site.btaMedi Valley: A Maker of Multi-Layered Terroir 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.

The mission of the Medi Valley winery complex in the village of Smochevo, Rila Municipality, is to create delicious, multi-layered and complex wines from the grapes of its own vineyards, reflecting the specifics of the region, the winery told BTA.

"Medi Valley aims to work for the development of Bulgarian grape varieties and to reveal their potential, because they have the qualities to be the face of Bulgarian winemaking before the world", the winery emphasized.

They pointed out that since 2010, the creation of impressive terroir wines has begun here, which are rich and with its own style, each of which bears the unique imprint of the region. For each wine, carefully selected grapes are used, which have reached optimal maturity, tailored to the variety and style of the final product.

Medi Valley wines are sold under three main brands, namely the basic A Good Year series, the mid-range eXcentric Incanto and the premium Incanto line. The winery won the Cellar of the Year Award in 2016, as the geographical location, the conditions and the wines it offers make the place a desirable destination for wine tourism.

The winery complex was founded in 2007 and is located in the village of Smochevo, at the southwestern foot of the Rila Mountain, at 630 meters above sea level. Millennia ago, the lands along the middle reaches of the Struma River were inhabited by the Thracian tribe Medi, known for their developed viticulture and winemaking and their cult of wine. In honor of them, the winery was also named Medi Valley (Valley of the Medes).

The complex itself consists of a modern winery and vineyards planted with the varieties Chardonnay, Gewürz Traminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The goal in creating the vineyard plots was to implement a complete production cycle, from the grapes to the wine in the bottle, with the process including not only the climate and soil, but also the natural conditions and infrastructure, Stoycho Stoev, Manager and Chief Oenologist told BTA.

"We built the new production structure and clarified what we want to produce, how to produce it, in which price categories and which quality territories we want to position ourselves," he said, adding that the winery manages two vineyard estates, one in the village of Smochevo and the other in the village of Boynitsa in Vidin Region.

"We work with many Bulgarian and French varieties. The most popular variety in the country for several years and the most sought after is Sauvignon Blanc", Stoev pointed out, stressing that due to climate change white wine is increasingly in demand.

"We are positioned in all quality categories, with a pyramidal structure - the most expensive wine is produced in the smallest volumes, trying to satisfy the needs of wine connoisseurs and consumers. In terms of price-quality ratio, we stand quite well on the market, which allows us to work successfully," Stoev commented.

"We set ourselves the task of developing Bulgarian varieties. We do not have our own and we buy grapes from single vineyards, with selected grapes, from vineyards specially selected for our needs", he stated.

"The awards we have received are many, we haven't even counted them. We have accolades from international and domestic competitions," Stoev emphasized, adding that Medi Valley offers its products in several European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic.

"The last three years have been difficult for Bulgarian wine production and for agriculture in general," Stoev stressed, noting that climate change is increasingly noticeable. "The hot and dry summer for the third consecutive year has led to lower yields in various regions of the country. It requires more labor and resources to grow better grapes," he pointed out.

"We can say that this year the harvest will be good in terms of quality, and in terms of quantity it will be comparable and slightly better than the previous one. It is not one of the strongest and best harvests (...)," Stoev said.