the same grape honours the autumn equinox, and a Cabernet Sauvignon red marks the winter solstice.

The orange wine, made through extended skin contact and natural fermentation, is particularly notable. "It is a risky process that requires constant attention and care, but it is worth it," Antoaneta says. The entire 2024 vintage of orange wine has already sold out ahead of its September 22 release.

The inspiration for the series comes from the old belief that grapes harvested at the equinox bring abundance and prosperity. "It all started with the faith that these wines would set us apart and reflect our very own spirituality and energy," the oenologist says. The wines are presented with colourful labels showing the sun and moon in their seasonal states, a visual echo of the spiritual energy behind them. "We built an entire philosophy around these boutique wines. These four wines reflect my identity and the unique character of this place," says Antoaneta. Two of them, Ahinora Equinox Rosé Storgoziya 2023 and Ahinora Equinox Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, received top scores this year from the Bulgarian wine ranking site divino.bg.

Looking ahead, the family is planning to create guest spaces for wine lovers, including camper and caravan areas, and to host more events. "We already have a tasting hall, but the next step is to open up the experience and welcome more people," Antoaneta notes.

She also looks forward to her personal journey: "In ten years, I see myself as a mother. By then, I hope to be practicing constellation family therapy and helping people reconnect with their roots and inner strength. As to wine, I hope our natural series will have grown and truly proven itself."

Ahinora Winery is a proud member of the Association of the Danube Winemakers, which brings together over twenty producers from the western and central Danubian Plain. The region is featured on both printed and online wine maps, showcasing the diversity of its wines.