The seventh consecutive edition of the Young Wine Parade festival kicked off on Friday in Plovdiv, one of the oldest cities in Europe.

Despite the cold, rainy weather, the three-day event began with the traditional Dionysian procession from the municipality building to the Old Town, accompanied by folk dances performed by the local ensemble "Thrace."

After that in the heart of the Old Town in front of the Balabanov House, Menda Stoyanova, chairperson of the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee, opened the "Barrel of the Young Wine" and symbolically launched the consumption of wine from the new harvest.

Lubozar Fratev, head of the local Tourism Council, called Young Wine Parade one of the most significant events for wine tourism in Bulgaria, adding that tasting of young wine is an integral part of the wine culture and an attractive option for producers to promote and sell their products to consumers.

He said that during the festival, visitors can taste over 120 different kinds of white, red and rose wines from the new harvest made by 26 leading wine producers from around the country.

"This distinguishes us from the French, who mark the month of the young wine with only one type of wine -- Beaujolais," Fratev said.

The cellars will present their new wines in 12 iconic places in the Old Town such as museums and galleries, he added.

Plovdiv is situated in the Thracian Valley where wine production is a traditional occupation since some 5,000 years ago.

Encouraged by the ancient traditions, Bulgarian vintners are still among the best in the world, thanks to the perfect climate conditions and the latest technologies that they use. In 1978, Bulgaria was the fourth largest winemaker in the world, and the second largest exporter after France.