Ivan Todoroff
Chief Executive Office
Todoroff Wine Cellar

A graduate of the Music Conservatory and the man behind Todoroff Wine Cellar, Ivan Todoroff simply doesn’t want to choose between art and wine. Although he has not taken up a career as a flautist or conductor, he has remained close to his background. Todoroff Wine Cellar is a sponsor of the Bulgarian Talent Gallery fund (www.bulgariantalents.com), which awards stipends to 12 young artists – painters, sculptors, musicians – studying at the nation’s most prestigious art schools. He’s the first to say that the 2000-leva stipend is welcome but not the most important award. More important is that the fund showcases Bulgaria’s young talents to a wide audience via an annual concert and exhibitions.

What is the point of intersection between wine and art?
We can talk about that at length, though the question is so profound that it would probably be impossible to pinpoint the intersection. But I often say that wine is a means of communication between people. The same is true for art. When I was a performer, I remember going on stage and having to show the best of yourself and your art and leave people with pleasant memories. So you go on stage wanting to make a positive impression and a personal interpretation of the artwork, and you do that after much practice. I feel the same when someone tastes a Todoroff wine.
When you decide to go to hear an artist, let’s say, that’s like buying a wine but not having tasted it yet. Then comes the moment when you go to the concert, or the moment of the first encounter with a wine. At the beginning of a piece you feel in a certain way – you don’t understand it yet, you’re still trying to take it in. It’s the same with the first sip of wine. When the concert is over, you now have a formed impression of this artist. You’ve now finished the bottle of wine. Of course the circumstances and the company can influence your impression.

What are your memorable first encounters with artists and wines?
I’ll never forget when Jean Pierre Rampal came to Bulgaria for the first time. All encounters with good wine are memorable. I often travel with my wife and we’ve always chosen our wines together and mostly we have drunk them together. I think I have the best memories with Italian wines.

Tell us something about the Todoroff gallery.
People often ask me where to find it. It’s virtual, it exists on the Todoroff wine bottles, so that wine lovers have an opportunity to appreciate the work of art and note its author when having a Todoroff wine.

Does your artistic background help you in your work?
Certainly. I think artistic people can be accomplished in multiple areas. They can improvise and interpret, they are goal-oriented and they are used to achieve their goals at the cost of work and discipline. a