North Macedonian wine, where Vranec reigns

When we were still roaming the swamps in bearskins, North Macedonia was already an important wine country. And they still make wine, and increasingly better. The modernized, professional wineries can deliver consistent quality. They do this mainly in the Povardarie region, from grapes such as Prokupec and Zilavka, but we think Vranec is the flagship of Macedonian wine.

North Macedonian wine history goes back to long before our era. The oldest archaeological finds near Negotino date back to the 13th century BC. Alexander the Great - still the 'most famous North Macedonian of all time' - was a great enthusiast and liked to take a few barrels with him on his travels.

North Macedonia is now considered a 'new old wine country' with its own tradition and several indigenous grapes. More than eighty wine companies together form the North Macedonian wine sector. That number is growing rapidly. In 2003 there were less than thirty.

The vineyards are all in the central Povardarie region in the rolling valley of the Vardar River. Povardarie is a region with hot summers and long autumns. The vineyards benefit from a cold wind that blows through the valley at night and cools the vines. Without that cool wind, the grapes would shrivel and viticulture would be impossible.

The most important indigenous blue grape is Vranec, which produces inky red, concentrated wines with considerable tannins. Other indigenous blue grapes include Kratošija, Prokupec and Kadarka. On the 'white front', North Macedonia offers the 'usual suspects' such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Traminer, but also local exotics such as Smederevka, Zilavka and Župjanka.

And then there is the matter of Temjanika. In our opinion, that is 'just' the well-known Yellow Muscat. But North Macedonian winemakers continue to tirelessly maintain that it is indeed an indigenous North Macedonian grape variety. The Yellow Muscat probably originates from the Greek region, so we may all be right.

As more and more wineries are investing and modernizing at a rapid pace, the quality of North Macedonian wine is improving. North Macedonian winemakers are eager to sell their local pride far beyond the country's borders, and more and more are succeeding.

The image of North Macedonian wine is also improving. This is fueled by tourism to this beautiful country. More and more Dutch wine journalists are traveling to North Macedonia to meet the winemakers and taste the wines. They return with enthusiastic stories.