OUR STORY
Dear friends and partners,
In 2013, we celebrated ten years since the winery’s opening. Since day one, our team has been creating authentic, honest wines with a sense of mission and love.
We have worked hard to gain the recognition and respect of the wine market locally and abroad. We have established ourselves as the winery that offers the richest diversity of Melnik varieties and as an initiator for the development of the wine tourism in the Melnik region.
During this decade we have won many national and international awards –such as a place in the “World’s Best Vineyards” 2020, 2021, 2022, the prize “Favorite wine brand of the Bulgarian consumer 2021”, a permanent presence in the “Top 50 Bulgarian wines” according to DiVino, medals from world wine competitions, as well as a central role in the sensational series of Bulgarian National Television: “Wines”.
These successes would not have been possible without your trust and support over the years, for which we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
With warm feelings,
Milica, Lyubka and Nikola Zikatanov
and the team of Villa Melnik
The Beginning
The Zikatanov Family
The Zikatanov family originated from the village of. Kapatovo, municipality of Petrich. In the family archives are found documents and deeds from Ottoman times, which certify that our great-grandfather had vineyards and fields in the locality. Thus, the historical evidence about the vine-growing and winemaking roots of the family. Zikatanovs date back to nearly 200 years. Notarial acts from Ottoman times – our great-grandfathers cultivated vineyards in the region already 200 years ago.
In 2000, Lyubka and Nikola Zikatanovs embarked on a new family project – a boutique winery with capacity of about 200 tons per year and about 300 acres of their own vineyards. In their vision, the common work is what brings the family together. The winery is their way to show their respect for their roots and ancestors, and to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
First Harvest
The planting material comes from Bulgarian pipiniers. The shaping is deliberately made lower than standard (80 cm from the ground) for high quality yield. The inter-row space is wide (1.20 cm) to allow mechanised cultivation. Unusually wide paths have been left inside the plot with the clear vision that one day tourists will walk in the vineyards.
A small plot of 2ha of Broad Mill Vines in a bush vine formation has been planted to preserve the traditional method of cultivation. Today, one of Villa Melnik’s iconic wines is from this very vineyard.
Villa Melnik’s first harvest was in 2008, and the wines were then made at neighboring wineries. Didier Mailhe from France is the consultant oenologist and his apprentices are Rumyana Stoilova and Kiril Miladinov.
Villa Melnik practices precision farming with gentle practices, minimal use of natural chemicals and fertilizers, and preservation of the rich biodiversity in the vineyards. Many of the agronomic processes are carried out by hand, with respect for Nature and Man.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
The construction of the winery began in 2011 and the official opening was in 2013. The first harvest vinified and bottled in the newly opened cellar was from 2013. The whole project was partly funded by the SAPARD programme.
Two revolutionary ideas for their time are embedded in the winery. The first is the vertical organization of the winemaking, which makes it energy-saving and extremely friendly to the grapes and the wine. The second is that the idea of wine tourism has been built into the architectural plan of the winery – visitors will be able to walk through every step of the production process and nothing will remain hidden.
The winery is equipped with high-end equipment from a Bulgarian manufacturer – Rodina Haskovo. The bottling machine and the pneumatic press are Italian. The laboratory is also extremely modern and has including a spectral analysis instrument, Oenofos. Barrels from several Bulgarian and French producers are used, including Bulgarian, French, American and Hungarian oak. The winery has a spacious tasting room and wine shop.
Hundreds of swallows nest under the eaves of the winery, which is why Villa Melnik is called “the white swallow of the Struma Valley”.
In 2015, Milica joined to the family business and heads the Marketing and Sales departments.
Over the years, the Zikatanovs have improved the estate around the winery – planting an olive grove, figs, pomegranates, zinnias, almonds, plums, apricots, an oak grove. The hillside vineyard with 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains is landscaped and has become a favorite spot for events.
In 2022 the construction of an ornamental lake was completed – the water from the production is recycled and feeds the lake, which is currently home to goldfish, Struma net and mullet, water turtle and water snake.
A small plot of 2ha of Broad Mill Vines in a bush vine formation has been planted to preserve the traditional method of cultivation. Today, one of Villa Melnik’s iconic wines is from this very vineyard.
Villa Melnik’s first harvest was in 2008, and the wines were then made at neighboring wineries. Didier Mailhe from France is the consultant oenologist and his apprentices are Rumyana Stoilova and Kiril Miladinov.
Villa Melnik practices precision farming with gentle practices, minimal use of natural chemicals and fertilizers, and preservation of the rich biodiversity in the vineyards. Many of the agronomic processes are carried out by hand, with respect for Nature and Man.
Family Crest and Trademarks
There is a lot of heraldic symbolism in the family coat of arms of Villa Melnik. On the shield are the bunch and the terroir – the Melnik sand pyramids in the shape of “M”. The shield bearers are two griffins – they symbolize strength, valour and magnanimity. Their feet are firmly planted on the ground, and their wings are spread and ready for flight – a symbol of the connection with the family and the land, but also of freedom and flight of the spirit. The crown is Mediterranean and corresponds to the title of Baron.
In 2020, the coat of arms is modernized while retaining its dignity and multilayeredness.
Rebranding of Labels in the Period 2008–2020
Aplauz
Applause means:
Applause for the vine-growers toiling in the field.
To the craftsmen who make the wine in the winery.
To the merchants who sell it.
And for the wine lovers who share it.
AplauZ means “from A to Z”, from beginning to end, everything, the whole universe.
A.Z. are also the initials of Alexa Zikatanov – two generations, grandfather and grandson. ApplauZ is associated with masculinity in our clan.
Bergule
The word Bergule is Thracian and means hill, ridge, shore. It is associated with the wise words of great-grandmother Milica who said that:
“…everything changes.
Even the river can change its bed,
it can dry up,
but its banks remain forever.”
The sandy banks of the Melnik River become a symbol of eternity, of timeless human values. Bergule also represents the feminine in our clan.
Family Tradition
Family Tradition remains at the core of our portfolio as an everyday wine for every occasion.
