February 8 (BTA) - Traditional Wineries Doors Open Days will take place near Melnik (Southwestern Bulgaria) on February 19 and 20. The event is dedicated to the day of the patron saint of gardeners and winegrowers, St. Tryphon, the Bulgarian Association of Independent Winegrowers (BAIW) told BTA.

The visitors will have an opportunity to see vine pruning rituals, take part in wine tours, attend local folklore music and dance performances, and, of course, will be able to try the local wines and traditional dishes. By organizing the festival, Melnik winegrowers aim to popularize their high-quality wines of local and international varieties, and promote wine tourism in the region, BAIW said.

The participating wineries are:
- Villa Melnik Winery (the village of Harsovo), www.villamelnik.com;
- Zlaten Rozhen Wine Cellar (the village of Kapatovo), www.zlatenrozhen.bg;
- Kapatovo Gardens and Vineyards (the village of Kapatovo), www.kapatovo.bg;
- Libera Estate (the village of Zornitsa), www.liberaestate.com;
- Zornitza Family Estate (the village of Zornitsa), www.zornitzaestate.com.

Each winery has its own programme of events, accessible online for anyone who is interested.

The organizers have also created the Melnik Wine Routes map which is free to download from the following links: https://villamelnik.com/regiona; https://www.facebook.com/melnikwineroutes/. It includes the locations of the wineries within the region, as well as some landmarks, such as the towns of Melnik, Sandanski and Petrich, the Rozhen monastery, the village of Rupite, Samuil's fortress, among others.

The Doors Open Days initiative is supported by the municipalities of Sandanski and Petrich and will take place in strict compliance with all anti-epidemic measures.

BAIW is an association which unites family wineries from different regions in Bulgaria. Since its founding in April 2012, BAIW is a member of the European Confederation of Independent Winegrowers (CEVI - www.cevi-eciw.eu), alongside winegrowers' organizations from France, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy and Hungary. CEVI represents more than 8,000 wineries.