Many of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have long winemaking traditions going back centuries, often making wine from little-known indigenous varieties hinged to their respective regions.
Countries like Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania all have a strong viticultural heritage but have struggled to hit mainstream consumer consciousness.
However, with initiatives like the annual Central and Eastern European [CEE] Fair, retailers, sommeliers and consumers are all having a sniff to see what the region offers.
Founder Caroline Gilby MW sheds some light: "We are just organizing the third edition of this fair – 16 June 2026 in central London. The aim is to bring together as many countries as possible from the region to make a big splash, tell the exciting story of quality and diversity today.
"Last year we had 17 countries – all of whom have had to reinvent their wine stories after difficult pasts – and all have merged with distinct identities, shaped by culture and history."
Gilby's own involvement in the wines of Eastern Europe began as a trainee wine buyer for the now defunct Augustus Barnett. This early experience gave her valuable insight.
"Eastern Europe was my first buying responsibility. Not glamorous at the end of the 1980s, but commercially hugely important."
For Tatjana Puklavec, her family estate Puklavec Family Wines in Slovenia has roots dating back to 1934 and specializes in elegant, cool-climate wines.
"My grandfather, Martin Puklavec had a vision: to make the finest wines together. This philosophy continues to resonate through the family's wine making today."
In Romania's red-wine region of Dealu Mare, Dan Balaban of Davino is equally passionate. The estate was founded in 1991, with the first wines released eight years later.
Balaban says: "We work almost 90 hectares, producing around 400,000 bottles on average. Low yields, sustainable agriculture and minimum intervention on vines and grapes."
In Bulgaria, Velin Djidjev is a member of the Danube Winemakers Association, which was established in April 2024 and now has 21 members.
"Among our members," Djidjev notes, "is the Institute of Viticulture and Enology in Pleven, the oldest scientific wine institution in the Balkans and one of the oldest in the world."
Alongside raising both awareness and tourism for the region, the association's core mission, Djidjev says, is "preserving the PGI Danube Plain and promoting local grape varieties through sustainable viticultural and winemaking practices."
Rising stars
As much as Central and Eastern Europe have endured similar hardships from both the Soviet Union and various forms of communism, they are also hugely diverse and far from monolith.
Their wine cultures – having long flown under the radar – are as unique as the countries that produce them.
Describing her family winery in Slovenia, Puklavec explains: "Puklavec Family Wines are produced in the heart of Ljutomer-Ormož, a wine area in the Podravje region, in the northeastern part of Slovenia. We are a very small country, but our wines are as unique as our landscape. Slovenia sits at the crossroads of the Alps, the Mediterranean and the Pannonian Plain, which gives us a remarkable range of climates and soil types."
For Davino in Romania, Balaban explains: "We also have very different terroirs, from the sunny areas in the south to cold places in the north, and foggy areas in the west."
Describing the Danube Plain, Djidjev says: "In the West and Central [Northern Bulgaria], the slightly cooler climate and diverse soils contribute to excellent freshness and pronounced minerality in white wines."
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