Types of Wine in Macedonia

Macedonia produces all styles of wine - dry and sweet, still and sparkling, red, white and rosé. Well-known international varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as indigenous grapes like Vranec, are used to produce wines that are always uniquely Macedonian.
When experts are asked to describe the wine style nurtured by Macedonian winemakers from their specific terroir, the most frequent answer received is ‘fruit-forward style'. Macedonian wines are inviting, pleasant and delicate, with a flavour that lingers on the palate. They are a living proof of our winemakers' progress towards balance and a sense of moderation.
Macedonian wines abound in concentrated fruit and aroma. The wonderful climate of warm weather and sunny days, and the excellent harvest conditions, allow us year after year to have ripe and healthy grapes to make our wines from.


VRANEC

Vranec is the most important grape variety of Macedonia. The dark red berries grow on moderately vigorous and very productive vines. The variety is cultivated throughout the country, primarily on small family owned vineyards. Hand harvesting begins in mid-September and reaches into October in cooler regions.

When young, Vranec-based wines have a bright purple hue and a nose full of strawberry jam, tree fruit, and berry. The firm tannin structure supports a remarkable crispness. With a year or two of ageing, the purple turns to a darker ruby colour and the nose develops a more complex aroma that often includes notes of chocolate and liquorice. The mouthfeel softens and the wine develops a longer and smoother finish.

Vranec merges well with other grape varieties, often producing well-balanced wines when blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

Vranec is best served at cellar temperature and can accompany the entire range of Macedonia's varied cuisine, including tomato-based salads, smoked or grilled meat, and aged cheese.

 STANUSINA

Stanushina is indigenous Macedonian variety - grown nowhere else in the world - that is not very well-known but is nonetheless capable of producing high-quality wine. It is mostly grown in the Tikvesh wine district. With the introduction of international grape varieties to Macedonia, Stanushina started to disappear from the country's vineyards. But with the current initiative to make quality wine from domestic varieties, it looks as though the star of Stanushina will shine again.

Stanushina ripens very late but gives good yields. In a good year, it can provide the base for a red wine of high quality and medium strength, with 11-12% alcohol. Although characteristically pale in colour, it is rich in extract. The high level of acid gives the wine remarkable freshness.

Best enjoyed at a temperature of 10-16°C, Stanushina typically has a light strawberry and raspberry aroma. This fruity and subtle wine is best when drunk young. It goes well with deserts that are light and creamy such as pannacotta or various types of puddings and as aperitif with lettuce or rocket based salads (Cesar's salad).

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Cabernet Sauvignon is the classic red grape variety of Bordeaux, but it is equally well-suited to Macedonia's climate and soils. This is a late-ripening vine that is considered by some Macedonian winemakers as difficult to grow but always worth the effort.

Macedonian Cabernet is sometimes blended with Merlot or Vranec to make more complex wines, but even on its own it's a savoury and juicy red wine, with chewy tannins and a pronounced blackcurrant flavour. The depth of colour and flavour is always noticeable. Cabernet is best served at a temperature of 18°C and always drinks well with strongly flavoured food, such as grilled red meat and game.

The best examples of Macedonian Cabernet can be aged for up to five years. Cabernet is also used in Macedonia to produce light and charming rosé wines from a gentle pressing of the grapes. These wines often taste of soft red fruits. 

 MERLOT

Macedonian Merlot is all about fruit and delicacy. It is sometimes blended with Cabernet or Vranec (or even both together), as Merlot is capable of softening the sometimes tough Cabernet and Vranec tannins.

An earlier ripener than Cabernet or Pinot Noir, Merlot is a productive vine that produces a softer, more fruity and less tannic red wine than the forceful Cabernet and Vranec styles found in Macedonia. It doesn't age as long, either.

Merlot is a plummy, juicy and sometimes earthy red that is best served at room temperature (16-18°C) and goes well with full-flavoured dishes of meat and richer fish, such as grilled tuna.

 CHARDONNAY

Widely-grown throughout Macedonia, Chardonnay does particularly well in the central Vardar wine region. It is very easy to grow and to make into different styles of white wine.

Although it adapts well to barrique ageing, Macedonian Chardonnay can be oaked or unoaked, with the oaked styles suggesting aromas of butter and bananas. The unoaked Chardonnay is made in a very fruit forward style. It usually has tropical fruit flavours, though some examples taste more of green apples. The acidity can vary from soft and fruity to crisp and steely. Chardonnay is also used in the production of Champagne, so not surprisingly it is used in Macedonia to make excellent sparkling wines.

Macedonian winemakers occasionally blend Chardonnay with other grapes, such as Muscat. It should be served chilled at 8°C and is best drunk with fish, white meat, and anything in a creamy or buttery sauce.

 SAUVIGNON BLANK

Macedonian Sauvignon Blanc is recognisable by its piercing herbaceous and grassy aroma. Sometimes it is blended with Semillon, as with the dry white wines of Bordeaux in France.

Sauvignon has much higher acidity than Chardonnay, and in Macedonia it is never oaked - this is not a variety suited to barrique ageing. It is best drunk young and fresh, and rarely has the capability of Riesling and Chardonnay to age.

A dry and refreshing white wine, Macedonian Sauvignon Blanc often has a pronounced taste of tropical fruits and white flowers.

It is most enjoyable chilled to 8°C with salads, shellfish and lighter fish dishes.

 TEMJANIKA

Also known as Muscat de Frontignan, Temjanika has a pronounced smell of thyme, hence its name - ‘temjan' is the Macedonian word for ‘thyme'. The nose often suggests spicy aromas, too, as well as fresh grapes, apricot, dried plum or orange rind.

A dry to off-dry white wine, Temjanika has a striking green and yellow colour. The taste is full and long-lasting, with intense freshness.

Like Traminec, it is best served at 10-12°C and is excellent with desserts or even drunk by itself.

  

                                                 ALEXANDAR

Alexandar is a superior dry red wine from BOVIN. It is a proprietary blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Vranec. Its color is intense purple. The nose is full of red fruit and berries with a wonderful complex aroma and a rich and full taste. Its herbal fruity tones make this wine unforgettable. Alexandar is best served at 15-17°C with beef, roasted pork, veal, lamb, and grilled meats.

PREMIER

Premier is a unique semisweet Cabernet Sauvignon produced only by BOVIN. Acquired from an unirrigated and ecologically farmed hillside vineyard, the grapes for Premier are carefully picked very late in the harvest. The extremely low yields (2,400 kg per ha) and high ripeness of the fruit (28% sugar) give this exclusive wine abundant alcohol and dry extract. Premier has a rich red color and an inviting complex aroma of raisins, grapes and honey. With a full and rich mouthfeel this special wine has the taste of nectar and a lingering fruity aftertaste. Served very lightly chilled, Premier can be its own dessert or as an accompaniment to cookies or delicate pastry. It is a real elixir of life.