The beginning

Balkans International Wine Competition 2012 revealed world class Balkan wines!

The idea to organize a Balkan wine competition was conceived several years ago. The tremendous increase in quality of Balkan wines contributed to such a development. It was happening across the beautiful Balkan Peninsula: Slovenian wines were getting great attention, Croatian indigenous cultivars were suddenly 'flavour of the year' and Serbia also started producing the world class wines.

Bulgaria strongly demonstrated ability to produce great red and white wines, both from local and international varieties. The-difficult-to-pronounce indigenous Greek varieties were not any more unknown on the tables of many world sommeliers, wine professionals and, most importantly, consumers. Turkey was undergoing a true renaissance in the winemaking and generally wine culture was going there from strength to strength.

Romania is a home of many great wines; again both form local and international varieties. Macedonia is a serious producer of both top-of-the-range and easy-drinking lifestyle wines. If we add interesting wines coming from Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Hungary and Moldova it becomes obvious that the wine revolution is taking place in the region.

Our idea was to create a powerful marketing tool which will rely on synergy among wine producers and promoters from all Balkan countries.

Our first attempt to brand this beautiful wine region through Competition and Festival attracted almost 400 wines from 9 countries and almost 60 wineries which presented their wines to the expecting and curious local and international public in Grand Hotel Sofia, Bulgaria, from June 14-17, 2012.

We will be happy to welcome you to the second Balkans International Wine Competition and Festival! The Best of Balkans will be served in your glass in Sofia, from the 16th until the 19th of May, 2013. We would be delighted seeing you joining our vision.

Konstantinos Lazarakis MW                                   eng. Galina Niforou, Wine MBA
BIWC Chairman                                                     BIWC Director