site.btaSalla Estate: New Premium Chardonnay Joins Lineup of Boutique Bulgarian Wines

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.

One of the new initiatives at the Salla Estate winery is that, starting this year, it will release a Chardonnay wine with a controlled designation of origin, the highest classification. The winery’s vineyard lies in a region already recognized for producing such wines, so the team plans to leverage this and offer a Chardonnay under that special designation, said Anelia Hristakieva, the chief enologist, who has worked there since its founding in 2010.

Salla Estate is located in the village of Blаskovo, Provadia Municipality, situated in the heart of the famed Provadia plateau Sarta, about 60 km from Varna. The winery was founded in 2010 by brothers Ivan Ivanov and Georgi Anastasov, who remain its owners. They planted their own vineyards on 30 ha of land adjacent to the winery, on a southwestern slope with favorable soil and climatic conditions.

Their varietals include elite white grapes such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer, Riesling, and the local Vratsa Misket, as well as red grapes like Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. “In 2005 we purchased 30 ha of old, overgrown vineyards — just stones and trees, parts of which hadn’t been tilled for 20 years. We spent two years on soil preparation, then contracted the French firm Guillaume to perform a soil‑climate analysis and guide our plantings. They told us what to plant where,” Ivanov explained in a BTA interview.

Hristakieva noted that so far the winery offers only dry wines, all with protected geographic designation. The wines are offered in two series. The Salla line is high-end, with varietal wines from Vratsa Misket, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Traminer, and Chardonnay in two versions (with or without oak aging). They also make oak-aged Riesling, and from the red varieties they produce both varietals and a blend called Salla Red.

The second series, Salinas (named for ancient saltworks near Provadia), targets a younger audience. It includes varietal wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, as well as blends. The rose is made from the two red varieties, and white blends include Riesling-Traminer and Chardonnay-Sauvignon Blanc.

Hristakieva said that the 2025 harvest was extremely low in yield. "Though the quality is excellent, the quantities are small. We were hit hard by April frost,” she said. She described the weather extremes: “The winter began unusually warm. In December through February temperatures were mild, but in April we suddenly dropped to –18 °C, even snow, while vines had already begun budding. Then a hot summer followed. We don’t have water shortage thanks to drip irrigation, but heat still took its toll. The grape and juice parameters are excellent, so we hope the wines will turn out very well, even if in limited volume. The 2025 vintage must be considered precious.” Previously they harvested 600–800 kg per decare; this year about 200 kg — roughly three to four times less, despite no water scarcity, said Ivanov.

Hristakieva said that Salla Estate strives to participate in every initiative promoting Bulgarian wine varieties. “Soon come the Days of Mavrud events, and we’ll contribute with our Vratsa Misket, since the aim is to promote all Bulgarian varieties, not only Mavrud. We regularly take part in DiVino — one of Bulgaria’s largest wine fairs — held in late November and early December.”

“Our goal is to appear at every wine-related event so our products reach a wider audience. We have no advertising budget. Events like this give people the chance to hear about us and taste our wines, particularly as our core market is restaurants and niche wine shops,” she said.

Every May they also take part in the Open Doors Days of Northeastern Bulgaria — two days when everyone may visit and sample wines for free. They hold thematic events at their hotel and restaurant complex to reach more people. Regular tastings have been held since 2014, she said.

Ivanov noted that in addition to the hotel, the estate features a new complex with a conference hall, large restaurant, tasting rooms, and more. “There is also a children’s area and an equestrian center. We keep Lipizzaner horses — a rare and historical breed, which were once owned only by aristocrats in Slovenia and Austria,” Ivanov added.