Georgiev-Milkov Mixtape Red 2023

Georgiev/Milkov sits right in the middle of the new wave of Bulgarian wine that’s finally getting people outside the country to stop and pay attention. The project was started by Georgi Georgiev and Dimitar Milkov, two winemakers far more interested in local grapes and old Bulgarian wine culture than simply making another international Merlot blend nobody remembers ten minutes later.

A big part of the appeal is how unapologetically Bulgarian the wines feel. Local varieties like Mavrud, Rubin, Dimyat and Pamid sit at the centre of the range, and instead of smoothing out all the rough edges, the winemaking tends to lean into them slightly. You get earthy spice, dark fruit, dried herbs, savoury notes and loads of freshness, often with a slightly untamed edge that makes the wines feel alive rather than factory-finished.

There’s definitely low intervention influence here too. Fermentations are generally spontaneous, sulphur use stays restrained and the wines aren’t overly dressed up in heavy oak or excessive extraction. Thankfully they also avoid the “unstable farmhouse science experiment” side of natural wine. The bottles still feel clean and purposeful, just with personality left intact.

What’s especially interesting is how much the wines reflect the wider direction Bulgarian wine seems to be moving in right now. Less imitation of famous French regions, more confidence in local identity. Producers like Georgiev/Milkov are proving that Bulgaria’s native grapes are perfectly capable of making distinctive, modern wines without pretending to be something else.

The result is wine that feels slightly rebellious but never gimmicky. Bottles that genuinely taste of somewhere specific, made by people who seem more interested in character than perfection. Which, honestly, is usually a good sign.