Zlaten Rozhen Winery & Hotel: Wineries of Bulgaria (5 of 7)
Zlaten Rozhen, a winery, hotel and restaurant built in 2012, is tucked in the small village of Rozhen Village. It is our Press Group's fifth winery in Bulgaria (fourth in the Struma River Valley viticultural region). After a visit to Villa Melnik Winery and Orbelus Winery, we arrived at Zlaten Rozhen for wine tasting, dinner and a night's accommodation at their typical Bulgarian rooms.
 |
| Pictures taken from Zlaten Rhozen |
Its
proximity to Rozhen Monastery, Pirin National Park, Sandstone Pyramids
of Melnik and Melnik Village makes it an ideal place to station yourself
when you are in the area for some sightseeing and wine tasting in the
neighboring wineries. The hotel blends with its neighboring houses with
its traditional rustic wooden architecture. It has three
levels - the lower ground is the level of the cellar and tasting room, the ground
floor houses the restaurant and the upper ground floor has the hotel
rooms.
 |
| Pictures taken from Zlaten Rhozen |
At the tasting room, a peculiar chandelier made of green wine bottles, wooden ceiling and a long wooden table laden with platters of charcuterie and cheese and wine glasses lined up in perfect symmetry staged an enchanting ambiance for wine tasting.
Zlaten Rozhen has 12 hectares of vineyards at the foot of the town of Melnik planted with the grape varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Melnik 55, Melnik Ruby and Broad-Leaf Melnik. There are also plans to plant Sandanski Misket vines in the near future. The winery is located in another area which is the village of Kapatovo. In its modern structure, it is fully-equipped to process the complete production process of wines starting from the grapes until the bottling of the wine. Wine tours and wine tastings are also conducted in the winery.
Five bottles of wines were laid out on the table for us to try:
Sandanski Misket 2014 is bright medium yellow white wine with notes of tropical fruits and white flowers.
Rosè 2014 is a pale pink rosè blend of Shiroka Melnishka Loza and Melnik 55 that has fruity notes of wild strawberries and raspberries.
Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 is an equal blend of both varieties. It is a full-bodied ruby-colored red wine that spent 6 months in Bulgarian oak with an intense aroma of chocolate.
Syrah 2013 has an intense ruby color with hints of spices and berries.
Melnishki Kupazh 2013 is a blend of Melnishki Rubin, Melnik 55 and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a ruby color and a medium body with earthy and cherry notes.
Mild weather, lots of sunny days a year and fresh air - these are some of the advantages the region is known for.
More Wineries in Bulgaria:
