site.btaBratanov Winery Uses Only Natural Yeasts for Fermentation

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 defining feature of the wines from Bratanov Winery is that, for nine years now, they have been produced using the so-called “wild fermentation,” explained Tanya Avramova, wife of one of the owners, who is responsible for the winery’s branding and marketing.

“We are the first, and probably still the only ones in the country, who since the 2016 vintage ferment our wines solely with the natural yeasts from the grapes. This is our choice - to let the terroir express the distinctive features of the wine from the region,” says Avramova.

The winery is a family endeavor, started by a father and his sons, who revived a family winemaking tradition after more than five decades of interruption. The inspiration came from Stoycho Bratanov, who used to cultivate a vineyard in the village of Shishmanovo and ran the local tavern, his daughter-in-law shares. The new vineyard plantations were created on his land.

In 2015, enologist Maria Stoeva joined the team. She graduated from the University of Dijon in France.

Today, the winery cultivates 44 hectares of vineyards around the village of Shishmanovo, with a variety of local and international grape varieties. The new plantings were established in two stages — in 2006 and 2016. The varieties include Tamyanka, Chardonnay, Bulgare, Merlot, Syrah, Rubin, and Cabernet Franc. Later additions include Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, and, on an experimental basis, Gamza, which is used in a rose blend with Mavrud and Rubin.

From the very beginning, the vineyards have been farmed sustainably,  without irrigation and without the use of herbicides. Since December 2024, they have been certified as organic farming.

The winery blends tradition with modern technology. To optimize their processes, they use more efficient equipment and environmentally friendly practices, such as low-fuel-consumption tractors, recyclable sprayers, and optical grape sorting machines.

Avramova says that few wineries in the country operate independently, without support from other business ventures.

In the case of Bratanov, the initial funding came from another activity, but over time, winemaking became the family’s main source of livelihood. Investments have been directed toward both vineyard equipment and the development of the winery, with support from loans and European programs.

The signature wine that makes Bratanov Winery stand out on the market is made from Tamyanka. After being neglected for many years in Bulgaria, with many of the vineyards uprooted, the winery in Harmanli was the first to decide to revive the traditions of this grape variety. Their Tamyanka from the 2013 vintage earned the winery a gold medal at the 2014 Balkan International Wine Competition. Their 2024 vintage from the Shishmanovo Vineyards series was released in a limited edition of 3,406 bottles.

Bratanov's latest release is a red Mavrud wine from their own 2024 harvest.

 “We are establishing a new style of Mavrud - fresh, fruity, different from the widespread perception of it being a heavy wine, the kind people say you have to ‘wrap in a handkerchief to carry it,’” says Tanya Avramova.

According to their observations, when Mavrud is not subjected to various winemaking techniques, it can truly reveal its natural character, she adds.

Bratanov Winery is one of the members of the local producers' association Wines of Sakar, based in Harmanli.

The winery is currently awaiting the results of the vinification of the Dimyat grape variety, harvested from a 60-year-old vineyard in the village of Dimitrovche, near Svilengrad.

According to Tanya Avramova, this will provide an opportunity to compare different approaches to working with this grape variety.