With the holiday season approaching, trying a new wine can sound tempting. But with so many bottles on the shelves and labels announcing grapes harvested from all corners of the world, the selection can be disconcerting. Three events in Sofia in recent days have helped to provide clarity, and inspiration in choosing a wine.

Rather new on the Bulgarian market are wines from Austria. Generally overlooked around the world, that unfortunate fate is seeing reversal in Bulgaria thanks to local importer Wine.Unlimited, which hosted a tasting evening of its most recent offerings at the Hilton Hotel on November 3 2008. Invitées, mostly wine and restauration industry players and connoisseurs, were formally introduced to 10 vintages from 10 cellars, most of which were presented by their Austrian suppliers.

Anne Steininger started off the evening by presenting Weingut Steininger's sauvignon blank Sekt 2006; the small family winery specialises in sparking wine made in the méthode traditionelle, the quality being evidenced in this sekt. The first still wine was a dry, aromatic, single vineyard sauvignon blanc Sernauberg 2007 from Weingut Sattlerhof, a winery known as a pioneer of this grape. Following was a fresh, young, compelling grüner veltliner die Leidenschaft 2007 from Martin Arndorfer; the Pannobile 2006 from Helmuth Renner, an oak-aged 100 pinot blanc with notes of animals and mushrooms; a pinot noir Grillenhügel Reserve 2006 from Johanneshof Reinisch, with very little oak and good acidity; a cabernet sauvignon-merlot blend that had spent two years in new oak in the form of Anna-Christina 2006 from Weingut Netzl; Paul Lehrner's Paulus 2005; a coupage of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and zweigelt, the Leithaberg Rotwein Cuvée 2005 from Hans Nehrerm; and a Blaufränkisch Senior 2005 from Weingut Schützenhof, the grapes having been harvested as late as possible.

Also tasted was an elegant, very dense St Laurent Schafleiten 2006 from Judith Beck; Sankt Laurent is an Austrian variety often compared to pinot noir.

These wines range in price from 36 to 58 leva a bottle, price including DDC and delivery in Sofia.

Wine.Unlimited also offers a lower-priced selection of Austrian wines starting from 12 leva a bottle.

A few days later, on November 6, the American Embassy Recreation Association hosted its annual wine tasting evening at the embassy. Among Bulgarian cellars like Assenovgrad Winery, known countrywide for its mavrud, identifiable via its labels that feature a brick castle (or Jesus); the Thracian Valley-area Château Windy Hills; the newer Medi Valley Winery and Vineyards, located near Kyustendil; and Todoroff, there were also representatives from Bessa Valley, Edoardo Miroglio, Logodaj and Wine Cellar Rumelia.

These latter four have had their wines classed among the 50 best in Bulgaria, in magazine Bacchus' Bulgarian Wine of the Year 2008: Bessa Valley with its Enira Reserva 2006; Edoardo Miroglio with its Brut Metodo Classico 2005 and EM Blanc de Noir 2007; Logodaj with its Greo 2006, Hypnose Reserve 2006, Nobile Melnik 2006 and the fabulous Nobile rubin 2006; and Rumelia with its Merul mavrud Reserva 2006.

At the event, guests, among whom figured representatives of the Bulgarian political world and international diplomats, including US ambassador Nancy McEldowney, were treated to a live music selection of show tunes.

The end of October saw the 10th birthday celebrations of Bulgarian wine importer Cheers Group. On October 29, the National Archaeological Museum was home to the HouseFair, at which wine industry figures had the opportunity to taste Cheers' portfolio of more than 80 wines and Ports from 13 producers on five continents.

Of particular note were the wines from Livio Felluga, a winery in the Friulgi region of Italy, and the Champagnes from Ayala, particularly interesting because one of them was sans dosage (without sugar added when the bottle is closed for the final time, thus creating a very, very brut Champagne), and from Bollinger.

With the increase in choice of international labels on the Bulgarian market, and the increase in quality and variety in Bulgarian production itself, wines and liqueurs to be served at festive meals and parties have become all the more memorable.