The latest range of wines from the Bulgarians shows they playing the New World at its own game. Domaine Boyar is launching the first collection from Blueridge, its new state of the art winery designed by Australians. Not surprisingly the first three wines to carry the Blueridge name are varietals. They are a cold macerated Cabernet Sauvignon, and American barrel Merlot and a Merlot aged in French barriques (bought from Chateau Lafite). There were plans for a Chardonnay but there were not enough grapes available. Consumers wanting to find out more about the wines, including which country they come from, will have to turn to the back label. Last year Domaine Boyar launched premium brands from its Iambol and Shumen wineries and spent £2m supporting them, including TV advertising. It reported a 41% increase in sales volumes for the first half of this year as a consequence This year the level is nowhere near as high but in 2001 there are plans to beef up the budget again. Sales and marketing executive Steve Abrahams said: "We are hoping to make Blueridge our flagship brand. The buyers are beginning to express an interest and it is now a question of getting the bottles on the shelf." He said the £3.99 price point for all three of the wines makes them highly competitive in terms of the quality of the product and the packaging. The company is planning to promote the wines instore with a range of initiatives including gondola ends. {{DRINKS }}

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