I was excited to escape to Bulgarian wine country for a mystery dinner at Villa Yustina. One of the highlights of the Digital Wine Communications Conference #dwcc15 in Plovdiv was a mystery dinner at a local winery. The evening of the event I soon discovered what the green dot on my conference badge meant. I was to board the green bus and it would take me to a winery. The bus took us to Ustina for a dinner hosted by Villa Yustina Winery. This visit was my first introduction to a Bulgarian winery and the faces behind the wine.
Villa Yustina
Villa Yustina Winery, located in Ustina, 26 km from Plovdiv was founded in 2006. Their vineyards are in the northern foothills of the Rhodope Mountains in the Thracean Lowlands wine region. The grape varieties grown in their vineyards include: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Traminer, Aligote, Semillion, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. They also grow indigenous grape varieties, such as Mavrud and Rubin. Regrettably since we visited at night there was no opportunity to view the vineyards.
When we arrived at Villa Yustina we were greeted by our hosts for the evening. First we were taken on a brief tour of the winery before dinner. One of the first things I observed was a wine fountain. Yes, there was real wine flowing in this fountain.
There was also meat roasting on a spit over a fire.
Our tour began with a quick stop at the tanks. We soon discovered that Villa Yustina is a very modern winery, equipped with the latest in wine technology.
Next, a quick stop in the barrel room.
Followed by a look at the bottling room.
Our last stop was the cellar area before moving onto the dining room.
While I have seen all this before it was still good to take a quick tour given that it was my first winery visit in Bulgaria. All in all, the very quick walk through was well worth it. It was a fun time with
An Evening at Villa Yustina
Over the course of dinner we tasted wines from Villa Yustina's wine series that includes:
1. Villa Yustina,
2. Four Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter wines made from vintage blends),
3. Monogram (boutique wine from selected vineyard), and
4. Villa Brut.
Our dinner that evening began with a Villa Brut wine. It was followed by salad, paired with a Villa Yustina Blanc (Dry White) 2014.
The next course was Baked Cheese Pastry (vegetarian option) or Lamb.
The next course was Baked Vegetables (vegetarian option) or Pork paired with Monogram (Mavrud & Rubin) 2011. Bulgaria is known for it indigenous grape varieties, such as Mavrud and Rubin. Mavrud comes from the Greek word (mavro) meaning black. The wine made from this grape has a dark ruby color. It is typically high tannins, with excellent acidity. On the palate it tends to be spicy, with stewed fruit and herbal flavors. Rubin is a hybrid grape developed by Wine and Viticulture Institute, Plever in 1940's by crossing Nebbiolo and Syrah. The grape was certified in 1961. The wine produced from this grape tends to take on the characteristics of both Nebbiolo and Syrah. The result is the wine tends to be spicy, with flavors of cherries, strawberries, black currents, violets and pepper.
Villa Yustina, Monogram, Thracian Valley PGI 2011
For dessert there was ice-cream and grapes.
We were most fortunate to have the winemaker present during dinner. She introduced each wine and explained them to us.
After dinner we could not leave without doing some traditional dancing. Wish we could have stayed longer but it was time to leave.
After a relaxing evening at Villa Yustina it was back on the bus to return to our Plovdiv hotel. Later at the gala banquet we would get to see a professional version of traditional dancing.
Later at the main tasting event I had the opportunity to taste more Villa Yustina wines. This time I could connect with the place and the faces behind the wine.
Special thanks to our wonderful Villa Yustina hosts for sharing the passion behind their wines and for a very enjoyable evening. I especially enjoyed getting to know some of the people involved in the Bulgarian wine industry. After all wine is all about connecting with the people, place and the story behind the wine label. My understanding is that Villa Yustina hosts a variety of popular events throughout the year. The fact that winery has WiFi throughout the wine estate makes it very appealing for visitors. There is also a guesthouse located not far from the property. Check out my travels in Bulgaria and elsewhere at Spaswinefood.
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| Villa Yustina's Winemaker © Spaswinefood |
Villa Yustina Winery, located in Ustina, 26 km from Plovdiv was founded in 2006. Their vineyards are in the northern foothills of the Rhodope Mountains in the Thracean Lowlands wine region. The grape varieties grown in their vineyards include: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Traminer, Aligote, Semillion, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. They also grow indigenous grape varieties, such as Mavrud and Rubin. Regrettably since we visited at night there was no opportunity to view the vineyards.
When we arrived at Villa Yustina we were greeted by our hosts for the evening. First we were taken on a brief tour of the winery before dinner. One of the first things I observed was a wine fountain. Yes, there was real wine flowing in this fountain.
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| Wine Fountain, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Yustina's Export Manager © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Bottling Area, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Cellar, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
An Evening at Villa Yustina
Over the course of dinner we tasted wines from Villa Yustina's wine series that includes:
1. Villa Yustina,
2. Four Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter wines made from vintage blends),
3. Monogram (boutique wine from selected vineyard), and
4. Villa Brut.
Our dinner that evening began with a Villa Brut wine. It was followed by salad, paired with a Villa Yustina Blanc (Dry White) 2014.
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| Salad, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Yustina, Blanc Thracian Valley PGI 2014 © Spaswinefood |
The next course was Baked Cheese Pastry (vegetarian option) or Lamb.
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| Baked Cheese Pastry, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Lamb, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Yustina, 4 Wine Seasons Autumn © Spaswinefood |
The next course was Baked Vegetables (vegetarian option) or Pork paired with Monogram (Mavrud & Rubin) 2011. Bulgaria is known for it indigenous grape varieties, such as Mavrud and Rubin. Mavrud comes from the Greek word (mavro) meaning black. The wine made from this grape has a dark ruby color. It is typically high tannins, with excellent acidity. On the palate it tends to be spicy, with stewed fruit and herbal flavors. Rubin is a hybrid grape developed by Wine and Viticulture Institute, Plever in 1940's by crossing Nebbiolo and Syrah. The grape was certified in 1961. The wine produced from this grape tends to take on the characteristics of both Nebbiolo and Syrah. The result is the wine tends to be spicy, with flavors of cherries, strawberries, black currents, violets and pepper.
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| Baked Vegetable Dish, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Cheese & Vegetable Dish, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Pork, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Yustina, Monogram (Mavrud & Rubin) Thracian Valley PGI 2011 © Spaswinefood |
For dessert there was ice-cream and grapes.
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| Ice-Cream, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
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| Gapes, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
We were most fortunate to have the winemaker present during dinner. She introduced each wine and explained them to us.
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| Villa Yustina Winemaker Time © Spaswinefood |
After dinner we could not leave without doing some traditional dancing. Wish we could have stayed longer but it was time to leave.
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| Dancing, Villa Yustina © Spaswinefood |
After a relaxing evening at Villa Yustina it was back on the bus to return to our Plovdiv hotel. Later at the gala banquet we would get to see a professional version of traditional dancing.
 |
| Traditional Bulgarian Dancing, Gala Banquet © Spaswinefood |
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| Dancing #1, Gala Banquet © Spaswinefood |
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| Dancing #2, Gala Banquet © Spaswinefood |
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| Dancing #3, Gala Banquet © Spaswinefood |
Later at the main tasting event I had the opportunity to taste more Villa Yustina wines. This time I could connect with the place and the faces behind the wine.
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| Tasting Villa Yustina Wines © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Yustina Wines © Spaswinefood |
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| Villa Yustina, 4 Wine Seasons Summer © Spaswinefood |
Sharon
October 2015
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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