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A Tasting at Sofia’s Coupage

 

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While I was only in Bulgaria a few short days last summer, its wine left a lasting impression on me. I did several great tastings, found some fantastic wine bars, had my first canned pét-nat! and brought home some great wine.

It’s time to dive back into Bulgarian wine and talk about one of those great tastings – in fact the first one I did – at Sofia’s Coupage.

Coupage

Located just a few blocks off Sofia’s Slaveykov Square, Coupage Wine and Cheese is the brainchild of Aleksander Angelov. As the shop’s name promises, it is more than wine (although that’s enough in my opinion!). He also sells Bulgarian cheeses and charcuterie. Those often find their way into his tastings.

Coupage offers wine tastings for individuals or small groups. The wines chosen often come from the country’s smaller winemakers and highlight Bulgaria’s grapes and regions. Angelov has drawn a handy map of Bulgaria on a chalkboard above the cheese counter and the handy map provides a great reference as he guides tasters around the country.

This was one of the best wine tastings I’ve done recently. Angelov was so informative! He had down the history of the grapes, the crossings and the parentage, information about the wineries, the regions and terroirs… The tasting at Coupage was just about the first thing I did after landing in Sofia and I am so glad it was. It set me up for the rest of my trip and gave me a great foundation of Bulgarian grapes and the industry for the rest of my tasting experiences. 

He and I also had a rousing discussion about the parallels between the Bulgarian and Turkish wine industries, the shared Thracian terroir, Mavrud growing in Turkey, etc. 

Bogdaya Tsventitsa Vineyard Tamianka, 2022

The Bogdaya Vineyard Estate is a family winery, located on the fertile lands of the Struma River. Its vineyards stretch across the southwestern slopes of the Rila Massif, in the semi-mountainous village of Smochevo, nestled at the foot of the Polichka Alpine peaks. This is an historic area for vines, they say “Since when has the village been known to exist, since then have there been vineyards.”

The family began planting in 2017. Their main focus is white grapes, but their Mediterranean climate vineyards sitting at 600 meters don’t ignore red. One of Bogdaya’s leading grapes is the local Tamianka, a genetically modified Muscat Blanc that’s also grown in Macedonia and Serbia. The name comes from the word tamjan, frankincense, due to the intense scent from the ripe grapes, which can apparently be detected several meters away!

The Bogdaya Tsventitsa Vineyard Tamianka ferments in stainless steel, then rests on its fine lees for seven months (with only periodic battonage). The nose on this made me think of what would happen if Moschofilero and Gewürztraminer got together and had a baby. Aromatic notes of lychee and guava decorated with delicate flowers. Soft acidity and a medium body with a lingering, floral finish. 

Harlambievi H’s Rubin, 2021

Harlambievi Family Vineyards and Winery began in 2009, when Dimitar Haralambiev planted his first vineyard near Pleven. He and his partner Tsvetelina care for over 85 ha of vineyards in villages surrounding Pleven, each with its own distinct conditions:

• Kalugeritsa Vineyard
• Nad Pesherite Vineyard
• Dabnika Vineyard
• Mogilite Vineyard 

In 2018, Dimitar and Tsvetlina revived an old cooperative winery in the village of Petarnitsa, bringing it back to life with modern equipment. One of the varieties with with they work is the local grape, Rubin. A hybrid of Syrah and Nebbiolo, the grape was created in Pleven at the Institute of Viticulture and Oenology in 1944. It wouldn’t gain much popularity though until the end of the 1950s. 

Grapes for the Harlambievi H’s Rubin come from the winery’s Dabnika vineyards. The wine is aged in old, French oak barrels for six months, then an additional three months in tank or bottle before release. As it’s name suggests, the wine was a deep ruby color and a big nose bursting with fruit aromas. Medium-bodied and sift but with bright acidity and high alcohol (14%). Fresh, juicy cherry, mulberry, and blueberry flavors highlighted by clove and a dash of black pepper make it obvious why this grape has caught on so well in Bulgaria. 

Rumelia Merul Mavrud, 2021

Established in 2006 by father/daughter team Rumen and Tsveta Kostova, Rumelia Winery sits in the Thracian village Panagyurishte. They began planting in 2005 on the Pazardzhik Plain, in the Thracian Lowlands. Here they have 54 hectares located on the Bakajik and Peso Pole massifs. The Kostovas found, as have people for thousands of years, that Thrace provides excellent conditions for grape growing. They grow a mix of native and foreign grapes including: Muscat Ottonel, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and the regional specialty Mavrud. 

Mavrud has been part of Bulgaria’s wine identity since ancient times with its birthplace around Plovdiv in Western Thrace. It earned its name, derived from the Greek word mavro (black) from its deeply-colored, bluish-black skins. Mavrud does not love cold temperatures and prefers to be in Bulgaria’s warmer climates. While most well-known in Bulgaria, Mavrud wines can also be found in Greece, Albania, and Romania. It also does pretty well in Turkish Thrace’s colder, higher elevation in the Istranca Massif where its grown by Turkish winery, Chamlija. 

The Rumelia Merul Mavrud was reminiscent of dried fruits, dates, and spices. Nice tannins up front that melted into the palate leaving behind flavors of wild currant and blackberry. Medium-bodied with nice acidity and generous alcohol. 

Sofia

Things to Do 

There are so many stunning churches and great museums to visit in Sofia. And a lot of them are really close to each other, making them pretty easy to visit!

If you see only one church, it should be the Patriarchal Cathedral St. Alexander Nevsky. Don’t miss the amazing Alexander Nevsky Crypt Icon museum below the church (separate entrance to the left). There’s also Saint Sophia (of course), the Church of Saint Nicholas, Saint Georgi Rotunda, the Holy Synod, and so many more. There’s also a very nice mosque and a synagogue if you’re Christian churched-out. 

Sofia has some really great museums including the National Museum, National Gallery, Archaeology Museum, and quite a few more. There’s also the Roman archaeological complex of Serdica, located conveniently right at the Serdika metro station. Part of that is free and outdoors but it’s worth paying the entry fee to access the covered part of the site. 

Sofia has a decent metro system but, it is small and really easy to walk around. It therefore has a variety of walking tours available, depending on what interests you have! Some of the coolest are:

See Sofia highlights

Discover Sofia’s rich history and beauty

Explore the city’s interesting street art and graffiti

Check out Sofia’s flea and food markets

If you’d like to explore other parts of Bulgaria, there are also many day trip options from Sofia. Take a day trip to Boyana Church and Rila Monastery (this should be a must on your list!) or visit Plovdiv with its Roman ruins, great food, and arts scene.

Where to Eat

There’s a big food scene here of both Bulgarian and international foods. Some of my favorites during my visit included:

Coffee and breakfast

Izzy’s Coffee and Brunch

Altruist

Mekitsa and Coffee

Traditional Bulgarian and otherwise

Moma

Hadjidraganov’s Cellars

Shtastlivetsa Restaurant

Skapto Burgers, Beers and Fries