Thanks for the info Boris. I'm always looking for something new to try but
I'm no wine expert. Your opinion of Bulgarian wines was confirmed by a
Russian physician on staff who said they were her favorites when she lived
in the USSR. I've noted some of the names and will keep my eyes open for
them.
Charlie
PS On another Bulgarian theme, I heard a singing group this weekend at the
LEAF festival in Black Mountain, NC. Group is called Rising Appalachia. Two
sisters with wonderful voices. Between songs they related they had spent
part of the year touring Bulgaria and had picked up some folk songs from a
woman's group they met. Of course I had no clue of the lyrics but the melody
and their harmonies were amazing.
On Thu, Oct 27, 2011 at 1:02 PM, Willie Wonka <alienspecimen@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> Hi Charlie,
>
> The short answer is "I dont know how reliable this site is, but if
> interested, I can find you at least couple of sources for Bulgarian food in
> US.
>
> Now the long answer-let me know if this is TMI...:)
>
> I just clicked on the first site that had the spice pack. My mother knows
> someone in Saint Louis who owns a Bulgarian store and also ships to
> addresses within US. I will also ask my friends in CT, they go to a similar
> shop somewhere in New York.
>
> Feel free to ask me about anything food-related. Mostly food as for some
> reason my gramma's recipes are much more popular than my
> mother-in-law's...:)
>
> I never tried any of the wines offered. I have spoken about Bulgarian
> wines in the past, but from the past. Before they entered EU and were
> forced to destroy centuries-old vineyards. With that, some of native grapes
> completely disappeared, affecting the variety. They were also forced to use
> the "new and improved" methods, which I know for a fact that it provided a
> negative effect to quality.
>
> I would not bother with cheap Bulgarian merlots and cabernet sauvignons.
> You can find them occasionally in liquor stores for about $5 and have to
> tell you that are not worth even a third of that.
>
> Glad to see that the site offers some wines from traditional grapes,
> Mavrud, Bear Blood, Slivenka Perla (the Pearl of Sliven) and Melnik. From
> all these, the Melnik might be closer to what this market demands. The bear
> blood should taste very similar to a popular Hungarian wine sold here:
> "Bulls Blood". The misket should be similar to Moscato.
>
> I never had the ones offered, but here is the disclamer: Bulgaria made
> excellent wines, but never fine ones worth thousands of dollars. Also, the
> market here demands different types of wine, mostly very thick and syruppy,
> high in alcohol content and with overwhelming aromas mostly not related to
> grape at all. If this is what you are after, you definitely wont like
> them. Your safe bet will be buying wines from CA, Chile, Spain and
> Australia. Argentina and South Africa are eager to join the club.
>
> I live in an area where most of the population is from Portuguese descent.
> I find excellent vino at reasonable prices. I also buy French and Italian
> wines on occasion, because as the Portuguese and Bulgarian, I can actually
> taste the grape first...well, mostly the grape...:) Each variety is suited
> for particular types of dishes, as opposed to "food wine" or "drink alone
> wine". The alcohol content of these wines does not go above the 12.5% for
> the reds and 11% for the whites. Some whites go as low as 9%. Even the
> thickest wines have lighter texture to its body and the aromas are subtle.
>
> I hope I did not scare you away with my warnings. If still interested, I
> will connect with mother and friends tonight to get links and
> recommendations about wine. I will be more than happy to help with any
> questions about food products (and how to cook them).
>
> Best
>
> Boris
>
> ....................
>
> Boris,
> There are some interesting things on their site, are they a reliable
> website to order from? In the past you have spoken highly of Bulgarian
> wines; any recommendations.
>
> Charlie
>
>
>
>
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