OSMAR PELIN


	Tuesday, 19 December , 2000 "Golden Lion" drinks a tost with Osmar Pelin Record participation in the National Trade Exposition "Made in Bulgaria" Plamen Georgiev - Shoumenska Zarya newspaper Osmar wine cellar was awarded with a "Golden Lion" by the "Made in Bulgaria" Union in the branch "Wine and Drinks". The prestigeous award was given for makin the famous Osmar Pelin, made after the original technology. The Gloden Sign and the diplom, were given on a ceremony in the National Palace of the Culture in Sofia by the chairman of the Union MAde in Bulgaria - Christo Drumev in the presence of the minister of the economy Peter Jotev. What is the value of the award "Golden Lion" was the question which we asked the winemakers from "Osmar Ltd", in person the manager of the company Mr. Dimitrin Vichev. This is what he said specially for the Shoumenska Zarya newspaper : "This award is acknowledgement for the entrepreneurial activity which we did until this moment - establishing enterprise in Bulgaria, it equipment and technology, gathering the team with attracting specialists, reaching the quality tp be appreciated by the buyers. All this mixed with the leaven of the everyday work, with the desire to succeed. This award is also a incentive for us to look to the foreign markets, to give chance to such a unique bulgarian product like Osmar Pelin to find its followers abroad. The award is a an evidence that when something is done with a lot of work, there is always results. I wish all the valuers of the OSmar Pelin good health and to enjoy. " The sixth edition of the national trade exposition will remain with the record number of the companies participating - over 600, as only one of them was State Own. 86% were the manufacturers, the rest were merchants, distributors and foreign investors. Over 75% were the small entrepreneurs. 80% were the traditional participants, wich take the places from the first to the seventh floor of the National Palac of the Culture. The forum closed yesterday. It was organized by the Made In Bulgaria Union, and co-organizers were the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and the Busines-Center Bulgaria.


	Tuesday, 19 December 2000. Boyko Panov - SEGA NEWS PAPER Two brothers - Vicho and Dimitrin Vichevi are in charge of the wine cellar in Osmar and they know how to let the spirit our of the bottle. They are osmarians - their father, and their grandfather are famous winemakers. It is said that "ousmar" for the protobulgarians ment "wine skin"- hence the strange but very popular everywhere in the country name. The newly built and modern winecellar, type "shateau" is something that makes the two brothers happy as kids. Behind the "shateau" is parked forever their grand fathers' horse cart , whith which the old man used to run the business years ago. The horse cart is both to remind for the tradition and like talisman. During the last trade exposition "Made in Bulgaria" in the National Palace of Culture - Osmar Pelin was awarded with Golden Lion. 31 herbs and fruits make the wine what we call after the famous village. The recipe The Vichevs say , *is a unique secret* There are other beverages made with a secret recipe, but... This one secret, The Osmar, smells much more convincing from the oversea soft secrets, which swell our super markets. To compare The Osmar Secret with these others sparkling secrets will be the same to compare the Secret of the Creation of the world with the secret who OJ Simpson have or have not killed... However - our kind hosts are nesting the team in a high tower around a round table. Inside the big circle of the table there is nested another, smaller, which could rotate. A crazyforest nymph by the name of Silvya bumps on the small circle two pitchers - white and red pelin, and on the moment the room changes its look. Sigh from the First Bulgarian Kingdom start floating in the air and around boisterous and hairy ghosts of old khans start to perk... When we fill the glasses and smell, our heads a hit by such a strong aroma, that we are afraid to drink. It feels like all the united forces of all possible plants and grassess have gathered i na glass of wine and attack - to the great mans enjoyment and triumph of the harmony. *Vivchev Brothers* start with this business after 94, after the fall of the state monopol. They both are interesting persons - they had ferm for nutrias, after that they grew caws and pigs, swam also as a taxi drivers in the stormy groove of the uncontrolable democratization. Since 22 years old as a student in Svishtov Dimitrin did write bulletins against the regime and they sent him behind the bars! After that he was chairman of Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, in 91 he was the leader of the United Democratic Forces - Center, burt in 94 he began to see through that our politics only ends with the best ideas being used by our partocration. After this pholosophical brewing the two brothers draw credits and build the new wine cellar, which to give to our country not speaches, but some more real things. The situation in Bulgaria is horrible- troubles himself Dimitrin Vichev - , while he shows us the 5 tons barrels in the cellar - In Sofia you cannot notice this too much. People have no livelihood! The poverty is horrible! Vichev is very much convinced that our polititians do not drink enough, but this is not a plus, but a minus! Because, continues his thought, if they drunk more, whats more, pelin, thay would lie less and more truths to speak. In the Parliament there must be much less people , which look at being deputy as a livelihood, but more people, which pay salaries and taxes, and clearly understand the reality in our country, says Dimitrin. Let Jotev comes here - one common sense man, let Kostov comes, let comes the president, to see and to hear. To be investor in Bulgaria is more than heroism, say Vichevs. From 2 kg. of grape 1.5 l of wine is made, and when the acsizes and the taxes are paid, and when you count how many fakes are made from water, paint and sugar, and beat the price, it becomes clear why they do not want to talk about the institution called state. The banks are taking care only of their marble offices and from time to time to tell you very kindly that your deal is turned down. The wine cellar wants to buy vinyards, but from the State Land Fondation cannot offer land , the people do not sell it, although they are in misery. Right now the once rich village Osmar is on the edge of the crash The Cooperative is in unrecoverable bankrupcy. The equipment is being sold out. And indeed, when one takes a walk around the village is impressed by two things. The beautiful and big homes in a neglected state. Here and there some old man is picking something in the garden, but the impression is not enchanting, but frustration and misery , abandoned yards, stolen roofs and fences. There are about 200 citizens living in the 500 houses in the village. In the late 1934- 36 Osmar exported elite grape for Germany, the village was among the first in the country to have its own sewage system , and then was considered great luck to marry a woman from Osmar. Now Donka , one of the few women, who has a job in Shoumen, tells: -Twenty years ago I did buy an apparment, took care after my daughter,my son, who graduated university . Now besides me , everybody are jobless. My son speaks three languages . He had to leave Bulgaria. Now and my daughter walks his way, makes everything possible to go to Amreica. I will sell what I have, but let her go - - there is no life here. We get poorer by the day - Wont you miss your children? - I will of course... But it is not a happier sight to watch her troubled here. -Why your The Cooperative bankrupted? - The Chairman is thief... - Why don`t you change him then? - - We did, but all of them steal. - Whole the state is like this - tells Uncle Athanas - That`s why I do not believe neither in the elections, nor in nothing. These now, that make noice, are not thirsty to save the country, but to reach the bone. Like everywhere, noone is a profit in his home town. The local people out of jealousy or just to obstruct the prosperous Vichev Brothers. And they they neither give them their land for rent, nar sell the grape to them. They sell it to the neighboring wine cellar insted - about 70 miles away. The people there on their turn sell their grape to Vichev Brothres - to give hard time to theirs. And a circulation of a sort is running on the roads, and the ours "why dont they f......." , our "lets everything goes down, to crumble , but let them have hard times too". But these are "sweet" home "pelins" , because the pelin first of all is not a wine, but a weed. amd is so bitter, you can stay it... The brothers keep 36 men on the payroll The chief technitian Popov says, they hired an orphan from the lately closed orphanage, did find him where to live also. But The Vichevs are not in the mood when they talk about social matters: - I do not see a way people to buy fine wine, and how shall they drink it, when they hardly survive. How to buy their grape, when we cannot sell the wine? If the government do not protect us, this industry will die. We can1t even buy our lands, because some wants to sell, the other doesn't...... How shall be we happy with our money and success, when our friends are so frustratingly poor? They are the same like us- clever and fit men. And they tell a story about 800 bessarabian-bulgarian families living at North East of Bulgaria. They know a family, not to talk about pelin - but a chicken they could not afford for a Holiday. Another Dimitrins friend- patoanthom from Shoumen , already three years is without heating at home, can't pay for it. "The Small America", used to call Osmar once upon a time, but now is far from the promised land. The blessed country has gathered as if a earthpot with poisons the long years of careless governing , local and the states , and have salted inside his own nihilism and vices.Thats why even the people from Sofia looks to the local prosperous. " You guys from Sofia have the money - as they say the stolen money went there, didn't they" - sadly bow the Osmarian elders. But then they take out a bottle from the cellar and warmly invite you: -Go, have a drink from mine pelin - they , the Vichevs - cannot make it like mine.


	Tuesday , 19 December , 2000. WINE PEARL DECORATED THE NDK CROWN "Osmar" LTD opened Press Center in the big foae of the National Palace of Culture Plamen Gergiev - Shoumenska Zarya Newspaper Just two weeks were enough for the shoumen enterpreneur Mr. Dimitrin Vichev - manager of Osmar LTD , to close successfully the cycle from the idea to relisation of working Press Center in the Big Lobby of the National Palace of the Culture in Sofia. For the glitter of the place speaks clearly whr the director of the NDK Mr. Hristo Drumev says, that "it is another perl in the crown of NDK" . And this is not accidentally , since there will be the formal opening of the sixth edition of the National Trade Exposition "Made in Bulgaria", where over 500 comapnies will take place. " In this press center we will not only show our products, but our traditions, culture of the Shoumen region in the heart of Sofia" - said Mr. Dimitrin Vichev. He thinks, that this Press Center the Sofians will enjoy the true quality of the wine from the cellar of Osmar LTD and the famous Osmar Pelin. This will be a way buy wich the wine maker will try to oppose with the fake products of the kind, which unfortunately exist on the market , buy illwilled merchant that use the trade mark of the company. The guests in NDK already have the chance to participate at the wine tastings and to make their choice for purchase, brandy or pelin. The Press Center will be attraction for the tourist too and a natural continuation for their sight seeing tours in the country. "The Press Center will show the connection of the bulgarian culture with the wine" - promise Mr. Vichev. Every week will take place meetings with a prominent artists. Over a glass of wine the visitors will ahve the chance to meet their favorites . The schedulle shows as a guests to be the actors Vasil Mihajlov, Stefan Danailov, the poet Nedjalko Jordanov, the singer Michail Belchev. In the press center will be made the promotion of the new CD of the well know shoumen singer Assen Maslarski. The design of the Press Center is made like a typical patio of a Osmar Cellar. The stand with the products and the bar are under a huge set of vines. The interior is filled wiht designer barrels. They are in a special separes under tiled roofs. A huge six square meters poster adds to the realism and authenticity. From a TV screen are played movies about the Osmar Wine Cellar and the celebrating the day of the wine -Triffon Zarezan in 1946 and now. Musical clips with a famous singers that have already visited the wine cellar. Among them is Volodja Stoyanov. The press center will give new image of Osmar LTD and the entrepreneurila spirit of the Vichev Brothers, about who the experts already in the industru already say, that are the other face of the bulgarian wine making.