site.btaAugeo Family Estate: Father-Daughter Wine Project Gains Global Recognition аhead of 10th Anniversary

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.

The wines from the Augeo Family Estate wine project have won silver and gold medals at prestigious international competitions, owner Gergana Manolova told BTA. The project was founded in 2016 by Stoyan Manolov and Gergana Manolova, a father and daughter who are continuing their family tradition. The Manolov family has been connected to winemaking for five generations.

The name “Augeo”, derived from Latin, means “to grow, expand, increase”. It symbolizes their goal to build upon the labour of their predecessors and to develop in a more professional way what was started over 60 years ago, said Gergana Manolova.

The wine project will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. The family's vineyards are located in the village of Vranja, 12 km from Melnik, in the Struma Valley. These are old, inherited vineyards planted with 40-year-old vines of Shiroka Melnishka (Broad-leaved Melnik), Melnik 55, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wines under the Augeo Family Estate brand are produced in limited series, focusing on local grape varieties, and have won awards at competitions across three continents.

"We focus on Bulgarian grape varieties that grow only in the Struma Valley. We work entirely with our own grapes and produce under our own brand,” said Manolova.

Their market is primarily in Bulgaria. They occasionally receive small orders from abroad. Domestically, they sell through specialty stores, a few restaurants, and in recent years have offered their wines in gift boxes, holiday hampers, corporate Christmas gifts, and event packages, Manolova added.

At Augeo Family Estate, the focus is on red wines, and depending on the harvest, rose wine is also produced. Their flagship variety is Melnik 55, a grape that is a staple of the Struma Valley.

“This is a wine we've made in four vintages, and with it, we've won several awards,” said Gergana Manolova.

Over the years, their wines have received recognition at various competitions, including the Decanter World Wine Awards in the UK, widely considered the most prestigious wine competition in the world.

“We have a silver medal from Decanter, a gold medal from Mundus Vini in Germany, arguably the second most prestigious competition, and several gold medals from the Balkan Wine Competition and Festival for different wines,” Manolova added.

Among the future plans of the wine project is the restoration of a vineyard and the expansion of production.