An ancient Georgian white from Kakheti, Rkatsiteli is prized for high natural acidity, firm structure, and orchard-fruit purity. In Bulgaria, it’s a niche but capable variety across the Danube Plain and Black Sea PGIs, yielding crisp, mineral wines (and a growing handful of skin-contact “orange” styles). Expect brightness, clarity, and food versatility.
Bulgarian Aligoté shows a brisk citrus-and-green-apple core, sharpened by Black Sea breezes and the Danube Plain’s cool nights. It’s typically unoaked or gently raised on fine lees, emphasizing racy acidity and a saline-mineral snap, with a subtle almond note as it settles in the bottle.
Serving
8-10°C
Aroma white
Serve fresh
For orange versions, 5–30 minutes of decanting is helpful for skin contact.
Food Pairing
Black Sea mussels, white fish, tarator, Shopska salad, grilled chicken, vegetable dolmas, and goat cheese. Orange styles suit cured meats, baked pumpkin, and aged yellow cheeses.
What to Look For?
Green apple, quince, lemon peel, pear, white flowers, fresh herb; linear palate with racy acidity and a faint saline/mineral line. Skin-contact versions add tea, dried apricot, and gentle tannin.
Cellaring Potential
Dry/stainless: best 1–3 years.
Skin-contact or oaked: can evolve 3–8 years (wax, honey, dried orchard fruit).
Blending Partners
Primarily used as a varietal in Bulgaria; also employed to balance acidity in blends (e.g., with Dimyat/Chardonnay) and as a base for sparkling wines. Skin-contact forms echo its Georgian heritage.
Breeding Background & Regional Context
Origin: Georgia (Kakheti); Vitis vinifera with millennia of cultivation. In Bulgaria, plantings are limited but steady, primarily centered in the cooler sites of the North and along the coast, where acid retention remains high.
Alternative Grapes
Bulgarian / locally common: Dimyat, Cherven Misket (Red Misket), Aligoté, Riesling (widely planted in Bulgaria).
International analogues (high-acid, crisp): Furmint, Grüner Veltliner, Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet), Assyrtiko, Picpoul, Albariño.
For skin-contact/orange styles: Kisi, Mtsvane Kakhuri, Chenin Blanc.
