Asen Tzekov is the founder and driving force behind Vino Orenda, Bulgaria’s first wine shop dedicated exclusively to boutique Bulgarian wines from small, independent producers, opened in Sofia in 2012.

Asen is also the co-founder and co-organizer of Sofia’s Neighborhood Tour de Zarezan, a series of urban wine events that have occurred since 2018 across various wine venues in the capital. He is also the founder and co-organizer of Wine Nat? Meeting with Natural Wine, the first annual event launched in 2023, dedicated to Bulgarian wines made with natural practices.

He is a member of the Bulgarian Association of Wine Professionals and an associate member of the Bulgarian Association of Independent Winegrowers.

Discover Syrah from Sakar and Its Terroir
Blind Tasting Masterclass
Over the past two decades, Syrah has emerged as one of the Sakar region’s most distinctive and emblematic grape varieties. Syrah has found its natural home in this southern corner of Bulgaria, expressing the local terroir with remarkable power, depth, and elegance.
Together with Asen Tzekov from Vino Orenda and representatives of the Wines of Sakar Association, you will have the opportunity to explore the many faces of Sakar Syrah — to trace the style and signature of six independent producers from the region, all working exclusively with grapes from their own vineyards.
To highlight what makes the Sakar terroir unique, we will conduct the blind tasting alongside three other outstanding Syrah wines from different regions of Bulgaria.
The tasting will be structured as a game: participants will try to identify which wines come from Sakar. Detailed information about each wine will only be given at the end of the blind tasting — before that, you’ll only know the vintage and aging details.
Through this engaging format, we will seek to answer:
👉 What makes Sakar Syrah different?
👉 What are the defining features of the Sakar terroir?
👉 And finally — does it have the potential to rival international Syrah from both the Old and New Worlds?

We challenge you: taste, guess, and win!

Identify all six Sakar Syrah correctly and win exquisite wine rewards!