How Our Wine Journey Began

Our wine journey began in Bulgaria’s smallest town, Melnik. We were visiting Zori’s home country for a short vacation, and our travels took us to this quaint town in the southwest corner of Bulgaria. Melnik, nestled among the majestic white rocks and the green skirts of the Pirin Mountains, won us over with its hospitable people, its cozy restaurants, and its wine culture, which seemed a natural part of every home and every person we met.

Because of its hot climate with Mediterranean influence as well as its clay soil, the Melnik area offers unique conditions for growing vines. The local wine tradition goes back centuries, and the craft of winemaking is passed on from one generation to the next. Melnik is home of the one-of-a-kind varietal Broad-Leaved Melnik, which grows only in southwest Bulgaria. Wines featuring this delicious red varietal are often described as having red fruit, dark berry, and spice notes.

We stopped at the Kordopulova House, a home-turned-museum, which belonged to the town’s most affluent wine maker and business owner who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. We walked through its underground tunnels where wines are aged to this day, and tasted rich, spicy, Melnik wine in the cellar. It was during this trip when we saw wine differently, not just for its taste but also for the history, culture, and rich family traditions preserved with each bottle.