The Bulgarian ambassador here has his mind set on bringing wines from his country back to South Korea in a big way.

Bulgarian Ambassador to South Korea Petar Andonov hosted local importers, distributors, foreign envoys and other VIPs for a tasting of 17 wines from the Castra Rubra and Telish wineries at the chancery on Wednesday.

“I will not deny my ambition to teach Korean people more about the qualities of Bulgarian wine because I am sure they will really like it,” Andonov said.

Although Bulgarian wine was exported to South Korea in the past, it flew beneath the radar of palates here. Exports stopped altogether in 2012.

That may soon change, however, by virtue of the efforts of the envoy. That is welcomed news to restaurateur and co-owner of Zelen, Fillip Ashminov, who said he would like to offer a selection of Bulgarian wines at Zelen’s two restaurants in Hannam-dong and Itaewon.

Wines tasted on Wednesday included Motley Cock 2009, a red from the Castra Rubra Winery, the Castra Rubra Classic series of wines, and Via Diagonalis and Butterfly’s Rock.

Butterfly’s Rock was a favorite for its deep purple color and multilayered aroma. BR has a velvety yet structured finish with scents of clove and black currant.

The wines sniffed, swirled and sipped at the tasting are the brainchild of one man, Jair Kapogian, who arrived here for the Seoul International Wines and Spirits Expo that took place over the weekend.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)