Bulgaria · WINE TOURS
Bulgarian wine spent a generation rebuilding after the co-op years, and the results — Mavrud, Melnik, Rubin — now embarrass far pricier bottles. The 15 tastings below are priced by what is in the glass, with a note on which ones feed you properly.
Taste five rare Bulgarian grape varieties in central Sofia with local cheeses, craft bread, and a personal lesson in Bulgaria’s wine story.
“Very nice wines. Enjoyed the tasting and learning a bit about the history of Bulgarian grapes and wines.”
Tour DiVes Estate Winery near Nessebar for Battle of Aheloy history, six Bulgarian wines, local bites, and Black Sea views.
“This was an amazing experience. Dimitar was so passionate about his wines and deservedly so, they were some of the nicest wines we'd ever tasted especially the rose. It was so interesting to see the machinery and hear about how he strives to improve his business year on year. Dimitar was a very likeable host and easy to get on with, he really made the experience! Couldn't recommend this enough”
Taste Bulgarian wines in UNESCO-listed Nessebar with a private host, local pairings, and an optional gourmet lunch or dinner.
“Me and some friends did the 4 wine tasting, the host was so kind and informative regards the wine and allowed us to really customise the experience to our tastes. Great atmosphere and we ended up ordering a bottle and whiling the hours away. Could not recommend more.”
Taste six boutique Bulgarian wines with local meats and cheeses at a small Sofia wine bar, with history, regional grapes, and a friendly host.
“Very cute and well decorated boutique. The wines were good and the owner took the time to present them and answer our questions. The presentation of wines is a bit monotonic though and could use a bit more livelyness.”
Taste five Bulgarian wines, local cheeses, and cold cuts in a vintage Sofia venue with stories, music, and an easy city-center meeting point.
“As I was the only person who signed up for the tasting on the day, I was treated to something that almost resembled a Private Tasting. As well as treating me to some some top-quality wines including something that was special and unique, Radoslav (or 'Rado' as he is often known by) shared some great stories about Bulgaria itself, and exactly why the Country has some of the best wines in Europe. If your time in the Country is very limited, then this experience is a MUST!”
Explore Sofia’s boutique wine scene with Pavlin, tasting Bulgarian grapes, snacks, and local stories at three intimate evening venues.
“I had a wonderful time on this experience. We walked to two small and cozy wine bars and one restaurant. Each location was very unique and not a place I would have found on my own. We sampled two wines and had some snacks at each location. Pavlin, the host, is very knowledgeable on Bulgarian wines and provided a great deal of info on the subject. But was also had a great discussion of modern Bulgaria and his personal experiences. I highly recommend this tour!”
Spend a full day from Sofia exploring Plovdiv's Roman sights and Villa Yustina's wines in the Thracia Valley with a local guide.
“This was a great experience. Our tour guide picked us up on time, was very friendly and customer service oriented. She gave us a run down of what to expect. She was very knowledgeable and encouraged questions. The experience itself was outstanding. We enjoyed visiting Plovdiv and the wine tasting was incredible. I highly recommend this experience!”
Taste Bulgarian prime cuts and local wine in central Sofia, with cultural stories, a vintage setting, and useful food tips from host Rado.
“This was my introduction to sofia, as I had just arrived a few hours prior. Rado was fantastic. He runs a hostel and I met him at his bar area. A very cool spot w some unique artistic decor. The prime cuts and cheese were beyond amazing. The spicy sauce was so good I ended up buying his last bottle from him. He was an amazing host and gave me many enjoyable facts about bulgarian cuisine and some reccomendations on places to try. Highly reccomend this tour and I'm sure any other tours that Rado runs is also A+++!!!!”
Visit Rila Monastery from Sofia, admire Bulgarian Renaissance frescoes, and taste five wines at Medi Valley Winery with private transport.
“My friend and I had a great trip to the Rila Monastery and Wine Tasting. Our guide Victor was excellent and gave us much information about the Monastery that we would have never known had we gone on our own. We had a nice lunch in a cozy restaurant where Victor continued to share personal stories of the Bulgarian history with us, which was all very eye opening. The winery part was good, perhaps a little rushed, but the wine was excellent. I highly recommend this tour for a personalized experience with loads of information. It was a great combination of sightseeing, walking and relaxation.”
Taste four Bulgarian wines with a sommelier and traditional appetizers in Burgas, a compact private experience with one important location detail to confirm.
“The online description specifically states the tasting takes place in Burgas, Bulgaria and there is a lunch or dinner time option. I called to confirm, and Viator confirmed the info. We booked less than a day ahead. The email said the tour is in Nessebar, Bulgaria, 40 kilometers from Burgas and 45 minutes away. Along with a 4 pm start time. I am now disputing the charge as the city and start time are entirely different from the web page.”
Explore Varna’s French connections, landmarks, and Bulgarian wine with a private guide on this well-priced four-hour walking tour.
“L’excellent français de Casimir sa gentillesse ainsi que sa culture Belle découverte de la ville et très sympathique découverte des vins bulgares”
Explore Varna’s cathedral, Roman baths, Sea Garden, and Bulgarian wine with a private guide in a four-hour culture tour.
“Was a fantastic day. Both Radul and Dimo were perfect hosts. Radul in particular mixed a lot of his own history with at that of Varna and Bulgaria and that really made it feel personal. The wine tasting lunch was both generous and very tasty. Highly recommend it.”
Explore Varna on foot, then taste Bulgarian wines and traditional dishes with a sommelier on this private half-day experience.
“We took the self-guided tour. We were really confused when we received the E-guide. To our opinion it was a guide downloaded from google. We also missed a small map which guided us to the diffrent points in the city. We had to create our own little map on the GPS to navigate us. A small map would be helpfull. The Six stops of food are also not present anymore. Due to Corona a lot of shops closed but this needed to be stated on the itinerary. We received all the food at our local winery but we were confused that the e-guide did not gave us this info. I…”
Tour Edoardo Miroglio Winery in Bulgaria for cellar access, wine tasting, lunch, vineyard views, and a private half-day experience.
“Our first stop was for wine. We chose the Edoardo Miroglio winery tour whcih proved to be the best. We are wine lovers and have explored wineries worldwide. This tour is really a must when in Bulgaria. Polite staff, great wine, everything was top notch!”
Explore Plovdiv, Perushtitsa, the Red Church, and Villa Yustina on a guided day trip from Sofia with wine tasting.
“The tour was informative thanks to the tour guide, Maris is an encyclopedia of information concerning Bulgaria and other countries nearby”
Four ways into the country, none of them wrong.
