After a full day touring the Struma Valley we stopped for dinner hosted by Bononia Estate in Katina, near Sofia. Perhaps it was that glass of Ooh La la wine that convinced me to pay attention to Bononia Estate wines. Or, maybe, it was the story of how the wine got its name. One never knows.
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| Ooh La la Moments, Bononia Estate © Spaswinefood |
The story of how this rosé wine got its name goes something like this. A group was discussing what to name the wine when someone asked "How does it make you feel?" A response was Ooh La la. Then everyone went Ooh La la. After one sip of this wine I immediately identified with the name.
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| Bononia Estate, Ooh La la Rosé 2016 © Spaswinefood |
Daylight was quickly fading into night when we arrived that June evening to a warm welcome.
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Welcome, Bononia Estate Wines © Spaswinefood
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Bononia Estate Wines: Let Your Spirits Fly
In 2016 Bononia Estate launched its first wine brands (ISTAR, Ooh La la, Gomotartzi, and Bononia Estate Reserve.
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| Bononia Estate Wines © Spaswinefood |
Bononia Estate White Wines
The ISTAR white wine line includes Traminer, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay wines. It is named after the ancient Greek name for the Danube. This series is a wine that expresses the Balkan comforts of home, family, friends and conversations about the past, present and future.
Bononia Estate, Sauvignon Blanc 2016
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| Bononia Estate, Sauvignon Blanc 2016 © Spaswinefood |
Bononia Estate, Chardonnay 2016
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| Bononia Estate, Chardonnay 2016 © Spaswinefood |
These well made white wines are indeed quite delightful.
Bononia Estate Rosé
They make a rosé wine that is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet France. Given its pale salmon color it looks very Provencal.
Bononia Estate, Ooh La la Rosé 2016
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| Bononia Estate, Ooh La la Rosé 2016 © Spaswinefood |
I loved this rosé wine.
Bononia Estate Red Wines
Their red wines include the Gomotartzi and the Bononia Estate Reserve. The Gomotartzi is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend, whereas the Reserve is a Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend.
Bononia Estate, Gomotartzi Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
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| Bononia Estate, Gomotartzi Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah © Spaswinefood |
Regrettably I tasted only the Gomotartzi and so I look forward to tasting the Bononia Estate Reserve in the future. The Gomotartzi is indeed a wine to be savored.
Overall I was quite pleased with the wines from this young winery. I am not surprised to hear that Bononia Estate wines are already wining awards. These are wines that let your spirits fly. After all they come from the Danube Plain, which is known for its fresh varietal white wines and rich red wines.
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#Winelover with Bononia Estate Wine © Spaswinefood
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The delightful dinner began with fantastic appetizers and salads. It is hard to beat appetizers and salads in Bulgaria. That evening was no exception.
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| Appetizers and Salads © Spaswinefood |
The main course included awesome soup, barbecued meats, and lamb.
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| Main Dishes © Spaswinefood |
I particularly liked the bean soup.
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| Delicious Soup © Spaswinefood |
As the daylight faded and night fell out came the folkloric dancers.
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| Folkloric Dancers, Bononia Estate Dinner © Spaswinefood |
Yes, at the end we all joined the dancers in a final dance. How could you not? It is after all Bulgaria where dancing is always a part of celebration.
I left that evening with a sense of delighted for Bononia Estate wines from the Danube wine region. In fact the very next day we were off to the Danube. While I did not visit Bononia Estate on that trip I did get a good introduction to this wine region.
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The Danube River © Spaswinefood
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Bonnie Estate, Danubian Plains
Bononia Estate is located in the Danubian Plains. Wine making in the Danube Plains dates back to Roman times. In 1895 Victor Olinger established the first brewery in Bulgaria in the village of Koshava. Later the brewery was converted into a wine cellar. Historically wine production in the region has always been important, and has survived many challenges. Today the Danube Plain is one of the most important wine regions in Bulgaria, with its vineyards accounting for 30% of vineyard production.
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| Danubian Plain Vineyard © Spaswinefood |
Fortunately in 2010 the Yotovi family decided to revive wine making in this eco-friendly area. In 2013 Bononia Estate planted 100 acres of vineyards, expanding later to 270 acres. They planted international grape varieties from France and Italy. They have also established a winery with a state of the art technology. By the end of 2017 they will complete a wine cellar with hotel rooms in Gomotarsh.
Bononia Estate's goal is to establish one of the best Eastern European wineries and hence contribute towards establishing Bulgarian wines amongst the top wines in the world. I totally agree with the wine critics who suggest that Bulgarian wines are not only back but also the wines are better than ever. Spaswinefood is looking forward to future wine adventures in Bulgaria. I invite you to join me in my travels in Bulgaria and elsewhere at Spaswinefood.
Sharon
June 2017
Sofia, Bulgaria
© Spaswinefood
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Bononia Estate Ooh La La Moments © Spaswinefood
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Note: Special thanks to the Bulgarian Wine Export
Association (BWEA) and our Bulgarian host who sponsored this trip.
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