Mavrud is an old red grape variety cultivated in Bulgaria since ancient times. The birthplace of Mavrud is the area around today’s city of Plovdiv in the Western Thrace wine region. The name Mavrud is derived from the Greek word “mavro”, which means black. This is probably because the skin of the Mavrud grape is bluish-black.
The Legend
As any legend, the legend of Mavrud has a few slight variations. In the early 9th century, the Bulgarian ruler Khan Krum issued the first universal laws of the land. These laws forbad drinking alcohol, among many other things, and provided for the uprooting of all vines in the country. The Bulgarian state became immensely powerful during Khan Krum’s rule, who conquered vast territories mainly to the north in today’s Romania and Hungary. Krum’s army was undefeatable and one young man in particular excelled in battles. Upon return from yet another successful military campaign, Khan Krum decided to pay a visit to the mother of the brave young man to show her his respect about the way she had brought up her son. The powerful ruler showed his appreciation for the skills of the young boy and asked his mother how she raised such a strong, fearless and courageous son. The mother humbly replied: “Mighty Khan Krum, I need to confess something to you. Here in my backyard I kept a vine tree despite your orders. Every morning I was feeding my son wine and bread and that is why he came out to be such a strong man.” Instead of punishing her, Khan Krum allowed her to keep the vine tree and named it after her son. Needless to say, her son’s name was Mavrud.

