Sauvignon Blanc in Bulgaria
According to volume IV of the Bulgarian Ampelography, Sauvignon Blanc is not an indigenous grape variety in Bulgaria but has been introduced to the country, with its exact origins not fully established. It is widely believed that the variety originated in France.
In Bulgaria, the first ampelographic description of Sauvignon Blanc dates back to the 1909–1911 period. Later, in 1936, following a number of studies, experts recommended the grape variety for planting. According to the 1960 Bulgarian viticulture zoning plan, Sauvignon Blanc was initially intended for industrial grape production in the second sub-region of the Eastern Viticultural Area. The vineyards where the grape vine was originally planted were small in size and the variety had local importance. At the beginning of its mainstream cultivation in Bulgaria, the variety was known as ‘Sauvignon’ in specialist viticultural literature and practice, to which ‘Blanc’ was added after 2000.
Ampelographic studies of the Sauvignon variety were conducted between 1951 and 1958 in the Ampelographic Collection of the Higher Agricultural Institute in Plovdiv. The variety was cultivated using the ground-trained Guyot system, and the grapes were used to produce wine. The data from these studies were included in all subsequent textbooks on ampelography. The area planted with Sauvignon Blanc was approximately 494.02 ha, representing 2.40% of the white wine varieties and 0.88% of the total area planted with vines in Bulgaria at the time. In recent years, the grape variety has spread widely and thrives in many areas with suitable terroir. In 2010, it was included in the official list of grape varieties of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Sauvignon is one of the foreign wine varieties used for agri-biological comparison with local varieties. It has been established that the foreign varieties introduced in Bulgaria accumulate more sugars while maintaining high acidity.
Due to the limited variety of white table wines produced from local grape varieties and the growing demand for such wines on the domestic and international market, a need arose in 1968 to plant high-quality foreign grape varieties. As a result, a study of the technological qualities of several varieties grown in the Varna region, including Sauvignon, was undertaken. Until then, no comprehensive technological study of the Sauvignon grape variety had been carried out in Bulgaria, except for testing its suitability for the production of natural sparkling wine. The variety was found to be biologically adaptable to the conditions in the area around Varna (northern Black Sea wine-growing region). Its grapes accumulate approximately 20.5% sugar and at least 8 g/dm³ of titratable acids, which makes them suitable for the production of high-quality dry white, semi-sweet and liquor wines, as well as base wines for natural sparkling wines. The still wines have a fine, harmonious taste and a specific bouquet. The base wines for natural sparkling wines have a suitable chemical composition, a straw-green colour and a pleasant, well-rounded taste. In Bulgaria, Sauvignon Blanc bears fruit and develops best when grafted onto Chasselas x Berlandieri 41 B rootstock. Other suitable rootstocks are Berlandieri x Riparia Kober 5 BB and Rupestris du Lot, as well as Riparia x Rupestris.
In Bulgaria, the ripening of Sauvignon Blanc grapes occurs consistently in late August and early September. The accumulation of sugars and the reduction of acids happen gradually without abrupt changes. A characteristic of this variety is that the high sugar content of the grapes, ranging from 21% to 23%, is accompanied by a high titratable acidity of more than 8 g/dm³. At technological maturity, for naturally sparkling wines, the titratable acidity remains between 8.60 g/dm³ and 12.50 g/dm³, while the sugar content in the base wines ranges from 18% to 20%. This is one of the few varieties that, under the conditions prevalent in Bulgaria, accumulates more sugars and retains high titratable acidity.
During the micro-zoning carried out in Bulgaria, the Sauvignon Blanc variety cultivated around Dragoevo village near Veliki Preslav, was identified, among other varieties, as suitable for making high-quality dry wine with a designation of origin in the third micro-region. Near the town of Karlovo, in the second wine-growing micro-region of Sushitsa, Sauvignon Blanc was also identified as a suitable variety for the production of white wines. In 2007, with the aid of a geographical information system, the areas around Beguntsi village, Banya Municipality, with a temperature sum ranging from 37,50–38,00 °C and 38,00–38,80 °C, were identified as suitable for cultivating Sauvignon Blanc.
In 2000, around 1,000 ha of Sauvignon Blanc were planted in Bulgaria. In 2015, Sauvignon Blanc was grown on 321 wine estates with a total area of 942.15 ha. Of these, 46 wine estates with an area of 216.26 ha were dedicated to vines up to 3 years old (planted between 2013 and 2015); 99 wine estates with an area of 550.31 ha were dedicated to vines 3 to 9 years old (planted between 2006 and 2012); 55 wine estates with an area of 75.27 ha were dedicated to vines aged between 10 and 29 years (planted between 1986 and 2005); and 146 wine estates with an area of 100.34 ha were dedicated to vines 30 years old and older (planted before 1985). In 2020, the grape variety was cultivated on a total of 1,040 ha in Bulgaria.
Following years of extensive research at the Institute of Viticulture and Oenology in Pleven, the variety was recommended for cultivation in almost all wine-growing regions of the country.
In France, 20 clones of Sauvignon Blanc have been developed to date. The Executive Agency for Variety Testing, Approbation and Seed Control in Bulgaria has approved clones 297, 242 and ISV F2 for use in Bulgaria.
In grape vine selection in Bulgaria, Sauvignon Blanc has been used in hybrid combinations, resulting in new white wine varieties: Thracian Pearl (Dimyat & Sauvignon) and Sungurlarski Misket (Red Misket & Sauvignon Blanc).
Margarita Hristova (Levieva)
Editor-in-chief of the Vine and Wine and Bulgaria – Land of Wine magazines
With the kind assistance of Prof. Venelin Roychev
Agricultural University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
