The special relationship between man and wine is deeply rooted in tradition. In antiquity, wine was the sacral beverage of rituals, symbolic for the connection between the earthly and the divine. Even back then, people believed wine had the power to touch the human soul, and its intervention was Godly.
Today’s Bulgaria includes the land that once was Thrace. Various sources, from Homer’s Illiad to contemporary scholars, identify Thrace as the motherland of wine. It was also the birthplace of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and gaiety, a promoter of civilisation and lover of peace — as well as a patron deity of agriculture and the theatre. It should come as no surprise then, that traditional Bulgarian holidays and rituals mark the important stages in the life cycle of wine.
One of the most celebrated and well-known wine holidays is Trifon Zarezan, celebrated on February 1 according to the Julian calendar and on February 14 (Valentine’s Day) according to the Gregorian calendar. Named after the Bulgarian guardian of vines, St. Trifon Zarezan, the day marks the beginning of the year’s agricultural activities. With the birth of the New Sun, live-giving forces conquer the barren cold weather. Mother Nature bids farewell to the winter months and heads toward spring and summer.
On that day, men go to the vineyard with baskets full of bread, chicken and wine. They trim the vines and “water” the roots with wine. The trimming (called Zaryazvane) is a symbolic act of cleaning the vine, believed to protect it from disease. The wine-pouring grants fertility. Then the men choose the “king of the vine,” who should be an affluent man, with an abundant harvest from the previous year. He is crowned with a wreath of vine-stocks. He leads a procession that stops at every house in a village and has a drink from every household’s wine. When this most ancient form of a wine route is over, the king changes into clean clothes and awaits guests at his home. He must serve only wine of the best quality, for one must offer what one wants to receive. And, though there’s been plenty of drinking so far, this is when the real drinking begins. It is probably the only day of the year, when drunk men are looked upon kindly by all, for they are not losers but harbingers of a fertile season and generous harvest.
The next big wine holiday is Krustovden ( Crucifix Day), on September 14. Some call it Grozdobernik (Grape Harvest Day). According to pagan belief, this is the day when the Sun makes its way to winter, the day and the night “cross” each other. The day is not only a seasonal turning point but also essential change in the agricultural year – the beginning of ploughing and grape-gathering.
The harvest is collected. Crushing the whole clusters of fresh ripe grapes is the step that follows in the wine making process. For thousands of years, men and women performed the harvest dance in barrels and presses, crushing the grapes with their bare feet. So begins the grape juice’s magical transformation from concentrated sunlight and water held together in clusters of fruit to the most healthful and mystical of all beverages – wine. After the crushed and pressed grape is vatted, the process of fermentation begins. It normally continues until all of the sugar is converted to alcohol and a dry wine is produced. Fermentation can require anywhere from 10 days to a month or more.
We move forward to the next wine holiday, Dimitrovden, on October 26, in pagan belief the first day of winter. On this day, St Dimitar arrives riding his red horse and brings the first snow. This is when the young wine is poured out for the first time.
With the first sip of the new wine, a cycle is closed. A cycle of life, of seasons, of wine-making. Bulgarians regard wine as integral part of their life, a passion and a symbol of creation. The process of wine making is a process of gaining knowledge and communication with the divine.
