Damianitza Winery

Nestled in the Struma River Valley in Southwest Bulgaria, Damianitza is a small winery dedicated to the production of quality wines. These wines appeal to customers who share an appreciation for unique flavour and authentic taste. Damianitza Winery excels in small-batch, handcrafted wines. The vineyards are located on the rolling hills surrounding the river valley. Shielded from the harsh winds of the North and open to the mild influence of the Mediterranean, the sunny terrain and its volcanic soils yield an exclusive fruit, a superb source for wines of Damianitza. The owners take pride in allowing grapes to ripen to bring out peak flavours and structure. Their wine's distinctive personality comes from the Melnik Broad Leaved Vine and the related Early Melnik Vine, both indigenous Bulgarian varieties being unique to this viticultural region. Believed to have been brought over from Asia Minor by local Thracian tribes in Odyssean times, these varieties lend an intense yet refined taste to the wines. In addition, the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc varieties, also grown in the region, enable the wine maker to produce superb wines of utmost complexity and balance. Damianitza's mission is to make premium wines that appeal to cosmopolitan wine drinkers while reviving a venerable legacy of winemaking in Bulgaria. The winery recently expanded its wine portfolio and now produces exquisite wine from Rubin grapes, an authentic Nebbiolo/Syrah crossing created in Bulgaria more than 70 years ago and grown only in the country's South-Western region.

The winery today is a dynamic modern facility employing advanced vinification techniques. Its precursor was established just before the Second World War and for over half a century produced wine drawing from the exquisite grape that grew in the pristine areas near Bulgaria's Southern border. When it was purchased in 1997, as part of the country's post-communist privatization process, the winery underwent a dramatic organisational and equipment overhaul to enable it to bring exclusive wines to domestic and international customers. The winery is now owned and operated by a young entrepreneur who took up the challenge to revive the country's winemaking traditions and produce consistently superior wines.