Natalia Gadzheva: A woman can bring so much to the wine industry – more precision, sensuality, attention to every detail.
We continue our journey to spotlight the influential women shaping the wine industry. This time, we introduce you to the remarkable Natalia Gadzeva, Founder and Manager of Dragomir Winery Estate in Bulgaria. Natalia, with her profound dedication and expert knowledge, has been at the forefront of innovative winemaking. Dive into her world and discover her story through our in-depth interview below.
What is wine for you?
It is my life, a series of joys, tears, excitements, and fears. There is so much scent of wine around me that I cannot even imagine a day without inhaling this aroma. It energizes me, motivates me, sometimes worries me, makes me smile.
How did you enter the wine industry?
Deliberately, with serious training and even more serious work. After graduating with a degree in “Wine Technology” from the University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, I started working in a small cooperative winery as a laboratory assistant. The next year, I became the responsible technologist. Then I worked in two more winery enterprises, one of which we started from scratch and today it is one of the leading wineries in Bulgaria. But growing more confident in my expertise, in 2006, together with Konstantin (my husband, also an oenologist), we plunged into the deep waters of our own business by creating Dragomir Winery Estate. My true wine offspring. A dream truly realized.
What is your philosophy in creating/marketing wine, and how is it reflected in your product?
Honesty – in everything – how you started, the difficulties you’ve overcome, the cost of your journey, the attitude and attention you bring to every commitment. How complex and slow the winemaking process is, how much patience and time are needed until a bottle reaches their hands. When you are sincere and honest with the people in front of you – that is how they perceive the wine you present to them.
How important do you consider education and training in the wine industry, and are there any special programs for women?
The importance of education is immense; it’s unfortunate that lately there’s been an attempt to diminish it with various fast-turning “wines.” To give a wine a long life, immense scientific potential is needed – from soil research and climate impact to technology, choosing the oak for the wine to age in, the tastes of different nationalities, and much more. I am not aware of any special programs for women, but more and more women are entering the winemaking profession and offering a different perspective on what modern wine should look like.
What advice would you give to young women who want to enter the wine business?
Do not be afraid of this seemingly male-dominated profession. A woman can bring so much to wine – more precision, sensuality, attention to every detail.
So, go for it!
