ORBELIA WINERY
HISTORY
Growing vines in our family has been a tradition for generations.
In our region, viticulture is one of the main activities and good wine is an integral part of the weekday and the holiday of the people in our region. Even our great-grandparents grew vines. That is why some of our vineyards are old, hereditary, and others we have bought and planted over the years.
And why Orbelia? This is the ancient Thracian name of Belasitsa mountain and means white, beautiful mountain.
In 2007 we acquired 23 decares of old plantations with Broad-leaved Melnik. Then in 2008 we gradually started planting more vineyards. So, the idea of creating our own cellar was born, which would recreate our love for the land, the roots and the good wine.
In 2013 we opened Orbelia Winery, which is located in the village of Kolarovo, near the town of Petrich, at the foot of Mount Belasitsa.
Located in one of the most favorable regions for wine production in Bulgaria, Orbelia is our dream come true, which has turned the hobby into a professional and responsible activity with a mission – to revive and promote Bulgarian wine and local varieties.
ORBELIA
WINERY WITH TRADITIONS
We believe that traditions are the solid foundation on which we stand, and modern opportunities are the pulse that stimulates us to develop and upgrade.
We create our wines with great dedication to tradition. We emphasize the traditional grape varieties for the region, and our mission is to preserve the old wine traditions in the region, which date back to Thracian times. At the same time, we aim for more people to touch the unique and inimitable character of local varieties.
The architecture and the interior of the winery are in unison with the Bulgarian way of life and culture. We want to show its beauty and uniqueness and preserve it in time. That is why the visit to Orbelia Winery is like a wine journey through time, which recreates the love for Bulgarian traditions.
We value traditions, but we do not underestimate the advantages of modern equipment, which gives us the opportunity to create premium wines that meet modern high requirements.
The winery is equipped with modern technological and laboratory equipment purchased from leading producers in Bulgaria and Italy.
Our vessel capacity is 100,000 liters of wine, and we have vessels with a capacity of 500 liters to 5,000 liters, which allows us to select small batches of high quality wines.
We monitor the quality of our wines with the help of modern laboratory equipment.
The aging of the wines is in oak barrels of Bulgarian, French and American oak in a special room with constant control of temperature and humidity.
FROM GRAPE……. TO WINE
TECHNOLOGY
Wine is love, emotion, passion. Patience and dedication.
That is why we invest all this in the whole process of wine production – from grape harvest, through fermentation to aging and bottling.
RED WINE
Harvest
The grapes are harvested when they reach optimal technological and phenolic maturity, by hand in boxes of up to 10 kg. It is also selected in the vineyard.
Preparation of grapes
The grapes are selected for the second time on a conveyor belt and then the grains are separated from the bunches and crushed (there are cases in which the grains remain whole).
Fermentation
Fermentation take place in fermentation tanks, we added yeasts to the grape juice and grains, which eat grape sugars and make alcohol, CO2 and heat. Grape skin give red wine its color and flavor. Red wines ferment for an average of 5-20 days at 20-30 C . Often red wines get left to macerate on the grape skins after the fermentation completes.
Press
After the fermentation, vintners drain the freely-running wine from the tank and press the skins and seeds for any remaining “press wine”.
AGGING
After moving red wine to stainless tank or oak barrel, a second “fermentation” happens. Malolactic fermentation is when bacteria convert sharp malic acid into smoother, more chocolatey-tasting lactic acid.. Red wines ages for several months to several years.
BOTTLING
The winemakers blends grape varieties or barrels together to create the final wine. Some wines are clarifaying or finning with minimum exposure to oxygen before bottling, some of them we leave in their natural state. There is some wines that age several years in bottle before we release to market.
WHITE WINE AND ROSE WINE
Harvest
The grapes are harvested by hand in boxes of up to 10 kg. It is also selected in the vineyard.
PREPARATION OF GRAPES
The grapes are selected for the second time on a conveyor belt and then the grains are separated from the bunches and crushed (there are cases in which the grains remain whole) and goes to Pressing machine .
PRESS
The grape bunches goes directly into a press. Some aromatic varieties receive extra time on the skins before pressing to add texture.
Fermentation
Fermentation goes into sealed tanks. Grape juice settles in a chilled tanks to remove suspended grape solids, after that we add yeasts which eat grape sugars to make alcohol, CO2 and heat. White grape ferment about 14 days at 14-21 C. The process goes in reduced oxygen exposure. The process goes in reduced oxygen exposure.
AGGING
After the wine is moved to stainless tank or oak barrel, some of white wines goes with malolactic fermentation, which lowers acidity, reduces fruitiness and adds creamy. Typically white wines ages up to year, in this time vintners stirs yeast particles (called “lees”) to add more texture and creaminess.
BOTTLING
The winemakers blends grape varieties or barrels together to create the final wine. Some wines are clarifaying or finning with minimum exposure to oxygen before bottling, some of them we leave in their natural state. Typically white wines go directly to the market, a few of them ages for years in bottle for longer develop before we release on market.
ORBELIA WINERY
VINEYARDS
We believe that good wine is made first in the vineyard.
We believe that good wine is made first in the vineyard. That is why we grow our vineyards with professionalism and great dedication. We have over 200 decares of our own vineyards, located in the area of the villages Mitinovo and Starchevo, near the town of Petrich.
Some of our vineyards are hereditary, others we have bought and planted over the years.
Our vineyards are planted on cinnamon-forest, alluvial and alluvial-meadow soils
With love and attention we grow traditional for the region varieties, as well as international varieties.
- Broad-leaved Melnik
- Melnik 1300
- Ruen
- Sandanski Misket
- Viognier
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Melnik 55
- Melnik 82
- Rubin
- Chardonnay
- Muscat Ottonel
- Cabernet Franc
- Syrah
We believe that good wine is made first in the vineyard. That is why we grow our vineyards with professionalism and great dedication. We have over 200 decares of our own vineyards, located in the area of the villages Mitinovo and Starchevo, near the town of Petrich.
Some of our vineyards are hereditary, others we have bought and planted over the years.
Our vineyards are planted on cinnamon-forest, alluvial and alluvial-meadow soils.
With love and attention we grow traditional for the region varieties, as well as international varieties.
- Broad-leaved Melnik
- Melnik 1300
- Ruen
- Sandanski Misket
- Viognier
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Melnik 55
- Melnik 82
- Rubin
- Chardonnay
- Muscat Ottonel
- Cabernet Franc
- Syrah
Orbelia Winery
VINEYARDS
We believe that good wine is made first in the vineyard.
ORBELIA WINERY
OUR REGION
The region in which Orbelia Winery is located is characterized as the warmest wine-growing region in the country. The climate is significantly influenced by the warm Aegean air currents along the Struma River. The climatic characteristics of the valley define it as part of the continental-Mediterranean area with warm and dry summers and mild and almost snowless winters.
The air circulation protects the vines from diseases, and the grapes accumulate aromas that do not burn from the heat. This is an area conducive to vineyards and rich in natural, cultural and historical sites.
ORBELIA WINERY
HISTORY
Growing vines in our family has been a tradition for generations.
In our region, viticulture is one of the main activities and good wine is an integral part of the weekday and the holiday of the people in our region. Even our great-grandparents grew vines. That is why some of our vineyards are old, hereditary, and others we have bought and planted over the years.
And why Orbelia? This is the ancient Thracian name of Belasitsa mountain and means white, beautiful mountain.
In 2007 we acquired 23 decares of old plantations with Broad-leaved Melnik. Then in 2008 we gradually started planting more vineyards. So, the idea of creating our own cellar was born, which would recreate our love for the land, the roots and the good wine.
In 2013 we opened Orbelia Winery, which is located in the village of Kolarovo, near the town of Petrich, at the foot of Mount Belasitsa.
Located in one of the most favorable regions for wine production in Bulgaria, Orbelia is our dream come true, which has turned the hobby into a professional and responsible activity with a mission – to revive and promote Bulgarian wine and local varieties.
ORBELIA
WINERY WITH TRADITIONS
We believe that traditions are the solid foundation on which we stand, and modern opportunities are the pulse that stimulates us to develop and upgrade.
We create our wines with great dedication to tradition. We emphasize the traditional grape varieties for the region, and our mission is to preserve the old wine traditions in the region, which date back to Thracian times. At the same time, we aim for more people to touch the unique and inimitable character of local varieties.
The architecture and the interior of the winery are in unison with the Bulgarian way of life and culture. We want to show its beauty and uniqueness and preserve it in time. That is why the visit to Orbelia Winery is like a wine journey through time, which recreates the love for Bulgarian traditions.
We value traditions, but we do not underestimate the advantages of modern equipment, which gives us the opportunity to create premium wines that meet modern high requirements.
The winery is equipped with modern technological and laboratory equipment purchased from leading producers in Bulgaria and Italy.
Our vessel capacity is 100,000 liters of wine, and we have vessels with a capacity of 500 liters to 5,000 liters, which allows us to select small batches of high quality wines.
We monitor the quality of our wines with the help of modern laboratory equipment.
The aging of the wines is in oak barrels of Bulgarian, French and American oak in a special room with constant control of temperature and humidity.
FROM GRAPE……. TO WINE
TECHNOLOGY
Wine is love, emotion, passion. Patience and dedication.
That is why we invest all this in the whole process of wine production – from grape harvest, through fermentation to aging and bottling.
RED WINE
Harvest
The grapes are harvested when they reach optimal technological and phenolic maturity, by hand in boxes of up to 10 kg. It is also selected in the vineyard.
PREPARATION OF GRAPES
The grapes are selected for the second time on a conveyor belt and then the grains are separated from the bunches and crushed (there are cases in which the grains remain whole).
Fermentation
Fermentation take place in fermentation tanks, we added yeasts to the grape juice and grains, which eat grape sugars and make alcohol, CO2 and heat. Grape skin give red wine its color and flavor. Red wines ferment for an average of 5-20 days at 20-30 C . Often red wines get left to macerate on the grape skins after the fermentation completes.
PRESS
After the fermentation, vintners drain the freely-running wine from the tank and press the skins and seeds for any remaining “press wine”.
AGGING
After moving red wine to stainless tank or oak barrel, a second “fermentation” happens. Malolactic fermentation is when bacteria convert sharp malic acid into smoother, more chocolatey-tasting lactic acid.. Red wines ages for several months to several years.
BOTTLING
The winemakers blends grape varieties or barrels together to create the final wine. Some wines are clarifaying or finning with minimum exposure to oxygen before bottling, some of them we leave in their natural state. There is some wines that age several years in bottle before we release to market.
WHITE WINE AND ROSE WINE
Harvest
The grapes are harvested by hand in boxes of up to 10 kg. It is also selected in the vineyard.
PREPARATION OF GRAPES
The grapes are selected for the second time on a conveyor belt and then the grains are separated from the bunches and crushed (there are cases in which the grains remain whole) and goes to Pressing machine .
PRESS
The grape bunches goes directly into a press. Some aromatic varieties receive extra time on the skins before pressing to add texture.
FERMENTATION
Fermentation goes into sealed tanks. Grape juice settles in a chilled tanks to remove suspended grape solids, after that we add yeasts which eat grape sugars to make alcohol, CO2 and heat. White grape ferment about 14 days at 14-21 C. The process goes in reduced oxygen exposure. The process goes in reduced oxygen exposure.
AGGING
After the wine is moved to stainless tank or oak barrel, some of white wines goes with malolactic fermentation, which lowers acidity, reduces fruitiness and adds creamy. Typically white wines ages up to year, in this time vintners stirs yeast particles (called “lees”) to add more texture and creaminess.
BOTTLING
The winemakers blends grape varieties or barrels together to create the final wine. Some wines are clarifaying or finning with minimum exposure to oxygen before bottling, some of them we leave in their natural state. Typically white wines go directly to the market, a few of them ages for years in bottle for longer develop before we release on market.
ORBELIA WINERY
VINEYARDS
We believe that good wine is made first in the vineyard.
We believe that good wine is made first in the vineyard. That is why we grow our vineyards with professionalism and great dedication. We have over 200 decares of our own vineyards, located in the area of the villages Mitinovo and Starchevo, near the town of Petrich.
Some of our vineyards are hereditary, others we have bought and planted over the years.
Our vineyards are planted on cinnamon-forest, alluvial and alluvial-meadow soils
With love and attention we grow traditional for the region varieties, as well as international varieties.
- Broad-leaved Melnik
- Melnik 1300
- Ruen
- Sandanski Misket
- Viognier
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Melnik 55
- Melnik 82
- Rubin
- Chardonnay
- Muscat Ottonel
- Cabernet Franc
- Syrah
ORBELIA WINERY
ABOUT THE REGION
The region in which Orbelia Winery is located is characterized as the warmest wine-growing region in the country. The climate is significantly influenced by the warm Aegean air currents along the Struma River. The climatic characteristics of the valley define it as part of the continental-Mediterranean area with warm and dry summers and mild and almost snowless winters.
The air circulation protects the vines from diseases, and the grapes accumulate aromas that do not burn from the heat. This is an area conducive to vineyards and rich in natural, cultural and historical sites.