Where in Plovdiv can we go wine tasting?
Plovdiv is a year-round tourist destination with its well preserved historic landmarks, rich cultural and festival programme, sporting events and great MICE tourism conditions. This places it among the most visited cities in Bulgaria. Up until recently the opportunities for urban wine experiences for tourists were somewhat limited, while the locals have been enjoying more and more evening wine gatherings in recent years. The festivals however have remained constant through time: “Young wine parade”, “Wine and gourmet” and “Plovdiv Urban Wine Fest ”.
The restaurants with excellent wine lists with Bulgarian wines are not as many as they should be in a tourist city surrounded by vineyards and with the highest concentration of wineries in the region. This unfortunately does not allow tourists to discover Bulgarian wine and get to know it, especially regional wine.
As of 2023 Plovdiv can proudly boast some good wine bars and shops where tourists and locals can taste regional wines along with wines from across the whole of Bulgaria, as well as get to know more about them and purchase them.
Here’s where you can do some wine tasting in Plovdiv:
Cork&Fork
Cork&Fork is a wine bar and shop which opened at the end of 2023. Situated in the centre of the city, in a one hundred year-old building it is part of a complex including Atlas restaurant and hotel as well as the children’s centre Atlas Kids. The bar offers a selection of over 300 Bulgarian wines, sorted into regions with a highlight on the varieties typical for those regions, a separate wall of shelves for the local varieties and a designated space for the bio and natural wines. We are happy to share with you that the initial selection of the wines was our doing, and the selection continues to grow thanks to the sommelier Tony Tanev.
A real treasure, a representative sample of Bulgarian wine! The wines can be enjoyed both in the bar, where the cuisine is tapas and farm delicacies, and in the Atlas restaurant, where they can be combined with delicious dishes from their menu. The sommelier in the bar leads the tastings and their 8-bottle dispenser allows visitors to both taste wines from the selection and choose the right glass of wine to pair with their lunch/dinner at the restaurant.
Our wine tasting suggestions:
Cork&Fork is a great venue for hen parties, with wine tastings enhanced with chocolate tasting and curated music, and bachelor parties with craft rakia tastings.
Here are our suggestions:
Berenice Winery & Lounge
The wine salon of Berenice Wine & Lounge is a place for wine tasting and for wine enthusiasts to meet in Plovdiv. They created this cosy nook in the centre of Plovdiv so that it is convenient for you to attend wine tastings and organise your private events, business meetings, celebrations or simply relax with a glass of wine on your lunch break.
We host our monthly themed wine tastings there and truly great meetings ensue. As of recently the location has also opened its doors to individual tourists who want to get to know the wines from their own Berenice brand. Their winery is located in the village of Parvenets, where their own vineyards are also located and we look forward to the moment they open their doors to tourists as well.
Our recommendation:
Trilogie Maison du Bon Vivant
Trilogie Maison du Bon Vivant is a wine bar in the colourful district of Plovdiv – Kapana. For almost 2 years now this wine place has charmed guests with a unique selection of wines, delicious tapas and fresh salads. The ideologists and creators behind it are two brothers – Georgi is dedicated to the selection of wines while Victor makes sure the menu is unique, seasonal and above all skillfully presented and tasty.
Trilogie Maison du Bon Vivant is a place for regular wine tastings, meetings of Plovdiv wine lovers and guests of the city. Exclusively for us they created a wine tasting offer for two – perfect for people who like to try new tastes, to be surprised by unknown wines and products, to “travel” outside of Bulgaria with a glass of wine in hand.
Our exclusive offer:
InterVino
InterVino is a wine shop and tasting place created by people with a deep affinity for fine wine, a contemporary vision of the drink and a desire to experiment with grape varieties and technology. InterVino lends a hand to small family wineries and include their wines in their portfolio by partnering with them as their distributors. The selection is wonderful, the place is cosy, and the presentation of the wines is professional.
Using the CORAVIN bottling system allows them to offer wine tastings for smaller groups as well, served with rye bread and traditional dairy delicacies.
Our recommendation:
We don’t always have the time to dedicate an entire day to a wine cellar experience, and these urban locations make it accessible even on a weekday, after work, shared with friends. In our opinion, every guest of the city should be invited to experience the magic of quality Bulgarian wine and take a piece of it as a souvenir.
Have you visited any of these places already? Share your impressions in the comments below.