The festivities begin when the wineries in the surrounding hills open their doors to visitors for tastings of the local red wine, but soon take on the atmosphere of a village fete when meat is thrown on the grill, and bagpipes, drums and fiddles strike up.
Every year, on 14 February, thousands of visitors arrive for Saint Trifon’s Day, a celebration of the patron saint of winemaking, which is a much bigger deal than Valentine’s Day, and dates back centuries.
The £4.50 entrance ticket includes five wine tastings, including a variety supposedly favoured by Winston Churchill, who was said to order two barrels each year.
From here, the party moves on to the taverns in Melnik, which fill to the rafters, the noise growing proportionately to the number of jugs of house wine consumed – which is quite a few since they start at about £10 a litre.
Two weeks before the festivities begin, I arrive for my fourth visit to the town and, as usual, I have barely stepped out of the car when I am called over by a man selling wine.
