From East to West: A Wine Journey

Sometimes the journey of a wine is much more than the destination. It is a meeting of the land and universe, of work and recognition, of the history it carries, and the people who hear it for the very first time.

Presenting a Bulgarian wine a thousand kilometres from home is a thrill - one hard to describe. And when the wine is created with so much care, meaning, and character, that thrill becomes even more precious.

In February, our selection of natural wines, ENSO, along with our iconic wines from our sister company, AYA Estate Vineyard’s collection, set out on an exciting journey to Boston led by Dilyana Vassileva. It is there that it met new people and new tastes, and it sparked curiosity and enviable interest.

The road leading there starts off challenging. A snowstorm, an airport closure, long hours of waiting, and unexpected flight changes turn the departure into an obstacle. But when you carry something you truly believe in, every barrier fades into the background.

From the moment they arrive, Dilyana and ENSO fall into the rhythm of the city and the meetings that await them.

The first night, they are taken to Oleana - an iconic Michelin-guide restaurant, whose wine list proudly features ENSO-OTT1L, AYA Melnik, and Disegno Petit Manseng. There is something special in seeing a Bulgarian wine on the menu of a place so far from home. It is not just a bottle, but a presence. It is a sign that something made here, in our land, with our effort and understanding of wine, finds its way, breaks the barriers and speaks up no matter how far from home.

The following days in Boston are full of meetings, tastings, and conversations. Along with the partners of East West Wines, Dilyana visits various places in the city and its surroundings, including Inman Square Wine, Urban Hearth, and Satellite Bottle Shop. Everywhere they visit, ENSO and AYA provoke interest, questions, an honest curiosity, and a desire to enjoy. Of course, the most precious and memorable are the reactions of people trying Bulgarian wine for the first time and being surprised at how much character, finesse, and depth it carries.

Of particular interest is the night spent in Petrova Chocolate, where wine meets Betty Petrova’s hand-made chocolate. The tasting - a feast of the senses, with every flavour shining in its own subtle and natural way. Originally from Plovdiv, Betty settles in Boston - a delicate young lady, who has committed her life to the art of chocolate and her mission to provide a spotlight in this faraway land for Bulgarian wine.

The culmination of the journey is Femme Fête Wine Fair - the first exhibition in Boston and the United States dedicated entirely to female wine makers. The day before the gathering, DeLuca’s Market - a partner in the event - invites some of the exhibitors to a premier mini-tasting in their wine space. The atmosphere is more intimate, soulful, and lively. Just like in Barismo Cambridge, where East West Wines organised the presentation of Bulgarian and Georgian wines, people are not there just to taste something different, but to hear the history behind each bottle.

The last day of February is dedicated to the Femme Fête. The location, the organisation, the people - everything combined carries an energy that is more professional and dynamic, but just as inspirational and euphoric. The female spirit shines in all its glory, like a polar light, drawing its power from different worlds - America, France, Italy, Georgia, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Bulgaria… an old world and a new world reflected in the shining eyes of the women behind the stands.

It is there that Dilyana presents parts of the ENSO selection: VGNR, ROSE, OTT1L, FIELD8, as well as the new vintage AYA Melnik and Disegno Petit Manseng. The event is more than a wine exhibition. It is a meeting of worlds, where people not only taste, but stop to listen, ask questions, and want to understand, to know, and to learn more, whether that be about the wine, the person behind it, the place from which it comes, or the philosophy it carries.

The exhaustion is sweet after such a day, throughout which you understand with your whole body that wine is not just a drink. It is history, memory, work, bravery, and identity. Wherever it goes, it carries with it the land it came from and the people who stand behind it. And when this history is heard and felt this far from home, that is when you understand that the kilometres travelled are truly worth it. You are ready to journey again, and again, so the whole world can hear your own true story.