The Wines of Macedonia: Will they conquer your palate, too? – Part 1

Let’s get two things out of the way…

1.  Yes, Alexander the Great was born in the Ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedon.

2.  No, Macedonia is not a part of Greece.

So there!  When a good friend of mine heard that I was going to a tasting of wines from Macedonia at the Union League Club in Chicago, she wanted to know how long it would take for those pouring to clarify the above points.  I have to admit that those issues never were discussed or questioned…everyone was too busy tasting some wow-factor wine and learning about the terroir, culture, and grapes indigenous to the regions!

A beautiful and informative website about Macedonia which you must review is www.Macedonia-timeless.com.  You will love reading about tourism, arts and archeology (stunning!), history, as well as facts and figures of this amazing country.  Just watching the introductory video will make you want to pour yourself a glass of wine and plan your trip.  Another fantastic website is www.WinesofMacedonia.org.  This website is a plethora of information specific to wine.  And just in case you need to know a little bit about the location of the Republic of Macedonia…

The Republic of Macedonia

The state symbol of Macedonia is the golden sun, but it was anything but sunny the afternoon I attended the wine tasting!  In Chicago, torrential downpours ensued, but the weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of all of the tasters.  It was balmy and bright inside the room where representatives from eight wineries were pouring a selection of their wines.  Importers, distributors, sommeliers, and yes, wine writers, were in attendance and the atmosphere was lively, friendly (especially more so as the afternoon became evening!), and welcoming.  It was wonderful to meet so many wine lovers from Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, and Albania!  And yes, Michigan and Illinois, too!!

Macedonia has a long and rich tradition of winemaking and apparently there is archeological proof in findings from the 13th century B.C.  Currently, there are over eighty officially registered wineries.  The central region of the Valley of Vardar and Tikvesh-Gevgelija-Valandovo wine regions are where most vineyards can be found.  The number of wineries has tripled in the past several years and there is a tendency to produce high quality wines due to the strict control of varietal selections, vineyard management and harvesting as well as other factors.  In Macedonia, you will find vineyards cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.  However, the grapes which are native to Macedonia include:

White Varieties…

**Zilavka –  This variety is widespread in Herzegovina, Dalmatia, and Serbia yet in Macedonia it is a local variety.  It thrives in thin, rocky, limestone soils and with a southern exposure.  Zilavka provides the base for production of quality and premium wine.  Its greenish yellow color and fruity apricot aroma leads to flavors of honey and nuts…and shall we say, high alcohol?  Of course~

**Temjanika – Named after tamjan meaning “incense” the wine itself has intense fruity aroma and taste with the Muscat notes of cinnamon, basil, pineapple, and strawberry.  It is assumed that this variety originated from somewhere in the Middle East and in Macedonia, this grape takes an important place in the group variety for the production of Muscat wines and is referred to as Muscat de Frontignan.  This will be perfect with dessert~

**Smederevka – This wine may have originated in Serbia yet the latest DNA analysis reports that it is from Greece.  Smederevka is quite versatile and is the leading variety in the production of mass white wines produced in Macedonia.  These wines are dry with neutral aroma and taste, are light and fresh and considered easy to drink~

Red Varieties…

*Vranec –  Wines made of Vranec have an intense red color with aromas of “fertile fruits” and tastes of chocolate and licorice with a rich, fine structure and balance leading to a long, smooth finish.  It’s the most commonly planted red grape variety and has potential for producing high quality wine.  Vranek is considered the king of the red wines and is the most important grape variety~

*Stanushina – Nicknamed “Macedonian Girl” this variety is a native, local grape and is grown in the Tikvesh district – no where else in the world.  The wine itself has a pale color and light aromas yet its tastes are of strawberries and raspberries.  This would be perfect with goat cheese appetizers or fresh fish~

*Kratoshiya – Soooo, the genetic profile of the Kratoshiya is the same as the Primitivo varieties, either Zinfandel or Crljenak kashtenlanski.  The story of the origin of the American Zinfandel grape is well documented and frankly, extremely interesting (I will add links to the story another time).  Another old grape variety, this wine has intense ruby red color and aromas of red berries.  Serve this wine with red meats and spicy meals…like you would a Zinfandel(!).

*Procupec – This is another regional red grape with dark blue skin and characteristic dots.  The wine itself is quite strong,  full bodied and pairs well with traditional red meat meals.

What I loved about tasting these wines from Macedonia was that I was able to understand more about the culture of the people, the terroir in which the grapes were grown, and the winemaking techniques after talking to each of the representatives who were pouring.  Each wine expressed something unique and I’m not going to say that I was enamored with each one (I’ve got that American palate for better or for worse).  But, winemakers in Macedonia are doing an effective job of staying true to their cultural roots yet presenting wines for the international palate.  So stay tuned…

 I’ll be publishing my article about the wineries represented and my favorites from each on Monday, June 18.

Наздравје ~ Cindy