Our Story
From a captivating experience…
In 2011, we visited Bulgaria for the first time and simply fell in love. By the next year, we started looking for a property to buy. It was this view, to the Elena mountains, that convinced us this was the right place.
To a cultivating experience.
Since our first visit, we have returned every year, mostly around an annual yoga retreat with Yama Yoga (link). The result of combining personal time and yoga practice has greatly influenced the life we want to design here. For us, Golden Seed has become an experience of cultivating renewed energy to counterbalance the stress of our work lives.
Why Golden Seed?
Golden Seed is named after the yin yoga sequence designed by Suzee and Paul Grilley. It is an opening sequence intended to cultivate energy in the body and a fitting metaphor for village life in Bulgaria — a place with unique power to rebalance, reset, and renew the mind, body, and spirit.
The property will soon feature a micro-vineyard of biodynamically grown grapes for the estate production of Golden Seed wine. The vineyard serves as a picturesque backdrop for wellness activities and provides guests with an opportunity to learn winemaking in Bulgaria, which goes back 3,000-4,000 years.
The Renovation
Golden Seed Estate is a constant work in progress, but we have made great strides in renovating the main house. We have future plans for a barn renovation and vineyard, so the property is a continual work in progress.