📍 Asenovgrad

Asenovgrad is a town in the centre of southern Bulgaria, in Plovdiv Province, not far from Plovdiv itself. It stands between the Upper Thracian Plain and the Rhodope Mountains on the Chepelarska river. Above the town survive the ruins of Asen's Fortress, strengthened in the thirteenth century by Tsar Ivan Asen II; in 1934 the town took his name, and before that it was called Stanimaka. It is the largest town in Bulgaria that is not a provincial centre. The Asenovgrad wine district belongs to the Thracian Lowland.

The main grape of these parts is Mavrud, a local red variety long associated with Asenovgrad. Mavrud ripens late and gives dark, full-bodied, tannic wines that need time in barrel and bottle. Wine from it is often named after the place, "Asenovgrad Mavrud". The district also grows Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, from which reds in an international style are made.

The Thracian Lowland is one of Bulgaria's five wine regions; in 1960 the country was officially divided into regions. Summers here are warm and autumn is mild, which suits red grapes.

Asenovgrad is a convenient point for getting to know Bulgarian red wine, since Plovdiv with its old town is not far away.