Bulgaria’s Wine Center Barbara Kingstone January 19, 2011 Bulgaria, Cuisine MELNlK is an old wine center Melnik wine was highly appreciated at the market of Thessalonica. The town has been popular as a wine-growing region since l346. The famous Melnik vine had been brought here from Syria in ancient times. Winston Churchill, a longtime fan of this wine, for years on end used to order from this robust, deep-flavoured ‘southern’ wine, produced from a unique local brand of vine. The climate of Melnik is favourable for medical treatment of chronic pulmonary, kidney and rheumatic disorders. Melnik is situated at a distance of 20 km from the town of Sandanski and is linked through an asphalt road (12 km) to Sofia-Athens international road. There are regular bus connections with Petrich, Sandanski, Blagoevgrad and Sofia. The nearest railway station, Damyanitsa, on the Sofia – Koulata (Athens) railway line is at a distance of 12 km and there is a regular bus line to it.