Zagreus & the Natural Wine Fellows: Bulgaria's Thracian Lowlands
If you've not drunk much Bulgarian wine, you're not alone, and you're in for a proper treat. Tucked into the Upper Thracian Lowlands, with the Rhodope Mountains at its back and a cave nearby that locals say was once a temple to Zagreus (the Thracian god of wine, later remixed into Dionysus and Bacchus), this is one of the most exciting producers we've ever brought into the shop.
We're stocking wines from three connected projects, all running out of the same Bulgarian estate under winemaker Dimitar Hadzhiyski. They share a vineyard, a philosophy, and a grape: Mavrud, Bulgaria's ancient, brooding red; but they're three very different ways of getting there.
The Zagreus Winery
Organic farming, hand-harvest, Bulgarian oak only. Dimitar's mission is simple: work with, preserve, revive and experiment with Mavrud, the oldest indigenous Bulgarian grape variety. The wines here are polished, ageworthy, and have racked up a cabinet of medals across Europe.
Tiara Mavrud BIO
The contemporary face of Mavrud. 100% Mavrud, organic, Bulgarian-oak aged. Crystal-clear ruby with a fine sparkle; red fruits, figs, honey, light cinnamon and oak on the nose. Full-bodied but harmonious, with succulent fruit, dark chocolate, ripe tannin, tobacco and vanilla on the finish. Won Silver at the International Bio Wine Award and Silver at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Pour it with roast lamb, duck, ragù, or aged Cheddar.
Mavrud Reserve
The new image of Bulgaria's oldest grape. 100% Mavrud, organic, oak-aged. Blackcurrant and raspberry-driven, soft tannins, spicy, long finish. Top-5 nomination for Wine of the Year at the 28th Proefschrift Wijnconcours in Amsterdam. A "match-carefully" wine: BBQ, beef, game, lamb, mature Brie or Camembert.
Vinica Mavrud BIO
The iconic ancient method. 100% Mavrud grapes, made appassimento-style: the grapes are dried on racks for 2–3 months, losing around 30% of their juice and concentrating everything that's left, before 15–18 months in new Bulgarian oak barriques. The result is opaque garnet; an aristocratic nose of cherry, plum, dried fruit, tea leaves, liquorice and spice; dense, grainy structure with a long dark-chocolate finish. Cellars beautifully for up to 15 years. Pair with grouse, long-hung venison, or anything strong-game.
Noble Dessert Mavrud
The sweet finish. 100% Mavrud, half-bottle. Inky; nose of blackcurrant, black cherry, mint, walnut leaves, tea and earth. The contrast of concentrated sweetness with velvet tannins is the signature. Lovely with blue cheese, dark chocolate, or as a quiet pour at the end of a winter dinner.
Natural Wine Fellows - an after-hours project
Founded in 2016, Natural Wine Fellows (NWF) is the low-sulphur, no-additives, no-filtering, no-stabilisation side of the operation. Dimitar plus three colleagues: Stanimir, Ivan and Momchil, all of whom work at Zagreus by day. Distinctive illustrated labels, an Instagram presence (@naturalwinefellows), and a properly fresh take on Bulgarian grapes.
Pét-Nat Dimyat ("Born to be Wild")
Natural sparkling white from the indigenous Bulgarian Dimyat grape. Organic, dry-farmed, ancestral method (single fermentation finishing in bottle, no disgorgement). Savoury, herbal, quince and apricot character. "Small bubbles, big pleasures" says the label, and that's about right.
Pét-Nat Mavrud Rosé ("Born to be Wild")
The wild side of Mavrud. 100% Mavrud, ancestral method, organic and dry-farmed. Sunkissed strawberry, peach, spiced pear, and even a hint of that party-friendly Provençal bubblegum note. Mavrud has stood the test of time precisely because it knows how to have a good time.
Pét-Nat Pamid & Merlot Red ("Born to Be Wild") 2025
The new one we're really excited about. 80% Pamid (Bulgaria's historically dominant indigenous red, native to the Thracian plain) and 20% Merlot. Ancestral method, 12% ABV, just 800 bottles produced. No fining, no filtering. Bright red fruit, leans toward Oregon Pinot Noir in character with an extra herbaceous Balkan layer. Smoky sausage, kebab, charcuterie, dill-and-oregano potato salad - proper natural-wine party food.
Santimenti Dimyat & Rkatsiteli
Skin-contact, orange-leaning white. 7 days on the skins, wild fermentation in stainless steel, aged in glass demijohns, no clarification, no filtration, max 35 mg/l sulphites at bottling. Unique, lively, characterful - a properly distinctive bottle for the skin-contact curious.
Santimenti Mavrud
The same philosophy turned on Mavrud. 100% Mavrud grapes, organic, wild fermented, unfiltered, low sulphur. A red made with the lightest possible hand on Bulgaria's flagship grape - the antidote to the heavy-oak Mavrud cliché.
Blush Rosé
Pale, fresh, juicy Mavrud rosé from the same low-intervention playbook. Picnic and lunch wine; a softer cousin to the Pét-Nat Rosé.
Hand Made Pamid
The friendly natural red. 100% Pamid, organic, hand-picked, wild fermented, no fining, no filtering, low sulphur. Light, juicy, gulpable. If you've never tried Bulgarian wine before, start here.
Why we're stocking it
We've been after a Bulgarian producer that does justice to the country's grapes for ages. Zagreus and the Fellows are it - proper organic farming, deep roots in Mavrud and Pamid, and a low-intervention range that we honestly think will blow your mindabout what Eastern European wine can taste like.
The Pét-Nat Pamid & Merlot and the Hand Made Pamid are perfect Wine Boy Club bottles and brilliant gateways. The Vinica is a special-occasion red, and the Noble is a quiet revelation at the end of a meal.
Get a box
Want to try the range? We'll deliver a mixed box of any 4 or 6 bottles locally, or you can pick one up at the shop in Stockport Indoor Market Hall. Drop us a message if you want a curated Zagreus / Fellows selection put together — happy to build one around what you fancy.
Mark Wineboy — Indoor Market Hall, Market Place, Stockport SK1 1ES