📍 Sakar

Sakar is a mountain wine area in south-eastern Bulgaria, near the borders with Türkiye and Greece, in the Thracian Lowland. It is part of the Thracian Lowland. The Sakar hills are low but sheltered from cold winds, and the climate is warm with a long dry summer.

Soils are not rich, which cuts yields and concentrates the berries. The zone is known for reds: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the local grape Mavrud, which is especially associated with the Thracian Lowland. Mavrud gives dark, dense, tannic wines with dark-berry and spice aromas, able to age.

Traditions are ancient: Thrace has been known for wine since antiquity, and modern wineries bet on red grapes.

Sakar also attracts visitors with its natural beauty: hills, forests and protected areas. Further west lie better-known zones of the Thracian Lowland, for example Asenovgrad, and the border with Greece and Türkiye runs to the south. Sakar reds suit meat dishes, grilled skewers and aged cheeses. Sakar is one of the least populated corners of Bulgaria, with forests, pastures and old monasteries. For a wine traveller it is a chance to see Bulgarian winemaking far from noisy resorts.