Bulgarian Wine Legislation — Official Wine Regions

Reference date: 3 August 2026.

Bulgaria has 2 PGI macro-regions and 52 PDO areas, with 5,000+ years of wine history (Thracian civilisation) and as the oldest wine country in the Balkans.

Bulgaria joined the EU on 1 January 2007. The former GNP/GKNP system was replaced by the EU PDO/PGI system.

1. Classification system (EU classification since 2007)

Designation	Level	Description	Requirement
PDO (ЗНП)	Highest	Защитено наименование за произход (Protected Designation of Origin)	100% of grapes from the defined area; strict production rules
PGI (ЗГУ)	Middle	Защитено географско указание (Protected Geographical Indication)	Min. 85% of grapes from the region
Reserve	Quality	Min. 1 year of ageing from November of the harvest year	EU-recognised traditional quality term
Special Reserve	Quality	Min. 1 year of ageing in oak casks	EU-recognised traditional quality term
Wine (Table Wine)	Basic	Table wine without a geographical indication	No geographical restriction

2. PGI regions (Protected Geographical Indication) — 2 macro-regions

#	PGI region	Location	Characteristics
1	Дунавска равнина (Danubian Plain)	Northern Bulgaria (north of the Balkan Mountains)	Continental climate, elegant red wines, fresh white wines, Gamza, Cabernet, Merlot
2	Тракийска низина (Thracian Valley)	Southern Bulgaria (including the Struma Valley and Black Sea Coast)	Warmer climate, powerful red wines, indigenous varieties, Mavrud, Merlot, 35% of vineyards

The two PGI macro-regions were established on 16 August 2005, before Bulgaria joined the EU. The Balkan mountain range forms the natural boundary.

3. PDO regions (Protected Designation of Origin) — 52 areas

3a. Дунавска равнина (Danubian Plain) — Northern Bulgaria

#	PDO region	Sub-region	Characteristics
1	Lom	North-Western Bulgaria	On the Danube; continental climate
2	Montana	North-Western Bulgaria	Hilly terrain
3	Novo Selo	North-Western Bulgaria	Northernmost wine region
4	Vidin	North-Western Bulgaria	Historic wine region on the Danube
5	Vratsa	North-Western Bulgaria	Near the Balkan Mountains
6	Lozitsa	North-Central	Near Pleven
7	Pavlikeni	North-Central	Historic wine centre
8	Lyaskovets	North-Central	Near Veliko Tarnovo
9	Svishtov	North-Central	On the Danube; long winemaking tradition
10	Suhindol	North-Central	Renowned wine region; Gamza specialist
11	Khan Krum	North-Central	Named after a Bulgarian ruler; white wines
12	Novi Pazar	North-Central	In the Shumen region
13	Pleven	North-Central	Important wine centre
14	Ruse	North-Central	On the Danube; diverse wines
15	Varbitsa	North-Central	Near Pleven; historic area
16	Veliki Preslav	North-East	First Bulgarian capital
17	Dragoevo	North-East	Near Shumen
18	Shumen	North-East	Historic wine region
19	Targovishte	North-East	Continental climate
20	Lovech	North-East	On the edge of the Balkan Mountains

3b. Черноморски район (Black Sea Coast) — Coastal Area

#	PDO region	Sub-region	Characteristics
21	Euxinograd	North-East coast	Royal estate; 30% of Bulgarian vineyards are on the coast
22	Varna	North-East coast	Maritime climate; aromatic white wines
23	South Black Sea Coast	South-East coast	Mild autumn; elegant wines
24	Pomorie	South-East coast	Historic port; coastal terroir

3c. Тракийска низина (Thracian Valley) — Southern Bulgaria

#	PDO region	Sub-region	Characteristics
25	Asenovgrad	South-Central	Birthplace of Mavrud, near Plovdiv; outstanding indigenous red wines
26	Brestnik	South-Central	Near Plovdiv
27	Haskovo	South-Central	Warm climate
28	Oryahovitsa	South-Central	Near Stara Zagora
29	Karlovo	South-Central	Rose Valley region; Red Misket
30	Pazardzhik	South-Central	On the Maritsa River
31	Septemvri	South-Central	Temperate climate
32	Plovdiv	South-Central	The world's oldest continuously inhabited city; historic wine centre
33	Perushtitsa	South-Central	Near Plovdiv; traditional
34	Stambolovo	South-Central	In the Haskovo region
35	Stara Zagora	South-Central	Large wine region
36	Shivachevo	South-Central	Continental climate; abundant sunshine
37	Hisarya	South-Central	Spa region with viticulture
38	Ivaylovgrad	South-Central	Near the Greek border
39	Lyubimets	South-Central	Southern climate
40	Nova Zagora	South-Central	Diverse wines
41	Sakar	South-East	Sakar Mountains, near the Turkish and Greek borders; powerful red wines
42	Sungurlare	South-East	Rose Valley; aromatic white wines; Red Misket
43	Bolyarovo	South-East	Near Yambol
44	Karnobat	South-East	Near Burgas
45	Slavyantsi	South-East	In the Burgas region
46	Yambol	South-East	Historic wine centre
47	Sliven	South-East	At the foot of the Balkan Mountains

3d. Долината на Струма (Struma Valley) — South-Western Bulgaria

#	PDO region	Sub-region	Characteristics
48	Harsovo	Struma Valley	Mediterranean climate
49	Sandanski	Struma Valley	Research station where Melnik 55 was bred (1963)
50	Melnik	Struma Valley	Bulgaria's smallest town; endemic Shiroka Melnishka Loza; 6,000 years of wine history
51	Struma Valley	Struma Valley	Overarching PDO; Mediterranean influence from the Aegean Sea
52	Svilengrad	Struma Valley	Near the Greek and Turkish borders

4. Principal grape varieties

#	Grape variety	Type	Characteristics
1	Mavrud (Мавруд)	Red	Most highly regarded indigenous grape, from the Asenovgrad region; dark-coloured, high in tannins and acidity, with blackberry, mulberry and spice notes; ages well in oak
2	Shiroka Melnishka Loza (Широка мелнишка лоза)	Red	Endemic to Melnik and the Struma Valley; powerful, perfumed and richly textured; suitable for long-term ageing
3	Melnik 55 (Ranna Melnishka Loza)	Red	A 1963 cross between Shiroka Melnishka Loza and Valdiguié; earlier ripening and more approachable, with black cherry and pepper notes
4	Gamza (Гъмза) / Kadarka	Red	Northern Bulgaria's signature grape; light-bodied, with bright cherry and spice notes; comparable to a light Pinot Noir
5	Rubin	Red	Bulgarian cross between Nebbiolo and Syrah; dark and powerful
6	Dimyat (Димят)	White	Related to Gouais Blanc; apple, citrus and mineral notes; typical of the Black Sea Coast
7	Red Misket (Мискет червен)	White	Aromatic, floral and honeyed; from the Rose Valley and Sungurlare
8	Misket Varnenski	White	Aromatic variety from the Black Sea Coast
9	Pamid	Red/Rosé	Ancient grape used for light red wines and rosé for everyday drinking
10	Cabernet Sauvignon	Red	Most widely planted grape (c. 16% of vineyard area); classic Bordeaux style
11	Merlot	Red	Second most widely planted grape (c. 15% of vineyard area); softer and fruitier
12	Chardonnay	White	International variety; diverse styles
13	Muscat Ottonel	White	Aromatic; typical of Northern Bulgaria

5. Production statistics (2024)

Characteristic	Value	Note
Vineyard area	c. 60,000 ha	Stabilising after a decline since the 1990s
Red vs white wine	63% red / 37% white	Red wines dominate production
Cabernet + Merlot share	c. 31% of vineyard area	International varieties dominate
Principal export market	EU countries	PGI wines are the main export category
Thracian Valley share	c. 35% of vineyards	Largest and most important wine region