The only museum of the wine on the Balkan Peninsula is situated in the town of Pleven. It is located in the picturesque park Kaylaka opposite to the Totlebenov Val dam. The museum of wine was established in 2008 and is located in one of the caves of Kaylaka park. Not surprisingly, the museum is in Pleven – this town has a long tradition in this area and is considered one of the main wine industry centers in Bulgaria. The first Vocational Viniculture School in the country was opened here in 1890, and the National Institute of Wine was established in 1902. The museum of architecture is really impressive. The cave is artificially transformed into a cross shaped site, and years ago there was an idea to house the Pleven Epos Panorama here. Visitors of the cave can learn many interesting facts about the history of wine production in Bulgaria. In the historical part of the cave visitors can see many pictures and items, connected with the history of wine production, the technology and sort specifications in the different regions of the country. Here visitors can see old barrels, old containers for wine production, rhytons and other drinking vessels for the ‘divine spirit’. The museum also offers wine degustation, which is actually a short sommelier course and is conducted by a specialist. During the degustation, visitors can learn interesting and useful facts, such as how to hold the wine glass and why, what is the role of food, what should be looked for in the color, aroma, taste and aftertaste of the tasted wines. The museum collection includes wines, aged between 30 and 90 years. Part of the collection is 6,000 bottles of modern wines from various regions and companies from the country.
