site.btaEvents Across Bulgaria to Celebrate International Mavrud Day

For a third year in a row, the Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals (BAWP) organizes the International Mavrud Day initiative, BAWP said. The International Mavrud Day (October 26) aims to promote Bulgarian wines and wine tourism among local and foreign customers. Dedicated to one of the oldest and most distinctive Bulgarian grape varieties, Mavrud, the initiative features an official conference on October 26, a rich educational and entertainment week-long programme, as well as events presenting Bulgarian wines abroad.

The idea behind the International Mavrud Day was born in the challenging 2020 when it was marked virtually on social media with a call to "open a bottle of Bulgarian wine". Although 2021 was tough and accompanied by many bans and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was celebrated in over 70 wineries in 19 countries, BAWP said.

In 2022, three urban wine festivals will be held in the three largest cities of Bulgaria: Varna, on the Black Sea, Plovdiv in south-central Bulgaria and Sofia, on three consecutive Saturdays in October. A selection of Bulgarian wines will tour the country and will be accompanied with different regional dishes in each city. BAWP revealed that the wine list has been properly selected by members of the Association and it consists of local grape varieties only (with a predominance of Mavrud, of course). The list includes over 35 wines, and each winery can present no more than two wines. A few selected regional wines will be presented at the festivals, as well. Visitors can attend the events free of charge. Only consumption will be charged.

The International Mavrud Day initiative will start with Urban Wine Fest - Varna. It will take place at the ReBonkers cultural centre on October 15. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy a specially selected wine bar of local Bulgarian wines with (but not only) seafood, while chefs will give them tips on how to pair best the dishes with wine. The programme also includes live jazz music.

Urban Wine Festival - Plovdiv will be held at the central square in Plovdiv, near the Central Post Office, on October 22. The programme includes musical performances by the Plovdiv Brass Band, saxophonist DiAngelo and DJ Manev. Chef Chakarov and his Culinary Laboratory will focus on combining local wines and food, The Wild Farm will present dishes from Southern Sakar, and Samar Bar’s "street food" will add some urban flavour to the festival.

Urban Wine Fest - Sofia will take place in Sofia’s Largo space on October 29. Culinary professionals will provoke the visitors into finding the best dish for every wine. Vino & Tapas, the HRC culinary academy and chef Ivaylo Ignatov will participate in the event. The Sofia Brass Band and the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra will stage a concert.

On October 26, an international conference, titled "International Mavrud Day" will be held to discuss the importance of local varieties for developing a national wine brand and wine tourism in Bulgaria. International (including two Masters of Wine) and Bulgarian specialists in the fields of wine, oenology, tourism and wine marketing will present best practices from Bulgaria and abroad. Master classes and a round table will discuss regionalization, trade and export. The conference is business-to-business and is aimed at winegrowers, winemakers, retailers, restaurateurs, tour operators, among other professionals in the wine industry. Guests from Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Poland, the US, and Canada will attend the conference.

"All this is in the name of Bulgarian wine. Because BAWP’s cause is to promote Bulgarian wine and wine tourism and help them take their rightful place on the world wine stage through recognition, strong identity and positive image," the organizers of the initiative said.

The 2022 International Mavrud Day is supported by the Tourism Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, State Fund Agriculture, Sofia Municipality, and Plovdiv Municipality. The initiative is sponsored by MasterCard, Hoval, Herti and Devin. Additional information about the International Mavrud Day can be found on mavrudday.com and in social media.