The General Assembly of the Sommeliers in Sofia

Standart Daily, Natalia Malcheva, * with excerpts

The General Assembly of the Sommeliers will be held from May 15 to May 20 in Sofia. Experts in the branch will vie in the World Sommelier's Competition. For the first time the prestigious contest will take place outside France. Bulgaria has won a 4-year-long competition for host of the event. The forum is held under the patronage of Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov.

Bulgaria will be represented by Lyubomir Stoyanov.
"The forum and the contest give Bulgaria the unique chance to promote its wine brands all around the world," said Nikolay Yordanov, the association's deputy head.
The export of Bulgarian wines grows by some 10% to 20% a year. Europe, Russia, the USA, India and China are the biggest consumers of high-quality Bulgarian wines.