A favorite of millions of Bulgarians, "Karnobat grape brandy" fascinated the connoisseurs with a new and even better taste. Now, the most preferred native brandy mixes the tradition, the craftsmanship and a carefully guarded secret about which the Chief Technologist of "Vinprom Karnobat" Stoyan Stoyanov tells.
"Seven years ago I gathered the skillful craftsmen – technologists and we promised to create brandy with unexpectedly rich aroma and mellow and balanced taste. We sought for old recipes passed by from mouth to mouth in the area of Karnobat for hundreds of centuries. From these recipes, we learnt that for six autumns in a row our ancestors had separated in the cellars the best brandy distillates, so that on the seventh year they could put them in brandy which would proudly carry the glory of their fame and mastery. So we did the same. During each grape-gathering, we carefully picked the grapes of the famous Red Muscat grape for brandy, as well as Ottonel, Pamid and Rkatsiteli, all grown under the Thracian sun in our vineyards. At dawn, we hand-picked only the ripest and most aromatic grapes and lovingly pressed them as our fathers taught us. We boiled the grapes with utmost precision and left them to mature in barrels of Strandja oak tree, ordered from the famous barrel makers. With the mastery of skillful tasters, we sipped from the grape elixir and picked only the most drinkable distillates. On the seventh year, we entered the cellars and mixed the best and most drinkable among the carefully maturing wines. This is how we created the new "Karnobat grape brandy". It combines the experience we inherited from generations of Karnobat winemakers and vine-growers. We blended our love for the earth, our patience and our traditions", the chief tech of "Vinprom Karnobat" cannot hide his pride.
A guarantee for the high quality of the new local brandy is the excellent grapes produced each year by the 20-thousand hectares of vineyards of the Vinprom. "Once again we enjoy an excellent harvest," said the lead agriculturist Dushan Nyagolov. The typically Bulgarian brandy varieties have reached excellent maturity and high sugar concentration. In "Vinprom Karnobat", the high quality and high yields are not just a fact but a result of our persistent and constant care for our vineyards.
