Hotul Bonar Winery

Винарска Изба “Хотул Бунар” The year was 1999, Jan Ola Lindwe from Timra, Sweden had a life dream, to plant a wine yard and start a winery in the village of Gorsko Novo Selo, Bulgaria (meaning, the New Forest Village). He had spent many joyful moments in that village, where his wife was born. The people were poor but very welcoming and hospitable. The family bought 30 hectares of the 200 hectare land of the old wine yards. There is still 2 hectares with vines that date back 55 years ago. The 18 hectares are new planted vines. The wineyard is 10 years old, located on the exact spot as an ancient Roman farm, where the Romans also harvested a vineyard. Later on the cooperativ has their vineyards on the same spot . The road to the winery is the same road the Romans used to travel to Constantinople. Five hundred meters from the vineyard you will find an old Roman fort, after which the wine is named for, Hasara. Hotul Bonar and Bobova Mogila are the areas in which the vineyard is located. The vineyard is situated roughly 450 m above sea level, with an astonishing view over the valley. The vineyard is part of the so called Bulgarian green belt, far from highways and industrial areas. Upon arrival on the vineyard you will see the Bulgarian flag proudly waving in the wind next to the Swedish and European flags. In the beginning, the winery had only 10 French oak barrels to store the wine and in recent years 40 barrels for storage. Autumn 2006 produced the first 5000 liters of Cabernet Sauvignon. Year 2007 has produced 80 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Mavrud grapes. Sixty-two tons have been made into wine. Swedish expertise and hard work have created a clean, rich wine. The prodused vine is not filtered. The wine is decanted up to 5 times before storing in the barels. This is creating a stronger, fuller flavor. The wine has a very high quality, a fresh aroma, and excellent color. Today the vinery produce about 45 hectoliter vine from own grapes, carefully hand picked and sorted. We produce three different brands of vine. Hasara, 2006, 2007, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon old bulgarian plants, stored in french oak barels for 12 mounths. Hotul Bonar, 2007, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon french cloon 169, 50 % french oak barels. Hasara, Family reserva 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon old bulgarian plants, stored in french oak barels for 12 mounths. This vine is a verry special picked grapes. In 2001 Jan Ola died from a heart attack at the age of 54. His wife decided to continue with his dream, so although Jan Ola didn’t live long enough to taste and enjoy the wine he once dreamed about, his spirit lives on in the success of the vineyard and in the land where he left a stone with his name written, on the highest point of the farm, his favorite spot to watch over the beautiful country.