Winery Villa Melnik

The roots of the Villa Melnik winery are in Melnik and its wines are true to their origins. Melnik is a symbol of tradition, courage and destiny. They have always been connected with the land and have encoded its identity in the wines. Melnik is wine!

The owner, Nikola Zikatanov, was born in the village opposite the Kapatovo winery in a family with a long tradition in viticulture and wine growing. Nikola decided to dedicate the second part of his life to wine in order to revive his family traditions and build a wine cellar for future generations. Together with his wife Lyubka he planted the vineyards and rebuilt the winery. They planted their vineyards with local and international grape varieties with the clear mission to bring back the glory of Melnik wine and lead the region into the Renaissance.

At the Villa Melnik Winery they believe in the potential of local grape varieties. They create bold blends between rare Bulgarian grapes and international grapes and are constantly expanding. They seek the true expression of the Melnik terroir in each of their wines.

Their new, modern winery opened its doors in 2013. It has state-of-the-art winemaking equipment and dedicated, highly qualified staff. From the very first day, they welcomed wine lovers to the winery for guided tours and tastings so that they could experience the winemaking process for themselves.

In 2015, after seven years of study and work experience abroad, Militza, the daughter of Luybka and Nikola, also joined the family business. She is now helping to create the modern legend of Villa Melnik Winery.

At Villa Melnik they believe that with hard and consistent work, honest approach to wine and respect for nature and the customer they can produce excellent, world-famous wines with a distinct Melnik character.

Villa Melnik Winery is a family business that produces courageous wines from local and international grapes with a distinct Melnik character. They own 30 hectares of vineyards near the town of Melnik and a modern winery that is open to visitors daily.

The new, modern winery opened its doors in spring 2013. From that moment, the modern legend of Villa Melnik winery began.

The capacity of the winery is 250 tons of grapes per year. It is built on three levels, and the cellars are dug into the sandy hill. The winemaking process is organized in such a way that the flow of wine by gravity moves through the three levels of the building. This method is not only extremely energy-efficient, but also allows the wine to be treated gently without unnecessarily stressing the grapes and preserving the natural structure of the wine.

Villa Melnik is equipped with modern machinery from leading Bulgarian and international manufacturers. The stainless steel fermenters vary from 100 liters to 10 tons. The winery has a pneumatic wine press with a central membrane and a fully automatic bottling machine with a capacity of 600 bottles per hour. Villa Melnik has a modern laboratory where they analyze the grapes and wine.

The maturation of the top wines takes place in underground cellar tunnels that lead deep into the sandy hill behind the winery. These tunnels maintain a constant temperature and humidity throughout the year.

All wine lovers can simply enjoy the fine wines and the magnificent view from the tasting terrace.

The Villa Melnik winery continues a family tradition of viticulture and wine production with over two centuries of documented history. There is a document in the family archive that shows that two hundred years ago, the great-great-grandfather owned vineyards in the area.

The vineyards are located in two mountain ranges around the town of Melnik - the famous wine capital of Bulgaria, which is present in all wine encyclopedias. About 20 hectares are located in the Mindalo area near the village of Vinogradi. The other plot, 10 hectares, is located in front of the winery, in the area of Beli Breg, next to the village of Harsovo, which is famous among all wine lovers in Bulgaria.

With the help of Bulgarian viticulture experts and agronomists, Villa Melnik carefully selected and planted its first vines in 2004: broad-leaved Melnik vine, Early Melnik vine (Melnik 55), Ruen, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese as one of the oldest Thracian vines and Mavrud. Villa Melnik are one of the few producers in the Melnik region who planted Mavrud.

From the local white grape varieties grow Tamyanka, Keratsuda and Sandanski Misket, and from the international varieties Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.

The natural and climatic conditions in the Melnik region are among the most favorable for wine production in Bulgaria. This is the warmest and sunniest part of the country. The climate is Mediterranean with a vegetative period of 224 days, a total annual average temperature of 4385 degrees and absolutely no sources of pollution.

The vineyards are situated on a south-facing hill and are exposed to a light breeze that comes down the slopes of the surrounding mountains Pirin, Belasitsa and Slavyanka, leaving no mist or humidity over the vineyards.

The terroir is characterized by sandy soils, through which water can penetrate, as well as limestone and volcanic deposits of the nearby extinct volcano Kozhuh. They do not treat the vineyards with pesticides and do not use any harmful practices that cause pollution of the vines or in any way harm the grapes or the people who enjoy the wines.

In the Melnik region there are many beautiful things to do: There are wonderful attractions for those who are interested in local cuisine, cultural, nature, village or spa tourism. Around the Villa Melnik winery you can walk, hike or cycle; if you are the outdoor type, you can go camping, paragliding or bird watching. Or, you can enjoy a relaxing vacation in one of the many hotels and spa centers in the region. If you want, you can delve deep into history by visiting some of the many museums, old churches and archaeological sites. Whatever you choose to do, rest assured that you will be greeted by friendly locals!
Visit the Villa Melnik winery and fall in love with the Melnik region!

The town of Melnik is present in all world wine encyclopedias as Bulgaria's top wine destination. Enjoy the beautiful landscapes of Melnik, taste delicious local food in charming family-owned taverns and stroll through the picturesque streets of the city. Visit the Kordopulov House, the Roman Bridge, the monument to the hero Yane Sandanski, the Melnik Wine Museum, the Melnik History Museum and the unique churches of St. Anthony and St. Petka. Don't forget to visit the Wine Gallery - the only store in the area where you can see a complete collection of every single wine producer in the region next to art by local artists.

Another must is the ascent to Rozhen monastery, from where you have a magnificent view of Pirin mountain and the magnificent sand pyramids of Melnik. Finally, you can visit the mysterious village of Luybovishte, which means "love of huge proportions".

The Melnik Wine Routes Map marks the wineries open to visitors and the wine projects in the Melnik region, as well as the main historical, cultural, natural and religious sites in the region. The map is a good starting point for planning a trip to the Lower Struma Valley, around the towns of Sandanski, Melnik and Petrich.

The wineries in the Melnik region often organize events and festivals dedicated to the different phases of the wine growing season and wine production, as well as events related to folklore, music, food and wine.

Many people say that the village of Zlatolist and the area of Rupite are places with special, old energy. Two holy women lived in these two places, Reverend Stoina and Baba Vanga.

Both women lost their eyesight at an early age, but it is said that both of them gained the ability to see the future and heal diseases. Join the many pilgrims who visit the monasteries of Zlatolist and Rupite to learn more about their legends and to recharge their batteries with their positive energy.

Sandanski is one of the most renowned centers for SPA and balneotherapy in Bulgaria. The clean air and hot thermal springs attract many tourists who come here to pamper themselves, to recover or to treat various diseases.

Another popular destination, famous for its hot springs and mud baths, is the Rupite area and the village of Marikostinovo, whose thermal springs come from the now extinct Kozhuh volcano.

Hiking, cycling paths, downhill biking, climbing, canyoning, rafting on the Struma, motorcycles or caravans, birdwatching and hunting in the Pirin Mountains, paragliding over the Belasitsa Mountain - there is something for every adventure-seeker in Melnik. Visit the Skoko waterfall near the village of Kashina, the wonderful pyramids of Stob, Pirin National Park, Belasitsa and its highest peak, Kongur, and Samuil's fortress.

Visit the Villa Melnik winery to find out how grapes grow and how to get from grape to wine. And all this in nature with clean air, a glass of Melnik and local typical spits.

For these reasons you should visit the Villa Melnik winery:

- The winery is open for wine tours and tastings every day, without exceptions.
- The friendly tour guides will take you on a tour of the production facilities and conduct a professional wine tasting for you.
- At the Villa Melnik Winery, English, Russian, Spanish and Greek are spoken.
- The tasting room has one of the best views in the region.
- You have the opportunity to visit the underground cellar, which is located deep under the sandy hill, where the barrels and bottles age.
- You can visit the vineyards and participate in the winemaking process during the pruning and harvesting periods.
- Nearby, lovers of culture, archaeology, history, nature, adventure, spa and gastronomy have many sights to visit.
- Villa Melnik is conveniently located just 2.5 hours from Sofia and 1.5 hours from Thessaloniki, with easy access from the E79 highway.
- The winery is accessible for wheelchair users
- At the Villa Melnik winery, dreams of a wedding in the vineyards can come true. The wine cellar is the perfect place and partner for your private or business event.

In the historical wine capital of Bulgaria, the Melnik region, the Villa Melnik Winery offers you individual wine tours and wine tasting.

- "A wine tour" - visit of the winery with a welcome drink.
- "Family tradition" - tour of the winery, tasting of 3 wines, bread, cheese and mineral water.
- "Bergulé" - Visit of the winery, tasting of 4 wines with explanation of winemaking, bread, local specialties and mineral water.
- "AplauZ" - Tour of the winery, tasting of 5 wines made from local and classic grape varieties (including our top wine from the AplauZ range), bread, local specialties and mineral water.
- "Special" - tour of the vineyards and introduction to the local grape varieties, tour of the winery with an explanation of the winemaking process, tasting of 6 wines from local and international varieties (including our top wine from the AplauZ range), bread, carefully selected local specialties and mineral water.

Each winery tour includes:
- Introduction to the history and unique terroir of the Melnik region
- A guided tour of the winery and the cellar
- Wine tasting of wines from the AplauZ, Bergulé and Family Tradition range
- The possibility to customize your tour

Wine for promotional gifts: Impress your business partners with a bottle of high quality Bulgarian wine. Villa Melnik winery can personalize your bottles with an individual label with your company logo

Wine for weddings and special occasions: Surprise your guests and create beautiful memories with Bulgarian wines. Villa Melnik can give you advice on which wines go well with your dinner menu and also customize your labels for you.

Spend an unforgettable day with your team in the extensive vineyards and deep cellars of the Villa Melnik winery! Gain practical experience in winemaking and create your own blends, learn how to taste wine properly and hold your meeting in the local business premises.

Wine training for wine lovers and industry professionals

From wine-tasting and wine-and-food pairing classes to practical lessons on wine blending and pruning, the winery can teach you any wine-related skill. Write to Villa Melnik Winery about what you are interested in and they will organize an entertaining course or serious workshop for you.

Participation in wine-making processes

Become part of the winemaking process by volunteering to prune the vines or harvest the ripe grapes, depending on the season. This is the best way to immerse yourself in an authentic Melnik experience while enjoying the fresh air and beautiful landscape in the vineyards. During the harvest season you have the opportunity to buy fresh, ripe dessert grapes and freshly pressed grape juice.