Meet a Rosé wine from Bulgaria. We Found a Good One

It turns out that Bulgaria is currently the #10 top wine producing country in Europe. Who knew ? In-fact vine growing and winemaking have been part of Bulgarian culture for thousands of years back in time when famous legends like Spartacus was a Thracian gladiator

Bulgaria is a beautiful country that lies on the west side of the Black Sea, south of Romania and north of Greece. 

There are 5 main regions in Bulgaria that produce wine. Today, we are going to introduce you to the Struma River Valley region. While it is the smallest region it has specific climate features, perfect vine growing conditions, which are very similar to the great Mediterranean wine regions. The Struma Valley is on the south west corner of Bulgaria and is named after the Struma River. 

Melnik is a town in Struma River Valley known for its great wines and even has a variety of grape named after it commonly referred to as just the Melnick.

We found an amazing Rosé from the Logodaj Winery in Struma River Valley produced  from the Broad leaved Melnik grape variety.

NOBILE ROSÉ

Wine Maker Notes:

Nobile Rosé has a pink color with orange hues, extremely fruity and rich aromas dominated by berry fruits. Nobile Rosé is very elegant and fine with delicate freshness.

This wine embraces Melnik's finess and richness, warmth of south sun and the magic and puriness of nature in the very southwest corner of Bulgaria.

About the Wine Maker

Riccardo Cotarella

Riccardo Cotarella, nicknamed "the Wizard," is the winemaker of the moment, driven by his interest in reviving, before it's too late, the ancient grapes across Europe. Riccardo Cotarella is considered by many to be one of Italy's greatest winemaker, and has even been called “one of the world's most influential. Riccardo is dedicated to producing interesting, well-made wines at reasonable prices.  He has been consulting with Logodaj vineyard since 2011.

Our Rosé Take

This Rosé is a light, refreshing wine that is very fruity but not sweet. Somehow it stays dry and refreshing on a hot day. The Nobile Rosé bottle is sleek, modern and stands out on the table or in the cooler.

It has a awesome combination of flavors of strawberries, raspberries, cherries and spices. The taste is fresh and fruity without being overly sweet.

Noible is a perfect Rosé  to take to the beach or enjoy for lunch, at brunch or just hanging on a hot lazy afternoon with friends. Best served chilled. 

Fun Fact

The Melnik was a favorite of famed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who would order 132 US Gallons (500 liters) each year of wine produced from this grape. True or not get in with good company and try out a Nobile Rosé.

About the Vineyard

History of Logodaj Winery

Broad Leave Melnik Vine and Early Melnik Vine are grape varieties, grown only in this part of the world along the Struma Valley. The Logodaj Winery, established in 1994  is found in the heart of the valley. It is the sunniest and the hottest area of Bulgaria, with a long history immersed in deep traditions of wine making. The loads of warm sunshine and the terrain combined with the fine craftsmanship of the wine-makers, makes this area so favorable to producing a great wine.

Since its beginning, Logodaj Winery has shown over 20 years that tradition and progress can go hand in hand. The company mainly focuses on indigenous grape varieties like the Broad Leave and Early Melnik Vines under the direction of Italian star oenologist, Riccardo Cotarella. The vineyard produces many complex red wines following Cotarella's innovative technique and technologies. He and his team have taken over the wine making process, making the wines more delicate and polished. 

The Process

Logodaj is the first producer of sparkling Melnik Brut and Brut Rosé made from 100% Broad Leaved Melnik Vine using the traditional method. Nobile is aged in French Oak barrels where the aim is to achieve pure varietal fruit aromas. The Nobile Rosé demonstrates they are moving towards achieving this goal.

Riccardo Cotarella has worked diligently throughout the world to cultivate fantastic wines at affordable prices and preserved the ancient vines for the future.

Where to Find Nobile

Dante Cellar
666 Lexington Avenue
NY, NY 10022
tel: 1-212-369-5656

The Upsider
1004 2nd Avenue
NY, NY 10022
tel:  646 726 4760

Ambassador Wines
1020 2nd Avenue
NY, NY 10022
tel: 1-212-421-5078

Koralis
1662 3rd Avenue
NY, NY 10128
tel: 1-646-964-5470

Barcibo
2020 Broadway
NY, NY 10023-5008
tel: 1-646-918-9562

Charivari Restaurant
2521 Bagby St.
Houston, TX 77006
tel: 1-713-521-7231

Pompano Restaurant
209 E 49th St.
NY, NY 10017
tel: 1-212-751-4545

Amma Restaurant
246 E. 51st Street
NY, NY 10022
tel: 1-212-644- 8330

McCabe Wine
1347 3rd Avenue
NY, NY 10075
tel: 1-212-737-0790

Spice Symphony
150 E 50th St.
NY, NY 10022
tel: 1-212-300-4869

Sommtime
959 2nd. Avenue
NY, NY 10022
tel: 1-212-888-7404

McNamara Liquors
2102 Montauk Hwy
Bridgehampton, NY 11932
tel: 1-631-537-1230

Jaipur Restaurant
847 W Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Tel: 312-526-3655

Curry Hut
410 Sheridan Rd.
Highwood,IL 60040
Tel: 847-432-2889

Himalayan Restaurant
8625 W Golf Rd.
Niles, IL 60714
Tel: 847-314-4150

Freeport Liquor Busters
169 W. Merrill Rd.
Freeport, NY 11520
tel: 1-516-377-8888

EZ Wine & Liquor
1108 Rt. 112
Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776
tel: 631-331-7979

East 87th Street Liquors
1693 2nd Ave #1, NY, NY 10128
tel: 1-212-369-1822

Fort Salonga Wines
10 Fort Salonga Rd
Fort Salonga, NY 11768
tel: 631-262-9463

Clevedale Historic Inn
1050 Willis Rd
Spartanburg, SC 29301
tel: 1-864-345-2394

Reeves Catering
40 Rushmore Dr
Greenville, SC 29615
tel: 1-864-275-0021

Eagles Liquor
120 Robin Helton Dr, Boiling Springs
SC 29316
tel: 1-864-599-7777

Columbia Metropolitan Airport, 3250 Airport Blvd, West Columbia
SC 29170
tel: 1-803-822-5000

Lowes Foods
2815 Woodruff Rd Simpsonville
SC 29681
tel: 1-864-234-6842

Lowes Foods of Greer
850 E Suber Rd #200
Greer, SC 29650
tel: 1-864-848-9666

Hollywood Liquors
1301 W Hollywood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60660
Tel: 773-878-1135

3 FOOD PAIRINGS & RECIPES

Porterhouse Steak

Contributed By Bon Appetit Grace Parisi Photo © Stephanie Foley

Total Time: 30 MIN  Servings: 4

Perfect Porterhouse Steak

This is chef Bobby Flay's recipe for the perfect Porterhouse steak. With a steak this thick, you need to season liberally; the surface of the meat was virtually white from salt.

 INGREDIENTS

• 1 two inch- thick Porterhouse steak, trimmed (about 2 lb.)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

PREPARATION

1.  Let steak sit at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking, which will help it cook quickly and more evenly.

2.  Heat broiler. Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat, then heat oil in pan until smoking. Season steak very generously with salt and pepper and cook until a deep brown crust forms on underside (do not turn), about 4 minutes. Transfer steak to a cutting board, turning it browned side up.

3.  Cut meat from bone in 2 pieces (strip steak and filet mignon). Slice both pieces straight down perpendicular to the bone 1” thick. Replace sliced steak around the bone (it should look like a whole sliced steak) and return to skillet, browned side up. Top with butter and broil until butter is melted and steak is medium-rare, 4–6 minutes. Serve steak with buttery pan juices spooned over.

Roasted Corn Salad

Contributed by: Bon Appetit Photo credit: © Fredrika Stjrne

Active Time: 45 mins           Total Time: 60 mins              Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• ½ red bell pepper, cored and seeded but left whole

• 6 ears of corn, husked

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ small red onion, halved and sliced thinly

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• ¼ cup chopped basil

 PREPARATION

1.    Light a grill. Roast the peppers over a hot fire, turning, until charred all over, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel the peppers and cut them into ¼-inch strips.

2.    Brush the corn with ¼ cup of the olive oil and grill over moderately high heat, turning, until charred in spots but still slightly crisp, about 7 minutes. Let cool slightly. Working in a large bowl, cut the kernels from the cobs.

3.    Add the peppers and red onion to the corn. Stir in the lime juice and the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Add the cilantro and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and toss again, then serve.

 NOTES: Alternatively remove the use of Cilantro. We also found you can roast the corn and peppers in a fry pan on the stove. Remove the kernels and grill in a pan – put a teaspoon of olive oil and a tab of butter, stir occasionally, cook about 4 minutes or until brown spots appear.

Eggplant Pizza

Photo credit: Miryam@eatgood4life

Total Time: 20 mins   Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplant, sliced 1 inch thick

• 24 oz jar tomato sauce (Barilla Spicy Marinara is recommended)

• 20 slices mozzarella

• 3-4 oz fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced

• 1 cup fresh basil

• ½ tsp kosher salt

PREPARATION

1.  Preheat oven to 425 F. Arrange the sliced eggplants. Sprinkle the kosher salt and bake for 15-20 minutes, turn once half way through.

2.  Remove the bake eggplant from the oven. Turn your broiler on. Spread 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce over each eggplant round followed by one slice of mozzarella. Arrange some fresh basil and cherry tomatoes over the cheese and broil for 3 minutes.  Serve while hot.