Longtime friends Petar Georgiev and Radostin Milkov had both worked in wineries all over the world before deciding, in 2014, that the time was right to join forces and return to Bulgaria to fulfill their dream of making world-class wines in their homeland. They though it was high time that local varieties like Mavrud and Rubin should get the attention they deserve, both from the public and the wine experts. Thus was born one of the boldest wine initiatives in modern Bulgaria. Today, grapes from a pair of 40-year-old vineyards in the Thracian valley are hand picked and hand sorted, spontaneous fermentation happens in small tanks with constant temperature control. The wines are aged in a mixture of Bulgarian and French oak barrels and the resulting quality is truly impressive.
 
Pink Side of Rubin is a lovely celebration of the versatility of this indigenous Bulgarian grape. Hand-harvested grapes are carefully sorted and gently pressed under temperature control. 60% is fermented in steel tank and 40% in French acacia. The final wine is aged for four months in acacia and leads with pronounced aromas of white cherries, strawberries, blossom and vanilla. On the palate it is plush and moreish with a medium body, zingy red fruits and a long finish.
 
Thracian Valley, Bulgaria.
 
Vegan.
 
12% ABV. 750ml.