By Elissaveta Velianova
After the notoriously poor harvests in 2004 and 2005, the much awaited 2006 vintage brought a breath of fresh air for Bulgarian winemakers. The Executive Agency on
Vine and Wine forecasts that over 300,000 tonnes will be picked, a 23% increase over 2005. Expectations are that both quantity and quality improvements will allow wineries to bring production back to the 2003 levels, when 1.5 million hectolitres of wine were made. Grape quality is good, but both growers and winemakers had originally expected an even better vintage. The year was particularly suitable for the earlier ripening Merlot but, with a few exceptions, the autumn rains affected the quality of Cabernet Sauvignon harvested later in the season. The improved quality has, however, in spite of the volume, kept the average prices above 2005 levels - and for the first time the demand for white varieties exceeded that for red. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Traminer fetched between 0,40 to 0,57 a kilogramme, which is 20% above the 2005 prices. On the other hand, rapid growth in red grape plantings and the abundant harvest drove prices for Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc down to 0,23 . Top quality red grapes, however, are still in high demand and their prices reached 0,61 . Given the higher volume of new red vines planted the price gap between red and white varieties is expected to remain an issue for the coming years.
