In the first three months of 2008, bulgarian export sales droped 20%. Bulgarian experts predict that the industry will not be able to compensate for the loss over the whole year. 20 million liters of wine have been sold outside of Bulgaria between January and March 2008, as opposed to 25 million over the first three months of 2007. In value, this represents a 13 million euros sales in 2008 as opposed to 32.9 million last year.

Bulgarian wines are struggling hard with the competition on its key market : Russia. Positionned on the entry-level of the market, with a retail price comprised between  0.75 and 0.9 €, they still have to outwit wines from Portugal, Italy et Spain. Forecasts on the 2008 Bulgarian harvest plan on a good quality crop with exceptionnaly low yields : 5000-7000 kg /ha, as opposed to the 8000-9000 kg /ha figures of the last two vintages.

[Source : Dnevnik.bg]