Bulgaria is a premiere wine destination in Europe. Its climate, soils, and topography are ideal for local and international grapes. Ancient Thracians first produced wine in what is now modern-day Bulgaria almost five thousand years ago, and Bulgarians take pride in continuing their wine traditions.

Here, you’ll find a Bulgarian “twist” on the International varieties of cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and merlot. Local varieties you should try are Mavrud, one of the oldest red wine grapes in the world, Shiroka Melnishka, and Dimyat.

I’ve included some of these wineries in my 10-Day Bulgaria itinerary, but it would be easy to add or substitute more of these wineries to my suggested itinerary. Also, check out these Must-Try Local Bulgarian Foods because samples of these dishes can be paired with tastings at some wineries.

Here are the best wineries in Bulgaria!

Villa Yustina

Villa Yustina is an award-winning boutique winery in Ustina Village in the stunning foothills of the Rhodopi Mountains, just 26 kilometers from Plovdiv. You can take a tour of the vineyards and do a tasting in the villa’s modern tasting room.

You can sample wines made from Bulgarian and international grapes. There’s also a tower in the vineyard you can climb for some spectacular views.

The winery tour and tasting is only a couple of hours, so Villa Yustina would be a half-day trip from Plovdiv. But if you wanted to make a full-day trip out of the village of Ustina, here are other things you can do here:

-Red Church of the 6th century

-Hike to Ustina’s Fall and the Church of Saint George

-See the ruins of the Thracian fortress of Hissarluka above the town

Villa Yustina also has a rental house if you want to stay overnight. There are only a few rooms available, so if you’ll be here during the peak tourism months, you’ll want to book ahead of time. The winery also has special events every month. If you decide to visit Villa Yustina as a day trip, then here are accommodation options for Plovdiv.

Villa Melnik

Villa Melnik is my favorite winery in the country. It’s in the picturesque town of Melnik, which is the wine capital of Bulgaria. Villa Melnik is family-run, and its tasting room has some of the best views in the region.

The winery has lots of parking, is open for tours every day, and the owners are flexible with opening and closing times to accommodate your travel plans. Tours and tastings are given by the family, who can speak English, Russian, Spanish, and Greek. When scheduling a tour and tasting, please let the family know what language you’d prefer.

The town of Melnik needs to be on every Bulgarian itinerary, so it should be convenient to plan a visit to Villa Melnik. The Bergulé Rosé and Orange Wine were my favorite samples I tried. Find more information about Villa Melnik’s wines, tour and tasting reservations, and location to plan your trip.

Melnik has a relatively small number of hotels, so you’ll want to book your accommodation ahead of time to ensure you have a room

Villa Melnik is also only a one and an hour and a half drive from Thessaloniki if you wanted to visit here from Greece.

Shestaka Wine Cellar

This winery is also in Melnik, and it’s most famous for its 250-year old underground tasting cellar. But this winery also has amazing above-ground views. The Manolev family has run this winery for over 120 years, and they love to share its history.

Shestaka Wine Cellar specializes in the Shiroka Melnishka (Broadleafed Melnik) grape variety. This grape is world-renowned for its unique taste and for only being grown in Melnik. I loved that you can taste red and white varieties straight from the barrels here, and a delicious spread of appetizers accompanies the tasting.

This winery also runs a 5-bedroom guesthouse just a short walk from the center of Melnik. The rooms can be rented separately or together for larger groups. The guest house can sleep up to 15 people, and all rooms come with free Wifi.

You can find out more information about Shestaka Wine Cellar, its tours and tastings, and opening and closing dates and times here.

DiVes Winery

DiVes Winery is on the historic hill of Simeonova Mound, just a short drive from the coastal town of Aheloy. This vineyard gives you fantastic views of the Black Sea. You can even feel a sea-breeze that gives you the sense that you’re sipping wine on the beach.

This winery prides itself on using cutting-edge technologies to preserve and advance the Bulgarian tradition of winemaking.

The wine samples are very generous here, so make sure you won’t need to drive immediately after your tasting. DiVes Winery offers several specialty tastings, such as only whites, or only certain varieties. These tour options can be found here.

Every trip to Bulgaria should include some time spent along the Black Sea. So if you’re staying in Varna, Sozopol, or anywhere in between, it should be easy to incorporate a trip to DiVes Winery in your itinerary.

Sopot Winery

Sopot Winery is only about an hour’s drive from Plovdiv, making it a leisurely half-day trip by car. Like almost all of Bulgaria’s wineries, you’ll have beautiful sweeping views from the winery’s restaurant. Sopot Winery is relatively remote, giving you the sense that you’re in a wine oasis.

This is a relatively new winery, and it specializes in red and rosé blends. The restaurant here serves full meals, in addition to tastings. There’s also a guest house, called the Tragata, if you want to stay overnight.

More information about Sopot Winery, its tours, reservations, and hours of operation can be found here.

Shop My Bulgaria Essentials

What would you include on your Bulgarian winery itinerary? Share below so we can work together on continuing this list!

Recommended Tours in Bulgaria

Plan the Rest of Your Trip

YOUR TRAVEL CHECKLIST

PIN THESE WINERIES!

This list of wineries in Bulgaria is not a sponsored post, and, as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own. Some of the links in this list of wineries in Bulgaria are affiliate links, and, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission.