Evgeni Haramliysky: Wine Pairs Best With Art

Many years on the market help the wine company Domaine Boyar to build a good perception of what new and creative projects to lie on. Its executive director Evgeni Haramliyski is not afraid to give life to brave, sometimes even exotic ideas. He believes that it is creativity that moves the company forward.?

Mr. Haramliysky, why did you decide to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Domaine Boyar by putting art in the core?

We are the first private winery in Bulgaria that has successfully managed to cope with the transition for 30 years now. For us, it has always been important to put the beginning of significant and memorable things that have not been done in Bulgaria so far. This is how the idea of turning out our winery into a piece of art was born.?

With a total area of nearly 1000 sq. meters, the project “Embers”, painted by the worldwide famous Bulgarian graffiti artist Stanislav Trifonov - Nasimo, is the largest graffiti painting in Europe. The composition is placed on 11 vinifiers (industrial wine vessels) in our winery in Sliven and represents 11 main paintings, symbolically narrating the path of human life, which is very similar to that of wine development.?

For us, the path of creating the wine and the human being are strongly connected, because it is the human that is masters nature processes and turns them into a sophisticated living drink, that continues to develop in the bottle. Symbolically, many similarities can be found with the development of man and his soul.

Wine and art always go hand in hand and are often inspirational for each other. Making wine is also an art, but a whole culture as well. It brings pleasure to the senses with its colours, aromas, and tastes. Especially when combined properly with food.

With the establishment of the “Embers” project, we have set the beginning of a new project for wine tourism in our winery in Sliven. With its scale, messages, and monumentality, graffiti is attracting more and more attention. And we have a wonderful area for that.

We are led by the idea of giving opportunities for development for young Bulgarian artists to paint or create sculptures in our winery. We want to turn the space into an open area for different types of art, accompanied by the pleasure of tasting quality wines.

The creation of the “Embers” project gave a new perception to the wine supporters of “Domaine Boyar”. This is how we won the attention of the young people. Our value is targeted concretely towards them - to appreciate every stage of their life because every step is crucial for what we become in the end. Because life is wonderful and we must live it with faith in the future and positivism.”

What is the most important lesson for the winery during the past 30 years on the market?

The continuous progress and clear vision for the future make us successful and resilient. And at the same time, staying comprehendible and accessible to people. Each day I wake up thinking about what new we could do to surprise the wine lovers, and what better product to offer them. This is the thought that drives all of us forward, the people who create and work behind the “Domaine Boyar” brand.

Is it an advantage or a disadvantage to be the first private winery in Bulgaria?

Being first on the market is always an advantage. When you are innovative, the chances of success increase incredibly fast. But there is a small detail - you need to consider the risks well. We have all of this in Domaine Boyar - we are the first ones, we are innovative and we are not afraid to take risks, because we measure them according to our capabilities.”

You can read the whole interview with Evgeni Haramliysky, Domaine Boyar's CEO, in Forbes Bulgarian's article (in Bulgarian language).