It’s been ten years since Kukeri Winery’s founder and winemaker, Petar Kirilov, began his operation with 50 cases of 2010 Kukeri Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, he’s producing around 1500 cases of different sub-available Napa Cabs, in addition to Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay from Sonoma County.
“Ten years is a big achievement for us as a company, and it is one of the most important milestones in my career in winemaking,” said Kirilov. “It has been a long journey and many hours of hard work that kept our company alive and successful during the past ten years, and it’s important for us to take some time to appreciate and celebrate that moment.”
Kirilov moved to Carneros from his native Bulgaria in 2003, where he started at Truchard Vineyards. After this first successful stint in the Valley, he returned in 2005, where he worked for Vinovation, Meadowcroft Wines, and Foyt Wines before venturing off on his own to establish a brand that focused on “unique wines created through passion, dedication, and long hours.”
The winery’s name reflects the diligence and optimism a winemaker starts every new year with, in relation to the Kukeri festival held in Bulgaria at the beginning of January, a celebration of life cycles. The festival is defined by animal-looking masks that often are designed with two sides, one to represent good and one to represent evil, as a symbol of the balance of these forces in nature. And with winemakers relying on nature, the Kukeri name is a reminder of this. “We treat the fruit as gently as possible, producing small lots of quality wines that show the power, complexity, and distinct terroir of a specific region,” says Kirilov.
Kirilov’s first expansion outside Cabernet Sauvignon was personal – his 2016 Kukeri Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir was created for his wife as it’s her favorite wine. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and a Sonoma Coast Rosé from Pinot Noir have since joined the portfolio. However, its flagship, small lot Cabernet Sauvignons are undoubtedly still fan favorites, sourcing grapes from Mount Veeder, Stags Leap, Rutherford, and Los Carneros.
“I am a big fan and Cabernet drinker myself, and for me to make so many different sub-AVA Napa Cabernets under Kukeri is to show the complexity and the terroirs of these different sub-appellations in Napa Valley and to give our clients a chance to enjoy and appreciate each of them,” said Kirilov. “Some of our wines are more intense and concentrated, others are darker and fruit-forward with mysterious undertones, and this is what I believe makes our Cabernets so unique and popular.”
Though his winemaking journey started in Bulgaria, Kirilov acknowledges that California is where he made his dreams come true – a reality where he makes “the best wines possible.”
In celebration of their decade milestone, Kukeri is designing a special label and a Bordeaux blend from Howell Mountain that they will release in 2024. “Stay tuned, as it will be something spectacular,” he teased.
