Grape varieties
It is believed that great wines can only be made from great grapes. Macedonia's varied terrain offers a variety of vineyards. The fruits of our red wines come from vineyards located at lower altitudes with rich, heavy and clayey soils. In other vineyards, the cooler environment contributes to the freshness and harmony of the white grape varieties planted on lighter soils and at higher altitudes. Due to the extremely favorable climatic conditions, Macedonian organic grapes are only sprayed up to 4 times a year.
A grape of mysterious origin, with accentuated nutmeg and a wonderful scent that leaves no one indifferent. The name itself, frankincense, means strong, intense smell of thyme. Temjanika wine simply paints your day with the cheerful colors of flowers and fruits.
It is said to have originated in the Middle East and can be rendered under many synonyms depending on where it is grown. This variety represents one of the oldest and ultimately most widespread varieties in the world. The primary name according to the OIV is Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains. In Macedonia it is mainly found in the Tikves wine region, where it has been cultivated separately in vines for a long period of time; Recently, however, there are new vineyard plantations due to the high demand for this variety due to interest in the production of Muscatel wines.
Temjanika is a variety that needs a warm climate, with long and dry autumns creating perfect conditions for the grapes to stay on the vine longer and absorb more sugar. Later it can be processed into dry grapes for making natural dessert wines with high alcohol content.
Temjanika has an average yield and the grapes are thick-skinned, medium-sized with yellow-green skin and rusty spots on the sunny side. The grapes are compact, medium-sized and cylindrical-conical in shape. The juice is colorless with an intense nutmeg aroma. There is also dark temjanika, which is very rare and of exceptional quality.
Macedonian Temjanika has an intense yellowish-golden color with green nuances and highly complex and fragrant scents. Main aromas are those of Muscat and are spicy; Fruit scents of peach, apricot, prunes and orange dominate at the beginning, while aromas of basil and incense follow later.
Temjanika wine is served at a temperature of 10-12 degrees and can be consumed with light dishes, white meat, seafood and desserts.
The word Vranec means strong, black and powerful horse (black stallion), and wine made from this grape variety is associated with strength, potency and success. Vranec also means raven or black, which is why the wine is also known as black wine in Macedonia.
Vranec is a native Balkan variety and its wines represent the character of the people who live in these areas - warm-blooded and strong. It is believed to have arisen through natural crossbreeding or through spontaneous mutation. It has long been cultivated in Montenegro and can also be found in Dalmatia, Herzegovina, but in Macedonia it is the most important and leading variety for red wine production, while representing the nature of Macedonian red wines.
The climatic conditions in Macedonia allow this variety to be successfully cultivated in almost all wine-growing regions. This variety is mainly found in the central wine regions through the Vardar River valley.
The wine made from this variety can be recognized by its intense colour. The high content of the total number of anthocyanins is the main characteristic of this type of wine that makes it unique. The wine is suitable for blending with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah wines, as well as with artisan wines of their color.
It shows a varietal and rich fragrance with aromas of ripe fruit. The taste is full, with smooth structure and harmony. The young wines are light purple in colour, with aromas of strawberry jam and wild berries and a firm tannic structure with potential for aging in oak barrels. When maturation is complete, they deliver quality and cultivate complex flavors of dried fruit and cocoa. This wine has a harmony of complex aromas resembling wild berries, rich tannins, chocolate and liquor.
Merlot is a black and blue grape variety that produces smoother, medium to full-bodied dry red wines. It is currently the most grown red grape variety in the Bordeaux region of France and the second most grown and popular red grape variety in the United States - right behind Cabernet Sauvignon.
Merlot tends to have a similar flavor profile to Cabernet Sauvignon and actually belongs to the same family of grapes. The main difference between these grapes is that Merlot has a thinner skin and tends to be less astringent due to fewer and softer tannins. It also maintains a fruitier, sometimes less complex body.
It was cultivated in Macedonia in the 1950s as a rather promising variety for the climatic conditions. Nowadays it can be found in the wine regions of Skopje, Kumanovo, Veles, Tikves, Ovcepole, Ohrid and Bitola. It matures in the second half of September in the Tikves vineyards, at least a week before Cabernet Sauvignon.
The exact aromas that Merlot imparts to a wine are not easy to define. Plum and black cherry are among the most commonly used fruit-based descriptors, although Merlot is often used to produce wines with a specific texture rather than a specific flavor.
Smooth, round and "easy to drink" are common descriptions of Merlot wines. The main reason for this is that Merlot grapes are relatively large in relation to their seeds and the thickness of the skins, which contain tannins. For this reason, the variety is often used to soften wines from more tannic varieties.
One of the characteristics of the Merlot variety when grown in the warmer climates of Macedonia is that it can overripe in a short period of time, just a few days after reaching full maturity.
Chardonnay is the most famous white wine variety in the world and also one of the most widely grown in the world.
Chardonnay is a very special style of white wine as it expresses really well the place where it was grown and the techniques used in the winery. She is also relatively easy to grow and adapts well to different climates, so you can find her throughout the world's major wine regions.
In Macedonia it is mainly found in the districts of Skopje, Veles and Tikves, with a tendency to spread further. It ripens in the Tikves vineyards in early September and determining the optimal harvest date is of extreme importance for the quality of wine production.
Chardonnay can taste different depending on where it grows and how it's made. But typically, Chardonnay is a dry, medium- to full-bodied wine with moderate acidity and alcohol. Its flavors range from apple and lemon to papaya and pineapple, and it also reveals notes of vanilla when aged with oak.
It can be said that Chardonnay is the happiest combination of all varieties: Macedonian winemakers want to grow it, wineries want to make it, and everyone wants to drink it.
Due to the wide range of styles, Chardonnay has the potential to be paired with a wide range of food types. It is most commonly paired with roast chicken and other white meats such as turkey.
Pinot Noir is the world's most popular light red wine. Loved for its aromas of red fruits, flowers and spices, accentuated by a long, smooth finish.
There are two theories regarding the Pinot name. One is that they came about because their grapes resemble a pinecone (pinot in French) in shape. However, it may derive from a place name in France such as Pinos or Pignols.
In Macedonia it can be found in Veles, Kumanovo, Ovcepole, Bitola and other wine regions. It ripens in the Veles vineyards in early September. The cluster is small, cylindrical, long and compressed. The berry is small, dark blue in color and has a thin skin. Macedonian Pinot Noir is a wine of grandiose elegance and complexity, rich yet straightforward; pretty but with depth and power.
Typically, Pinot Noir is dry, light to medium-bodied, with a light acidity, silky tannins and an alcohol content of between 12 and 15%. The best Pinot Noir flavor has complex flavors that include cherry, raspberry, mushroom and forest floor as well as vanilla and baking spice when aged in French oak.
In general, it pairs well with a variety of flavors and food groups, but as a delicate wine, lighter dishes are preferred. Light, fruity expressions pair well with chicken and fatty seafood like salmon.
Riesling is an aromatic white wine grape variety that produces a floral white wine with flavors of fruit. The Riesling grape originally comes from the Rhine region, which stretches through parts of Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland.
Aromatic and fresh, Riesling, considered one of the greatest white wine varieties in the world, is often caught between the purity of its German iterations and the complexity of its Alsatian counterparts.
Tasting Riesling begins with intense aromas rising from the glass (even when the wine is ice cold). This aromatic wine offers primary fruit flavors of orchard fruits such as nectarine, apricot, honey-crisp apple and pear.
Alongside fruit, you'll often smell things like honeycomb, jasmine, or lime zest, along with a noticeable aroma that smells similar to gasoline or petroleum wax (a natural compound called TDN). On the palate, Riesling has high acidity, similar to levels found in lemonade.
German Rieslings are known to go well with Chinese food, Cajun cuisine, Tex-Mex (with cilantro), roast pork, roast duck or goose, seafood, Thai food, and even salad dressings with hard-to-combine ingredients like vinegar.
Traminec is a grape variety for which there are several theories of origin. Some say it comes from Italy and the Tyrolean Alps, more precisely from the village of Tramin in South Tyrol, others say the variety comes from Alsace in France.
Due to its very intense and strong aroma, not everyone will like it, and it is also characterized by a high alcohol content and low acidity, which is why its already characteristic sweetness is particularly pronounced.
If harvested in time, it usually only contains one to two grams of residual sugar, and higher alcohol and lower acids make Traminec look sweeter than it is. It's a more serious wine than Muskat for the same reason, and a quality Traminer offers far more complex aromas - from peach, melon, ginger to cinnamon and the smoky smell of fragrant sticks.
Because of these properties, the Traminec goes well with cheeses with a certain amount of noble mold and with river fish such as catfish and carp, fish stew and shrimp. Wines from this grape variety are also recommended for oriental cuisine and are drunk well chilled.
Drinking very chilled is interesting, the recommendation is around 6 degrees Celsius. It will be because it comes from the slopes of the Alps and generally enjoys a colder climate.
This Croatian variety, originating from Dalmatia, is widely used in Macedonia for the production of high-quality red wines, where it is present on limited areas in the Veles, Tikves and Ovcepole wine regions. The variety needs a warm climate with a long and warm autumn, and in the In Veles vineyards it ripens in mid-October.
The wines contain 11-12 vol. % alcohol and 7-8g/L total acid. They are characterized by strong color, freshness and tartness. Is suitable for blending with colored and sufficiently weak wines and in Macedonia is usually blended with Vranec that gives wines with cocoa and wild black fruit aromas as well as a rich fruity structure.
The taste is mostly described as rustic, with hints of dark berries, cherries, pepper and spice, and the wine has excellent aging abilities, particularly in its prime when the wine is of high quality from the start.
Dishes for Plavac are hard, salty and spicy cheeses, red meat dishes with a strong taste, game and veal dishes in thick, rich sauces.
Kratoshija is a grape variety that has a long history in Macedonia. It is believed that it has been grown on the territory of Macedonia since ancient times, when wine was poured into amphorae and sent to the nobles. Although it was almost extinct, the Kratoshija survived and the winemakers have turned it into a top quality variety.
The grape of the Kratoshija variety is medium-sized, cylindrical and conical in shape, and often with a separate rachis, medium compressed or floury. The berry is medium-sized, round to flat with a thick skin and dark blue in color.
Compared to the Vranec variety, Kratoshija has less sugar and more acid. In terms of wine style, it is quite a versatile variety: from light and fruity (Beaujolais style) to wines with a high alcohol content to sophisticated, complex wines worthy of aging (Bordeaux style).
In general, however, the best wines are the dry wines with a light red color and violet hues, relatively high alcohol content, little extract, a reasonable amount of acidity and a fruity aroma that acquires a spicy nuance over time. It goes best with all types of grilled meat and spicy cheese.
Kratosija is an amazing wine to pair with grilled dishes. The aromas of Kratosija red wine come out very well with grilled dishes. The fruity notes of this wine make it an amazing pairing with the very famous savory cheese. The flavors of the cheese complement the flavors of the wine.
The leading grape variety for the production of white wines in Macedonia is Smederevka. It is said to come from Serbia, but its origin is not exactly documented. This variety is one of the oldest in the Balkans and is mainly found in areas with vine plantations for white wine varieties in almost all wine regions of Macedonia.
Smederevka ripens in early October and usually gives a large yield. Since it is sensitive to cold, it is mostly grown in the warmer wine-growing regions of Macedonia on fertile, healthy and deep soils. The grapes are large, oval, with a thin, translucent and hard skin, greenish-yellow in color.
Because this white wine grape variety is considered late-ripening, the wines made from it are considered relatively acidic and sugary. It is also assumed that these wines have a high alcohol content. Such wines are described as strong wines that make a very good choice for die-hard wine lovers.
The taste of the wines produced from this grape variety is considered to be very acidic, so it should be drunk with carbonated water or soda.
All of the wines made from this white wine varietal pair best with dishes like the Dalmatian stew known as brodet, garlic bread, and a range of Chinese delicacies.
