Before Retirement, Vance Petrunoff Was Selling Bulgarian Wines from Sonoma, CA

We just released in the US the 2009 vintage of Targovishte Winery - DRY Riesling, Traminer, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from the Black Sea Coastal region in Bulgaria. Enjoy and Nazdrave!

Volcanic ash drifting across the Atlantic forced the cancellation of flights in Britain and disrupted air traffic across northern Europe, stranding thousands of passengers. This unexpected event is jeopardizing the making of the 2009 vintage VINI wines in Sliven, Thracian Valley, in Southern Bulgaria. Our consultant winemaker Miro from Trentadue Winery in Sonoma County, Northern California has a scheduled flight this Sunday night via Munich and Lufthansa notified us of flight cancelations for the next couple of days. Maybe we should call it the Volcanic vintage, once it is made whenever that is. I am praying for a safe flight for Miro and all the other passengers.

Four days of work in Las Vegas and 3 Sliver Medals for VINI Merlot 2008, Targovishte Muscat 2007 and Peshterska Matured Grappa/Rakia, Bronze Medal for VINI Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 - a Medal per day, I'll take this bet all the time. Suzanna Siebert - our National Sales Manager modeling in 150 year old original Bulgarian folk costume from Sofia region

GOLD MEDAL • 91 • Vini 2008 Merlot, Thracian Valley $7.99. Best Buy. Deep ruby color. Aromas of toasty black raspberry pie follow through on a round, supple entry to a dryish medium body with very good balance and light elegant depth. Finishes with a drying, powdery tannin fade. A very nice table wine. (tasted on Mar-18-2010) SILVER MEDAL • 88 • Vini 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Thracian Valley $7.99. Best Buy. Aromas of toasty blackberry pie crust and toffee follow through on a round, juicy entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium body with good depth and balance. Finishes with roasted nut, roasted pepper, and delicate spice nuances and soft tannins. (tasted on Mar-18-2010) Tastings.com

GOLDEN RHYTON AWARDS 2010 White Varietal and Coupage Wines, 2009 Vintage Chardonnay, batch I, 2009, produced by BLACK SEA GOLD AD White Varietal and Coupage Wines from Previous Vintages GP Golden Rhythm Chardonnay 2008, produced by BLACK SEA GOLD AD Red Varietal and Red Coupage Wines from Previous Vintages Sinti Reserve Coupage 2008, produced by KOS SANDANSKI OOD White Wines Available in the Retail Shops Nobile Chardonnay 2007, produced by LOGODAJ WINERY OOD Red Wines Available in the Retail Shops Question Mark, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, gold label 2007, produced by KATARZYNA ESTATE EOOD

The Turtle Hill estate is a new Bulgarian wine producer. Our mission is to showcase our quality wines from Bulgaria’s Struma River valley to the world. The region’s unique climate and soil have been known since Roman times. The area benefits from long, hot and dry summers helping the grapes to ripen in near perfect conditions. This area (including famous wine producing town of Melnik) has historically delivered quality wines to connoisseurs all over the world, one of the most famous being Winston Churchill who favoured wine from the region. Turtle Hill has the ambition to resurrect that popularity, producing wines with excellent quality and character. The grapes are grown in our own vineyards in an EU eco-friendly area of Natura 2000. The name Turtle Hill is inspired by just one of the many local inhabitants roaming freely on the sun drenched banks of the river in an area that locals describe as ‘land that has been kissed by God”. The Winemaking process is the responsibility of the Au...