site.btaOrbelus: Bulgaria's First Winery Certified for Organic Production

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.

Vladislav Zhelev, part of the management of Orbelus Winery, told BTA that Orbelus Winery is the first in Bulgaria to be certified for organic production, producing entirely organic wines since its establishment in 2007.

The project to establish Orbelus began in 2000, when the first 7.2 hectares of land were purchased near the village of Kapatovo, in the Struma River valley. By 2010, the company had acquired over 20 hectares divided into 20 separate plots near the villages of Kromidovo, Kapatovo, Marikostinovo, and Harsovo.

The region is hilly and characterized by a variety of soils. The vineyards are located at an altitude of 160 to 250 metres above sea level. Orbelus grows about 70% red and about 30% white varieties. The reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache noir, Marselan, Syrah, as well as the Bulgarian Rubin, Broad-Leaved Melnik, and Early Melnik. The white vines include Muscat Sandanski, Viognier, and Chardonnay. According to Zhelev, Assyrtiko is also an interesting variety that adapts well to these latitudes.

The winery welcomes visitors seven days a week, offering tastings, tours, and an exploration of the winery's history. Orbelus's main goal is to produce high-quality, predominantly blended wines. The winery believes that that the process begins with choosing the most suitable location, grape varieties, and carefully cultivating the vines. That is why the wines bearing the Orbelus name—Orbelus Melnik, Orbelus Getika, and Orbelus Prima—are made exclusively from the winery's own organically grown vines.

All Orbelus vineyards are certified according to Bulgarian and European legislation for the production of organic grapes. Special attention is paid to the Early Melnik variety, which is present in all of the winery's red wines.