site.btaFive Urban Wine Festivals Organized to Mark International Mavrud Day

On the occasion of International Mavrud Day, Bulgaria will be the scene of tastings, wine dinners, and master classes, as well as special events in the country and around the world, the Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals (BAWP) said on Wednesday. The day will be marked for the sixth consecutive year on October 26.

The largest events will be the city wine festivals in Ruse, Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, and Sofia. They aim to reach more wine connoisseurs and deepen interest in Bulgarian wines. The festival tents will bring together wine bars, culinary corners, and music programmes. Over 45 wines from 17 Bulgarian and Balkan varieties will be available to guests for tasting.

Urban Wine Fest, Ruse (September 26-27)

The festival will take place on September 26 and 27 on the central Liberation Square (Ploshtad Svoboda) in Ruse. Visitors will have the opportunity to taste a rich selection of Bulgarian and a special collection of Romanian wines from autochthonous varieties, as well as a wide range of dishes, master classes, and art workshops. The festivity will be accompanied by concerts by Militsa Gladnishka and Fox & Cats, Big Band Ruse, and a DJ party.

Urban Wine Fest, Plovdiv (October 3-5)

This year, the festival will last three days and will once again be held on the bridge over Gladstone Street. Culinary tastings and a music selection will complete the event. The programme includes a festive greeting from the Brass Band - Plovdiv, jazz evenings with the Garbachev Quartet, and sets by DJ Manev, who participates in the festival for the fourth time. 

Special emphasis will be placed on the regional stand of the Plovdiv Wine Routes local association, which will show the distinctive local terroir and expressive identity of Plovdiv wines. The festival is part of the official programme for the delegates of the 9th UN Tourism Global Conference on Wine Tourism, which will be held in Plovdiv October 6 to 7.

Urban Wine Fest, Varna (October 10-11)

The wine selection will once again be hosted by ReBonkers in Varna, on the Black Sea, where visitors will be able to sample culinary surprises from local masters and enjoy a musical programme with a seaside vibe. Bossa nova and jazz from the 1930s will be featured in the performance of duo Yanitsa Stancheva-Jazzika and Georgi Iliev a.k.a. Mista Future.

Urban Wine Fest, Veliko Tarnovo (October 17-18)

The Samovodska Charshia ethnographic complex in Veliko Tarnovo will combine its street atmosphere with the rhythm of live music, culinary tastings, and a festive mood. The jazz of The Sunshine Duo and the energy of local rock legends The Hitch-Hikers & Gabo will turn the festival evenings into a symphony of taste and sound.

Urban Wine Fest, Sofia (October 31–November 1)

The finale of the wine tour will be in Sofia, under the dome of the Largo, in the heart of the capital, where symphonic performances and DJ Manev's musical selection will set the tone for the festival, while the locals and the city’s guests get acquainted with local varieties of wines and combine them with various festival dishes. 

Focus on Bulgarian varieties

The focus will be on endemic varieties such as Mavrud, Rubin, Broadleafed Melnik, Gergana, Melnik 55, Misket Cherven, Pamid, Vrachanski Misket, Keratsuda, along with Balkan classics such as Dimyat and Gamza.

Admission to the festivals will be free. Tastings and consumption will be paid for on site. Everyone can bring their own tasting glass or use the ones provided for a deposit.

The event will be available for persons over 18. The organizers appeal for moderate and responsible consumption.

Created by the Bulgarian Association of Wine Producers, the initiative has been bringing together wine experts, traders, and tourism business representatives for six years now, with the aim of making Bulgarian varieties more recognizable and Bulgarian wine more popular both at home and abroad.

"October 26 is now marked on the global calendar of holidays dedicated to wine varieties. Local varieties are what give a wine-producing country its individuality and uniqueness, and through International Mavrud Day, Bulgaria takes its rightful place on the world wine map," the BAWP said.

International Mavrud Day will be held under the patronage of the Tourism Minister, with the official support of the Tourism Ministry, the Agriculture and Food Ministry, the Municipalities of Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, and Sofia.