California Photographer Vance Petrunoff Captures the Essence of “Occupy”

California Photographer Vance Petrunoff Captures the Essence of “Occupy”

On top of Seattle - the China Room with a 360 degree view

The China room of the Smith Building overlooks the City and all we had great time. The VINI wines are selling extremely well in the State of Washington, thanks to our fantastic distributor and his team.

This is the view on a sunny day and we had one.

I had to visit Occupy Seattle - I am now unofficial photographer of Occupy.

The annual New York tasting at the Harmony Club

The tasting was great success since two venerable NY clubs took VINI for their by the glass programs. NY was beautiful and I used the new over the water air tramway from Roosevelt Island.

I couldn't resist and visited Zuccotti park where the Occupy Wall St. movement just started camping and snapped a lot of photos.

Pouring wine in Denver, and taking photos

Working in Denver has a great meaning to me, here I started my new life in the US 26 years ago.

My first Jazz Club in America revisited - and it is great as it was.

Great hangout, good baklava

Sea Horse above Denver

Bulgarian wines presented in St. Louis, Missouri

 Vance Petrunoff introduces VINI in St. Louis, MO

 Beale On Broadway - great blues club

First Bulgarian wine tasting in Minessota

Tasting notes for VINI reds from Wine Enthusiast

eRobertParker reviewed favorably Bulgaria's largest wine producer Domaine Boyar with 3 wines, Mavrud, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bulgarian Festival in Golden Gate Park

It's been a while... After 6 years a new Bulgarian Festival is coming to everybody's favorite city. And there's no better place than Golden Gate Park!

Look it up on FaceBook!

Orlin Mirtchev and Vance Petrunoff from BulgarianWine.com are bringing some of the best Bulgarian performers to play in San Francisco County Fair Building.
Address: San Francisco County Fair Building, 1199 9th Ave, SF, CA
Event: Saturday, September 24, 20011, 12.30 pm to 6 pm.
Cover: $10 advance purchase ($20 at the door).
Free for children under 16 and seniors over 65!
Please call Orlin @ 415.425.3877 to buy advance txts by CC

Performers include:
Flamenco & dance: Bobi Solakov & Kerensa DeMars
Folk: Vasil & Maria Bebelekovi & Rumen Shopov (Zulum group)
Rock: VIP Rock: Ogi Tsolov & Iordan Stamenkov (Faktor group), Nasko Andreev (Signal, Elit groups), Percy Trayanov (Ognen zvuk group)

Bulgarian food, Bulgarian wine, Bulgarian beer and plenty of Bulgarians in Golden Gate Park!

Peshterska Muskat Grape Brandy $20. Best Buy.

Clear with a faint platinum blue cast. Floral aromas of peony lotion and ripe apricot follow through on a soft, satiny entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body with superb smoothness and good depth. Finishes with a touch of floral bath oil, grape stem, mineral, and warming pepperiness. An attractive brandy with a nice floral muscat character.

International Review of Spirits Award: Gold Medal

RATING: 90 points (Exceptional)

ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 40.0%
CATEGORY: Brandy, Brandy
TASTING LOCATION: In Our Chicago Tasting Room
TASTING DATE: Mar-23-2010
SPIRITS ID: 191389

We have noted the following US importer for this spirit:

Bulgarian Master Vintners
1447 E. Napa St.
Sonoma CA 95476
Ph. (707) 939-8719
Fax (360) 237-2326
http://www.bulgarianwine.com
info@bulgarianwine.com

Venus vanquished by Pironkova again

Zvonareva loses to Bulgarian Pironkova in 3rd round

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Second-seeded Vera Zvonareva was upset by Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2, 6-3 in the third round at Wimbledon on Friday.

The match was a repeat of last year's semifinals, which Zvonareva won in three sets to reach the first of her two Grand Slam finals last year.

Pironkova turned the tables on Court 2. The 32nd-seeded Bulgarian broke four times and saved six of seven break points.

It was Zvonareva's earliest loss in a Grand Slam since last year's French Open.

Pironkova knocked out Venus Williams last year. She could face the five-time champion again in the fourth round.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Zvonareva-loses-to-Pironkova-in-3rd-round-1438763.php#ixzz1QD7CUvCw

Wine Enthusiast rates 3 VINI red wines from Bulgaria Best Buy, all with 87 points score

The editors at Wine Enthusiast have recently rated and reviewed the following wines.

87 Best Buy VINI 2009 Pinot Noir, Danube River Plains, $9.00

87 Best Buy VINI 2009 Merlot, Thracian Valley, $8.00

87 Best Buy VINI 2009, Cabernet Sauvignon, $8.00

Bulgaria bouncing back?

This article was published in The 30 Second Wine Advisor on Friday, May. 20, 2011 and can be found at http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor2/tswa20110520.php.

If you grew up during the Cold War, chances are that you think of Bulgaria - if you think of it at all - as one of those sad Slavic countries held behind the Iron Curtain, a drab and poor dictatorship, not a likely destination for travel or exports.

If you looked closely at the labels of cheap wines in the bargain bins during the 1980s, you might have recognized Bulgaria on the label of some inexpensive, decent but forgettable table wines. (Many of them were exported by the Pepsi-Cola company, not that Pepsi made any real effort to publicize this.)

Since the Eastern Bloc fell apart in the early 1990s, unfortunately, Bulgaria wasn't one of the first to bounce back. Its old collectivized wine industry, now independent, sent a lot of bulk wine to Britain, but it wasn't memorable wine.

But a recent tasting of wines from an importer who's now in 20 U.S. states and hoping to reach more suggests a happy new reality: Bulgaria may be bouncing back.

Bulgaria's wine heritage is actually long and reasonably noble. Situated just north of Turkey, it lies along the craggy Balkan mountains from the sunny coast of the Black Sea north to Romania and west to Greece.

Home of the ancient Thracians some 3,000 years ago, it came under the domain of Alexander's Greece and the Caesars' Rome, providing wine for the tables of both those ancient empires. More than a thousand years ago it became a center for the Orthodox church after the fall of Constantinople. Historic cathedrals remain an important part of its tourist landscape.

Bulgaria's land, which ranges from mild seacoast to upland plains, is well-suited for wine grapes, much of it enjoying a continental Mediterranean climate similar to that in parts of France and Northern Italy.

I owe thanks to Vance Petrunoff of Bulgarian Master Vintners, the Sonoma, Calif.-based importer that's trying its best to let us know that Bulgaria is back in the game.

Since these wines aren't yet available in Louisville, where I live, Vance made me curious enough to briefly suspend my standard "no samples" rule and accept a couple of bottles of his company's very affordable wines, including the producers VINI and Targovishte, making familiar varities like Pinot Noir and Merlot and the slightly less commonplace Muscat Ottonel.

VINI plays up Bulgaria's ancient Roman connection with Caesar's "Veni Vidi Vici VINI" and the vintage MMIX (okay, 2009) in Roman numerals on the label. The VINI Merlot comes from Bulgaria's Thracian Valley in the south, near Turkey and Greece; its Pinot Noir hails from the Danube River Plains in the north, bordering Romania. VINI also bottles a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its wines retail from $7.99 in California to $9-10 on the East Coast.

Targovishte Winery, in Bulgaria's relatively cool Black Sea Coastal Region, makes only white wines: Dry Muscat Ottonel, Traminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

I enjoyed these wines, and I really like the pricing. You'll find my tasting notes below.

Today's Tasting Report

Targovishte 2009 Bulgaria Muscat Ottonel "Premium Quality" Dry White Wine ($8.49)

Transparent straw color. Luscious pears and a hint of spearmint on the nose and palate, juicy and appealing, suggests a sweet wine on the way, but in fact it's dry or nearly so, crisp pears and zippy acidity, at a modest, food-friendly 12% alcohol. Typical of Muscat (and also Gewurz) that's finished dry in the Alsatian style, there's a distinct, pleasant peach-pit bitterness in the long finish. U.S. importer: Bulgarian Master Vintners LLC, Sonoma, Calif. (March 4, 2011)

FOOD MATCH:A lighter variation of spaghetti alla carbonara without the cream.

Vini 2009 Danube River Plain Bulgaria Pinot Noir ($8.99)

Garnet, dark but clear. Typical Pinot scents on the cool, "green" side, tomato skin and tree bark. Aromas carry over to the palate, joining tart black-cherry fruit, bright acidity, 13.5% alcohol and somewhat rough tannins. A bit rustic, but it's versatile with food and definitely shows Pinot character. Sealed to last under a sturdy metal screw cap. U.S. importer: Bulgarian Master Vintners LLC, Sonoma, Calif. (May 15, 2011)

FOOD MATCH: I re-created a 2006 invention, a savory blueberry-juniper berry sauce for some local Dreamcatcher Farm pastured pork tenderloin medallions.

Vini 2009 Thracian Valley Bulgaria Merlot ($7.99)

Very dark reddish-purple with a bright garnet edge. Black plums and blueberries, pleasant and subtle fruit aromas carry over to the palate with bright acidity and palatable but evident structural tannins. Like its Pinot Noir sibling, there's decent Merlot varietal character here, and versatile food pairing capability with red meats, roast or grilled poultry or sharp cheese. Screw-capped, 13% alcohol. U.S. importer: Bulgarian Master Vintners LLC, Sonoma, Calif. (May 17, 2011)

FOOD MATCH: Excellent with a meatless marinara sauce, kicked up with the addition of grated carrot and a little smoked paprika to the usual tomatoes, onions, green peppers and garlic.

VALUE: All these wines offer startlingly good value for less than $10. Get them at bargain-basement prices now before Bulgaria becomes yet another next big thing.

WEB LINK:
Bulgarian Master Vintners' Web page offers information and FAQs about Bulgarian wine and online wine sales.

FIND THESE WINES ONLINE:
Bulgarian Master Vintners' portfolio is now available in 20 states of the U.S., the importer says, but it's still barely visible on Wine-Searcher.com. You can buy its wines direct from the importer, where the law allows, or contact info@bulgarianwine.com by Email for information about vendors near you.

The Ambassadors' Reception in San Francisco

The Ambassadors' Reception was a success, and thank you all for coming. In this photo H.E. Elena Poptodorova, Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to the United States and H.E. James Warlick, Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Bulgaria, and Vance Petrunoff

Targovishte Winery from the Black Sea Coastal region in Bulgaria with 2 Best Buys in the June issue of Wine and Spirits Magazine - Muscat and Traminer

Invitation to Ambassadors' Reception in San Francisco

VINI Pinot Noir 2009 Sliver Medal Winner at WSWA 2011 in Orlando

Best wines of 2010 - Wine Report from the Fort

Wine Report from the Fort
Best wines of 2010
By Fred McMillin

http://www.northsidesf.com/jan11/fw_winereport.html

We taste a lot of wine at our Fort Mason classes, and here are last year’s favorites by color, type, varietal, and price.

Whites, pinks and sparklers

Chardonnay
Under $20: Steele Wines California “Steele Cuvee” 2008, $18
Over $20: Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley 2007, $42

Chenin Blanc
Under $20: Ballentine Vineyards Napa Valley 2009, $15

Pink
Under $20: Pedroncelli Vineyards Sonoma County Dry Rosé of Zinfandel 2008, $10

Pinot Gris
Under $20: King Estate Oregon “Acrobat” 2008, $12

Riesling
Under $20: Steele Wines Shooting Star Lake County 2008, $14

Sauvignon Blanc
Under $20: Vini Wines Black Sea (Bulgaria) 2009, $8
Over $20: Peju Province Winery Napa Valley 2008, $22

Sparklers
Under $20: Tiamo Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Veneto (Italy) NV, $15

Traminer
Under $20: Targovishte Winery Black Sea (Bulgaria) 2009, $11

Viognier
Maximum $20: Handley Cellars Dry Creek Valley 2007, $20

White dessert
Under $20: Shenandoah Vineyards California White Port “ReZerve” 2002, $12

Robert Parker Jr. rates the 2009 VINI wines - solid 85 points for the entire line

Bulgarian Wine & Spirits Golden Rhyton Awards at Vinaria 2011

VINI Bulgarian Wines Gain Market Share in the U.S. with 35% Sales Increase in 2010

SONOMA, CA VINI, the best-selling Bulgarian wines in the America continue to gain notoriety with exceptional scores from prominent critics. A recent review in The Tasting Panel Magazine scored 91 points for the VINI Merlot, 2008 Thracian Valley while Wine Enthusiast Magazine bestowed a “Best Buy” recommendation and 86 points for the VINI Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Thracian Valley. Robert M. Parker, Jr’s Wine Advocate has also recently praised the entire VINI line. These ratings are representative of the growing trend toward high quality value-priced wines from Bulgaria.

During challenging economic times, VINI and several other Bulgarian wines distributed by Sonoma-based Bulgarian Master Vintners continue to gain notoriety and market share in America. Sales increased by 35% in 2010 after a solid gains in 2009. Many internationally acclaimed wine producers are looking to Bulgaria as the "next big thing," as Bulgarian wines represent extraordinary quality and extremely reasonable pricing.

VINI is crafted in Bulgaria under the guidance of Winemaker Miro Tcholakov, a Bulgarian expatriate who is also the winemaker for California's Trentadue Winery. VINI produces Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, making up the lion's share of Bulgarian wines sold in America.

"We've been working with VINI for many years, and it's selling better now than ever because it represents great value," comments Doug Canepa, wine manager for Mill Valley Market, one of Northern California's preeminent wine retailers. "Our customers aren't concerned with where a wine came from - they're attracted to the wine in the bottle. VINI delivers great value and excellent quality."

VINI is produced and distributed by Bulgarian Master Vintners, led by Vance T. Petrunoff. They are America's leading importer of Bulgarian wines, distributing in 20 states and through www.BulgarianWine.comhttp://www.BulgarianWine.com/> . VINI wines are stylistically fruity and lighter in body and alcohol - 12.8%, and features a lightweight bottle with modest carbon footprint, with a screw cap. VINI wines are priced at $7.99 per bottle.

Kehlibar Grape Brandy (rakia or grappa)

Our next fine rakia from Bulgaria.