I have lived in Varna for 4 years now but it was not until recently that I made an astonishing discovery! To my greatest surprise I found that right in the central part of the city, just a short cut from the pedestrian area there is the Temple of Wine. The complex includes a shop, situated in an old 1905 building in the traditional Bulgarian Revival architecture, where you can find a wide selection of the best red, white and rose wines from all 137 wine-cellars and the 5 wine-regions in Bulgaria. Encompassing within is a wide range of rare wines from older crops, wine bottles covered with ‘holy dust’, plenty of high-quality domestic and imported alcoholic beverages, accessories, tobacco and chocolate goods and wine apporators. All of this you will notice on entering the Wine Centre but there is far more awaiting beneath the beautiful stone and wood building.
When the owners decided to make a wine cellar, where they can store the wines and let them age they came across a unique discovery-the base of one of the watch towers of the first stronghold of the antique town of Odesos (the ancestor of Varna). The finding was not only dated up to the 4th century BC (365 year BC) but it was also said to have been built over an older Thracian settlement. Upon that marvellous discovery a spontaneous decision was made for this find to be turned into a wine tasting room where the ministerial ceremony of drinking the divine beverage to take place. As it all happens at discrete candle light the hall depicts the atmosphere of a holly temple and that is why it was called ‘Temple of Wine’. As every temple this one also needed a patron and paying honours to Semele- the woman who gave birth to the God of wine Dionysus the complex was named Temple of Wine ‘Semele’.
Today wine tasting sessions are held there in a unique, candlelit atmosphere. Visitors are offered a variety of 3 to 12 wines with high quality, typical Bulgarian meat and cheese appetizers, nuts and dried fruit. The prime priest of the Temple (a wine expert) will lead you through that enchanting experience conducting the tasting, introducing the wines and the tradition of wine-production in Bulgaria, telling mysterious legends and stories about Varna.
We would like to invite you to visit this unique place, taste the divine drink of the Gods and enjoy a once in a lifetime experience.
