Bratanovi’s Symbiosis

Връзката между земята, лозята и поколенията тук дава името на първата серия на винарната - “Symbiose”.

Wine and love are alike, say connoisseurs of the enchanting elixir. Just like you can't overdo it with good wine, you can't overdo it with true love – you just might not have enough. In line with this cheerful philosophy, the Bulgarian Development Bank presents one of the companies it supports financially – Bratanov Winery.

In the most important season for winegrowers – autumn, the slopes of the Sakar Mountain are once again cared for by the sun's rays and people who continue an old local livelihood – winemaking. This is the dream come true of a father and his two sons. Continuing the family tradition, interrupted for more than 50 years during socialism, in 2007 Bratanovi planted the first new varieties on the reclaimed family land, and three years later opened a winery.

According to many experts, the region of South Sakar is the most favourable place for grape growing and wine production in our country. And connoisseurs highly value the Merlot and Syrah from this region. Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Viognier, as well as the local varieties Mavrud, Rubin, Gamza and Tamianka, are also ripening in Bratanovi's vineyards, which are already over 44 hectares.

The connection between the land, the vines and the generations here gives the name to the winery's first series – "Symbiose". With Tamianka Single Vineyard 2013, the revival of this variety in Bulgaria began. This motivated other wineries to start working with the aromatic Balkan variety. The young merlot from Shishmanovo has been a favourite among connoisseurs since 2013. After two years, the oenologist Maria Stoeva, who graduated in Dijon, France, joined the team, and the spirit of experimentation became part of the work philosophy at Bratanovi.

Since 2016, all wines here are fermented only with "wild yeast" – the natural microflora from the vineyard. The solution is a bit difficult and risky, but successful. They believe that their production should reflect its origins in Sakar and leave a sense of authenticity, warmth and distinctive individuality. BRATANOV Winery is among the founders of the Bulgarian Association of Independent Winegrowers (www.baiw.org) – the "new wave" of Bulgarian winemakers who emphasize the expression of terroir and the application of "artisanal" vinification methods. And the facts speak volumes: their products fall into rankings such as "The 50 Best Wines of the Year", "The 10 Interesting Wines", etc.

The best wine in the DiVino TOP 50 ranking for last year is the red 3-Blend of Bratanov Winery from the 2018 vintage. According to its creators, this blend is unique because for the first time local Rubin was added to Merlot and Cabernet Franc as a spice. Each of the varieties was aged for 30 months in barrels of different origin and volume and a further 20 months in the bottle before being released in December 2022.

Four years to reach from the vines to the table and be shared with love – this is the long journey of wine, which requires patience, perseverance and, of course, funds. This is where the help of the Bulgarian Development Bank comes in. To allow this unique blend to be repeated from the new vintage as well, since the 2018 production is completely sold out.

Hristo Bratanov says that the most difficult thing in this craft is to learn to think and plan several years ahead, when the wine has finally matured and goes to the market. In order not to compromise, you need financial stability and predictability. In this way, the winery includes in its plans a new production of the Mavrud variety, 3-Blend rosé and an orange wine for the next year. And now, under the warm rays of the sun in South Sakar, the grapes, which will become part of our holidays in 2027, are already being harvested. After several years of wild fermentation and nurturing with love.