LOCAL VARIETIES
GAMZA
Gamza is an old local variety, cultivated in northern Bulgaria from old times. In Hungary, Slovakia, France, Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria and Turkey it is known as 'Kadarka'. Until recently it was a basic wine variety for the production of red wines in the northern vine-growing region. In other parts of the country it is cultivated as single vines in plantations.
The bunch is large (15.4/8.2 cm), cylindrical-conical, often single winged and compact. The grape is small (16.2/15.6 mm), almost spherical and, when the bunch is compact, deformed. Its skin is thin, frail, with a thick waxen bloom, dark-blue to bluish-black.
Gamza is a comparatively late-ripening variety - its vintage is at the end of September and at the beginning of October. The yield from one vine is 4-6 kg. The thin, frail skin of the berries, which cracks, if the autumn is humid and the grapes are strongly attacked by grey mildew is its big disadvantage. The yields and the quality lower considerably. To avoid this happening, the variety should be cultivated in airy, hilly regions with light drained soils and it should also be picked quickly.
When it is stem-cultivated, short fruit groups are recommended (nods) and, if the vine is very strong and the fertility of the lower eyes is low, mixed fruit groups with short fruit bearings. It is not very resilient to low winter temperatures. Its fertility is better when it is cultivated on rootstocks Shasla x Berlandieri 41 B.
When the variety ripens, it reaches 19-21.8% sugar content. In Vidin District the accumulation of sugar is more intense and the technological maturity occurs earlier - around 15th September. If the autumn is warm and dry, the red wines produced from Gamza typically have a vivid but not very dense ruby colour, a pleasant taste of small red fruits dominated by raspberry and a distinct but mild freshness and pleasant tannins.
MAVRUD
Mavrud is an old local variety, cultivated only in Bulgaria from old times. It is spread namely in the Plovdiv District and less in the Pazardjik and Stara Zagora Districts.
The bunch is large and winged and that is why it is quite widened to its basis, semi-compact to loose but some of its forms are compact because the variety has different variations. Its average weight is around 397g. The grape is small (15.2/15 mm) and spherical. The flesh is juicy with a pleasant sweet taste and freshness. The skin is thick, tough, bluish-black and with a thick waxen bloom.
Mavrud is a late ripening variety - in the Plovdiv region the grapes ripen at the beginning of October. Its fertility is medium. The variety is comparatively resilient on grey mildew and is not very susceptible to Oidium. Its resilience to low winter temperatures is low and that is the reason why, when stem-cultivation of the vines is carried out, the plantation area diminishes considerably. It has good affinity to rootstocks Berlandieri x Riparia, Cober 5BB and SO4. Deep, fresh alluvial soils in the warm micro regions of the country, where there is no danger of low winter temperatures, are the most appropriate ones for it.
Mavrud is one of the most valuable local varieties for the production of red wines. The sugar content is from 17 to 23% and the titratable acids are from 6.1 to 10.7g/dm3. The wines produced from this variety have a deep ruby colour, enough tannin and acids in reserve and a typical pleasant flavour in which one can detect the taste of tendrils and blackberry. The wines develop perfectly when they are in contact with oak wood and acquire a strong, complex flavour with a mild, dense and harmonious taste.
MISKET CHERVEN
This variety has been cultivated on our territories since ancient times and it is considered to be an old Bulgarian variety. It is spread mainly in the sub-Balkan Valley and Sredna Gora - the Sungurlare Valley, and the Karlovo and Brezovo districts. There are smaller plantations in the Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol and Vratza districts.
The bunch is medium in size (15.3/9.3 cm), cylindrical-conical, sometimes single or double winged, semi-compact to compact. Its average weight is 141-239g. The grape is very small (14/14.2 mm), almost spherical and, when the bunch is compact, deformed. Its skin is medium thick, tough, pinkish-red with a violet nuance, covered with a thick waxen bloom and typical dark dots. The grape is juicy and sweet and has a pleasant Misket flavour.
Rootstock Shasla x Berlandieri 41B is the most appropriate one for it because the vines grafted to it do not sprout aments and the yields are stable and high (if the variety is well cultivated, the yield is around 10000-12000 kg/hectare). Hilly, airy regions are appropriate for it. Misket cherven is the most frost-resilient variety among the local varieties and it surpasses many foreign vine varieties, too.
The grapes accumulate 18-21% of sugar, with 5.4-6g/dm3 of titratable acids. The variety is mixed with other varieties in order to improve its acidity. The wines have a straw-yellow colour, a harmonious taste and a pleasant Misket flavour. The famous white dry Euxinograd wines are produced when the variety is mixed with Dimyat and Italian Riesling.
PAMID
This is very old local variety, which has been cultivated in Bulgaria since the times of the ancient Thracians. In the past it was the most widely spread variety in our country. Today its plantations are highly limited. It is also cultivated in Yugoslavia, Albania, and Turkey (around Odrin), Greece, Hungary and Romania.
The bunch is medium in size (16.4/10.1 cm), cylindrical-conical, semi-compact to loose. The grape is small (15.6/14.4 mm), oval, weakly attached to the stem and juicy. The skin is thin, frail, red and sometimes dark red.
Pamid is a middle-ripening variety - the vintage is around the middle of September. Its fertility is excellent. The average yield from one vine is around 4-5 kg. The grapes are not particularly resilient to grey mildew and they have medium resilience to low winter temperatures. This variety is comparatively resilient to drought and does not need a particular kind of soil. Grapes with best quality are cultivated in hilly areas with light drained soils. Shasla x Berlandieri 41 B is the most appropriate rootstock for it.
This grape is prefered for fresh consumption. It accumulates sufficient sugar - from 18 to 24%, but its acidity is low: 4-5 g/dm3. The wines are red, light table wines for mass consumption. They have low acidity and low extract and that is why they are not appropriate for maturing and should be consumed young, right after fermentation and clarification.
SHIROKA MELNISHKA LOZA
This is an old local variety that has been cultivated since ancient times in the region of Melnik, which is where its name comes from. It is cultivated only in Bulgaria - a limited region in the Blagoevgrad District, around the town of Sandanski, Melnik, Petrich and the villages of Hursovo, Marikostinovo, Kapatovo, Vinogrady, etc.
The bunch is medium in size to big (16.9/10.2 cm), semi-compact, winged, often double winged. The grape is small (16/15 mm), oval, with a thick, tough, bluish-black skin. The grapes are juicy and with a pleasant sour taste.
Shiroka melnishka loza is a late ripening variety. It acquires its valuable qualities only in the Melnik micro region, distinguished for its high temperature sum during vegetation, an early spring, a hot summer, a long, warm autumn and a comparatively mild and warm winter. The vintage usually starts in the first half of October. When pruning is done, the vines should be loaded moderately and knots with two eyes should be left. If the year is bad, 1-2 tendrils with 5-6 eyes should be left, too.
This variety is not prone to sprouting aments and is best grafted onto rootstock Shasla x Berlandieri 41 B. It is not resisitant to low winter temperaturesIt has a satisfactory good sugar level - 20-24% and enough titratable acids - 6-8 g/dm3.
The young wines are distinguished for their dense cherry colour, their intense flavour dominated by cherry, enough density and a typical piquant tartness. They develop well in contact with oak wood. When the wines produced from this variety mature, they have a rich, complex flavour in which one could distinguish interesting nuances of tobacco and leather; the wine taste preserves its freshness and mild tartness.
INTERNATIONAL VARIETIES
