90 wineries from 10 Balkan countries will join the contest at the first Balkan Wine Festival. 38 of the participating companies are Bulgarian and the rest come from various ends of the region: Greece, the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Hungary and Romania. On 14 and 15 June at Grand Hotel Sofia, 400 wines will compete for the title "Best Wine on the Balkans". For the first time Masters of Wine from Greece, the UK, the United States and Switzerland will rate and discuss the quality of the local products.

The second part of the festival will take place on 16 and 17 June. Wine enthusiasts can taste over 350 wines along with the winning brands from the competition. Lectures and workshops will be held by members of the jury and other international experts, discussing the secrets of fine winery as well as many other aspects of the business.