Bulgaria Produces 18 Litres of Wine Per Capita

Standart Daily, July 25, 2008

Total 200,823 tons of grapes were processed in Bulgaria in 2007 and 138 million litres of wine were produced. This was roughly by 18 litres per capita in Bulgaria. Less table wine of vintage 2007 was produced than in 2006 but quantities of the quality wines produced in specified regions increased, reads the report on the situation in the Wine and Vine Chamber that was adopted yesterday in the Council of Ministers. Thanks to the favourable climatic conditions in 2007 the grapes accumulated sugars and ripening was dynamic. The harvest started earlier than previous years - on August 20, the report reads.
Bulgaria's accession to the EU had a positive influence on the wine export.

In the first ten months of 2007 Bulgaria exported 857 thousand hectoliters that was by 21% more than the same period in 2006. Bottled wines make up about 80% of the export. Russia ranks first among the export markets for Bulgarian wines holding 68% and 65% of the export of respectively bottled and table wines. Russia is followed by Poland, the UK and the Czech Republic in the export of bottled wines and by Germany, Moldova and Sweden (in the export of table wines).