Bulgaria may be the European country that has changed most dramatically in the past three decades. It has gone from being one of the world’s biggest wine exporters, of mostly inexpensive varieties, to an exciting, varied, and substantially smaller wine country, with most of its wine consumed domestically.

Today, the Bulgarian wine industry is a fraction of its former size but has become incredibly dynamic, with producers busily rediscovering the potential of the country’s old grape varieties and identifying French grapes that are better adapted to modern climatic conditions. It encompasses every wine style, from traditional method sparklers to pét-nat; aromatic dry whites to classic oaked versions; and orange, natural, and amphora wines, too. It’s now harder to find examples of the pure Cabernet Sauvignon that once made Bulgaria famous; producers are more focused on red blends, and there is a growing interest in the local red varieties, especially Mavrud, the Melnik family, Gamza, and, very recently, even the previously unregarded Pamid. International grape varieties, including Cabernet Franc and Syrah, are increasingly impressive, with more refined tannins and subtler oak use.

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food reported that 25,640 hectares (63,360 acres) of wine grapes were harvested in 2024—a far cry from the 135,760 hectares (335,470 acres) officially reported when Bulgaria joined the European Union, in 2007.

Of the current total, 60% are red varieties, and 94,685 tonnes (2.1 million pounds) went to commercial processing for wine, from a total harvest of 124,161 tonnes (2.7 million pounds) of wine grapes. The rest were used for unofficial and homemade wines, often sold in plastic bottles in corner stores and markets. There are officially 359 registered winemakers in Bulgaria, and less than 20% of production is exported, mainly to other countries in the EU.

Bulgaria’s leading