Wine Report from the Fort

Wine Report from the Fort
About Bulgaria … King Kroum bans all vineyards!
By Fred McMillin

Northside San Francisco – European edition, 4000 B.C. issue: King Kroum has ordered the destruction of all the vineyards in his kingdom.

Northside San Francisco – European edition, 3990 B.C. issue: During a celebration, panic broke out when one of the king’s caged lions escaped and terrorized the city. After the lion was slain by a fearless young man, the king summoned the young man’s mother to learn the source of such courage. Fearfully, she confessed to having preserved one vine, from which was made the wine that gave her son, Mavrud, the strength and bravery to confront the lion. The king was so impressed that vineyards were again planted and one type of grape was named Mavrud.

Northside San Francisco – European edition, 1980 issue: Under USSR control, Bulgaria is now exporting two million cases of wine per year.

Northside San Francisco – West Coast edition, 1985 issue: Back to the lions. Bulgarian-born Vance Petrunoff has not slain a lion, but he has just as much courage. With no connections, he has just jumped off a Soviet plane, which was refueling in Anchorage, and received political asylum in the United States.


Northside San Francisco – West Coast edition, 2000 issue: Veteran Bulgarian vintner Vance Petrunoff is now president of Bulgarian Master Vintners. Now fast-forward to the present. My Fort Mason students have found Petrunoff ‘s bottles to be big bargains. Here are four, all imported by Bulgarian Master Vintners:

• 4th: Domaine Boyer Merlot Reserve 2003, $8
• 3rd: Targovishte Winery Riesling 2006, $8
• 2nd: Targovishte Winery Muscat Ottonel 2006, $8
• 1st: Targovishte Winery Traminer 2006, $8

Contact: Vance Petrunoff, Bulgarian Master Vintners, phone: 707-939-8719; fax: 360-237-2326; e-mail: bmv@wineimport.com

Postscript: King Kroum is legendary not historical.