"...Wine probably appeared in Europe at about 4500 BC in what is now Bulgaria..."

 (from the article WINE in WIKIPEDIA)

Founded more than 7000 years ago, the city of Haskovo is among the oldest settlements in Europe. Its favourable geographic location and mild climate have since ancient times attracted various Thracian and Slavonic tribes to settle on these lands. Winemaking and wine-drinking gradually formed to be two of the pillars of Thrace’s traditional culture and the wines of the Thracian tribes soon became famous throughout the Ancient World. Remnants of these times are the so-called Sharapani - Thracian winemaking facilities in the shape of stone reservoirs, linked with channels carved out in the rock.

STAMBOLOVO WINERY, in alliance with the former HASKOVO WINERY, is a successor to Patkovi Winemaking Firm, founded in 1932. In 1947 it was nationalized and made part of the newly formed State’s Spirit Monopoly. The winery became a private property again in 1997. Since that time the efforts of the new management are focused into maintaining and enriching the winemaking tradition and reputation of the STAMBOLOVO brand name, of its showpiece high-quality Bulgarian reds, and especially of the emblematic Merlot wines of Stambolovo.