Wine bars – a novelty in Sofia’s urban landscape
Being successors to a land with long-standing traditions in the making, drinking and ritual consecration of wine dating back to the Thracians, Bulgarians were and remain to this day great fans of this magic drink. They like to drink and prepare it themselves. For Bulgarians, delicious food should be accompanied by a glass of good wine.
And here is a peculiarity of Bulgarian wine culture. Wine is like an element of a good meal, not just a tasting adventure. Not to mention that without an appetizer wine is not at all consumed here. Indeed, this is a good habit preventing the rapid intoxication.
This is probably the reason for the late appearance in this country of wine bars, which are very popular in Europe, and in recent decades in the U.S. too. These are places allocated to tasting and discovery rather than eating. Cheese, sausages or salads in wine bars tend to emphasize the taste of wine rather than be the main item on the menu. Yet wine bars are still a rarity here, with just a few in Sofia and an exception across the country.
But this new wine culture is making its way, albeit slowly. For a more successful entry into the local tradition the first wine bars are not classic but have a rather hybrid form. One of the most successful wine bars in Sofia, located in the prestigious Lozenets idistrict s a wine bar only on certain days of the week. On others - it is a traditional whiskey bar, and on some nights – a party bar. Its wine list, however, contains more than 350 titles. Now there is the period of February carnivals. And, of course, the evenings dedicated to Valentine’s Day. Other bars are halfway between wine and tapas bars in Spain. Organizing tasting nights for wines of certain cellars is also part of the specifics of this type of entertainment.
“This may be the formula for our city”, says Vania Dimitrova, manager of a bistro, whose concept is very similar to the wine bar. “Like anything that is not original and is not derived from the local tradition, it must adapt to local customs and habits. I have visited wine bars in Europe and each of them is quite different in concept. What unites them is, of course, the great selection of wines which you can try in a glass. This last, however, the Bulgarian context can be a problem from a financial standpoint because we need to invest in the technologies that keep open wines longer and preserve their qualities. So the formula for the wine bar has these risks, as well”.
Only one or two of the emerging wine bars in the country use a similar technology. One of them is located in a large shopping center, which, of course, provides a huge influx of people and justifies the investment.
As an "imported" phenomenon, these bars tend to attract more foreigners than Bulgarians for the time being:
“Our biggest fans are actually foreigners who feel with us at home”, says Vanya Dimitrova. “But also we welcome Sofians who have willingness to try something different. Most people are accustomed to going to the bar to drinking stronger drinks. The formula of wine bars is slightly strange and unusual to them. Years ago, I remember that no one ordered wine at bars and the bars did not offer it in their menus. But I see that things have changed. Customers now seek it, and many pubs have also started to offer wines alongside more hard liquors. Wine has gone of the restaurants, which is nice because it develops our culture of consumption of this elite drink."
In the past, Bulgaria was the largest exporter of wine in the world, but the Berlin Wall prevented the trade in the opposite direction - the Bulgarian market completely lacked French, Italian, Spanish and other renowned wines. Therefore, wine bars now compete to offer their customers a wide range of brands coming from all over the wine world. Of course, Bulgarian wines are also part of the wine lists. In them one can also find something for themselves, as in the last decade or two countless new wine cellars have appeared offering wonderful and very diverse wines.
Mrs. Dimitrova explains the choice of the house, saying:
“We give visibility to small wineries seeking a different approach, not yet widely known, but offering interesting wines. We allow customers to make their own discovery and to expand their wine culture."
In fact, this is one of the goals of the wine bar - to build a culture of drinking wine in an audience that is not necessarily composed of connoisseurs and experts in this elixir. The wine bar is probably the place where the fight will start with the negative healthy habits of Bulgarians tending to drink more hard liquors rather than the blessed drink of ancient gods.
Text and photo: bnr.bg
(28.02.2013)