Bulgarian Wines Receive 40 Awards in London
July 16th, 2008
Bulgarian wine cellars received 40 awards at the International Wine Fair, which was held in London. This is Bulgaria’s best achievement at international wine exhibits and fairs in recent years. Bulgarian wines were awarded with 6 silver, 14 bronze medals and 20 honorary certificates.
Of course, compared to the awards received by world wine leaders, such as France with its 700 medals, the number of the Bulgarian ones seems quite small. However, according to experts, the 20 medals are very important because they demonstrate that after years of decline, the Bulgarian wine industry can once again become competitive on the world market.
In the 90’s Great Britain was invaded by Bulgarian wines - over 20 million bottles were imported there in 1999 alone. Official data from the Ministry of Agriculture shows that currently this number is 10 times lower. Bulgarian wines in Great Britain have been replaced by the New World competitors - manufacturers from Chile, Argentina and South Africa.
The International Wine Fair is one of the most anticipated events each year among world wine producers. 180 000 bottles of red, white and rose wines have been sent to London from all over the world. The visitors, which included mostly wine merchants and tasters, could sample over 1250 stands.
Bulgaria was represented by 20 companies and such overwhelming competition makes the 40 Bulgarian awards seem even more significant.
