The young and rapidly developing company is named after an ancient Roman fortress located along the Danube River, Bononia (today's Vidin). Over the centuries, Bononia bravely defended the province of Upper Moesia and was later upgraded and transformed into the Baba Vida fortress, proudly guarding the northwestern border of one of the oldest countries in Europe, which has not changed its name to this day, Bulgaria. The Balkan country is known in the region both for its longest mountain range, which gave its name to the peninsula, the Balkans and as one of the places where winemaking was first born on the continent.
In 1895, captivated by the beautiful nature and soft water of the Danube River, the Hungarian Victor Olinger created one of the oldest breweries in Bulgaria, in the village of Koshava, which was later converted into a winery. The impressive building, together with the preserved underground corridors, are located on the banks of the Danube River, where it makes its biggest bend, 15 km from the old Bulgarian capital with a centuries-old history - the city of Vidin.
After 1989, this part of the country seemed to be doomed to oblivion. Until 2010, when captivated by the ecological area, the Yotovi family decided to support the revival of the wine industry in the area and to build a complete production cycle.
In 2013, the first 400 decares were planted with young vines, and to date the vineyards extend over 1300 decares. The desire of the owners is for the plantations to reach an area of 1,500 decares, formed by the pruning of Dr. Guyot , in which to grow different varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Traminer, Viognier, Riesling, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and the traditional Bulgarian Gamza for the region . The young vines are precisely selected from Italy and France, according to the international consumer demand.
In 2016, Bononia Estate presented its first wines – ISTAR, Ooh La la, Gomotartzi, and Bononia Estate Reserve .
In 2022, a boutique hotel part was opened as an addition to the cellar, which includes 22 hotel rooms, a restaurant, a spa area, various tasting rooms, a conference and event hall, an outdoor pool, etc. In addition to a completely closed production cycle, which will guarantee 100% quality control, Bononia Estate Winery & Resort will contribute to Bulgarian wine tourism and aim to become a preferred wine destination.
