A Tikveš cellar worker in a red jacket drawing wine from an oak barrel into a tasting glass.
Grape guides ·

A guide to Macedonian wine, and where to start

Macedonian wine starts with taste. The reds are dark and spicy, with blackberry, cherry and dried herbs. The whites are bright, with citrus, green apple and stone fruit. Four grapes do most of the work: Vranec, Kratošija, Smederevka and Temjanika. Find the wine you usually drink in the list below, and start there. Or browse the full Macedonian range.

What it tastes like

The reds lean dark. Think blackberry, black cherry and plum, with spice, dried herbs and a firm grip. Some are bold and full. Others are brighter, with redcurrant and red berries.

The whites lean fresh. You'll find citrus peel, green apple, pear and white peach. Some are crisp and light. The bigger ones turn rich and buttery.

There's rosé too. Wild strawberry, raspberry and rose petal, with a slightly creamy finish.

Browse by colour: reds, whites and rosé.

The four grapes

Vranec

Deep purple in the glass. Blackberry, black cherry, blueberry and pomegranate, with dried herbs and firm, grippy tannins. Drink it with roast lamb, grilled dishes or ripe cheese. The name means "black stallion".

Start with Vranec Luda Mara, which is all Vranec. For something softer and sweeter, try T'ga za Jug. It's Vranec picked late, and it's semi-dry, with overripe sour cherry, raspberry and raisin. Vranec also leads several of the blends further down. See them all in the Vranec collection.

Kratošija

Bright and fruit-forward. Redcurrant, cherry and red berries, with a brambly, spicy, herbal edge. It fills the mouth. Pour it with game, roast meats, moussaka, cabbage rolls or pulled pork.

Kratošija shares its DNA with Zinfandel and Primitivo. Try Kratošija on its own, read our Kratošija guide, or browse the Kratošija collection.

Smederevka

Crisp and clean. Citrus peel, green apple and linden, with tropical and stone fruit over zesty citrus. It finishes with a bitter-sour note of green peach. Good with salads, light meals, grilled fish and poultry.

The grape is named after the town of Smederevo. Try Smederevka, or see the Smederevka collection.

Temjanika

Pale and fragrant. Elderflower, acacia, grape, lime and gooseberry. It's dry, crisp and light, with a citrus finish. Serve it very cold, around 7°C. Drink it as an aperitif, or with leaf salads, sheep's or goat's cheese, fruit and lightly sweet desserts.

Try Temjanika Luda Mara, or see the Temjanika collection.

Where to start, by what you already drink

These are our suggestions, based on how each wine tastes.

  • If you drink Pinot Grigio, try Smederevka. Crisp, clean and easy, with green apple and citrus.
  • If you drink Sauvignon Blanc, try Temjanika Luda Mara. Elderflower, lime and gooseberry, dry and light.
  • If you drink Chardonnay, try Alexandria Premium Cuvée White for pear, citrus and an oily texture. For something richer, try Bela Voda White, with white peach, vanilla and a buttery finish.
  • If you drink rosé, try Alexandria Premium Cuvée Rosé. Wild strawberry, raspberry and rose petal.
  • If you drink Zinfandel or Primitivo, try Kratošija. It's the same grape.
  • If you drink Malbec, try Vranec Luda Mara. Dark fruit, dried herbs and firm tannins.
  • If you drink Merlot or Cabernet blends, try Alexandria Premium Cuvée Red. Red and black cherry, sweet spice and soft tannin.
  • If you drink Shiraz, try Babuna Red. Bold and full-bodied, with blackberry, baked plum and violet.
  • If you like a touch of sweetness, try T'ga za Jug. Semi-dry, full-bodied, with a long finish.

The blends

The Alexandria Premium Cuvée wines are the easy way into the range.

Alexandria Premium Cuvée Red is mostly Vranec, with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has redcurrant, cherry, vanilla and cinnamon, then blackcurrant, plum, cedar and toast. Have it with roast veal, grilled pork or aged hard cheese.

Alexandria Premium Cuvée White is Chardonnay with some Rhine Riesling. White flowers, pear, citrus and wet stone, with a lemon-cream finish. Have it with mussels, sea perch, grilled white meat or light creamy pasta.

Alexandria Premium Cuvée Rosé is Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Have it with Mediterranean salads, grilled fish or seafood risotto.

Babuna White blends Albariño, Chardonnay and Viognier. It's herbaceous, with intense white peach, ripe lemon and grapefruit. It works well with cream sauces.

The single vineyards

These three come from single vineyards. They're the bigger, deeper wines in the range. See them together in single vineyards.

Barovo Red is the flagship red. Prune, sour cherry, blackberry and chocolate, with pepper, anise and cinnamon. It's powerful, with a long, juicy finish. Drink it with lamb or prime rib. It's Kratošija and Vranec, grown and picked together as a field blend, on volcanic bedrock at the foot of the Kozuf range. It spends 18 months in new French oak.

Bela Voda White is the flagship white. Pear, white peach, orange peel and vanilla, with a full, buttery finish. With age it moves toward honey and truffles. Drink it with sea bass, sea bream or veal in mushroom sauce. It's Chardonnay and Grenache Blanc, aged 18 months in new French barrique.

Babuna Red is bold and full-bodied. Blackberry, cherry and baked plum, moving to violet, with fine-grained tannins and a long finish. It's Vranec and Plavec, with a little Shiraz. Drink it with roast lamb, game, salmon, roast vegetables or cheese.

Cases and sets

If you'd rather not choose, a case does it for you. Each holds six bottles.

  • The Introduction: every colour in one box. The place to start.
  • The Reds: six reds for autumn and winter.
  • Fresh Whites: six whites, including two Bela Voda White.
  • The Table: a mixed case with both flagships, Barovo Red and Bela Voda White.
  • The Collector: two Barovo Red, plus Bela Voda White, Babuna Red, Vranec Luda Mara and Babuna White.

Sets hold two or three bottles, and they make an easy first step.

See all cases and sets.

The same winery also makes Kumova rakija, a grape brandy. You'll find it with our spirits, and there's more in our rakija guide.

Where it comes from

The wines come from the Tikveš region. The climate is a mix of Continental and Mediterranean, and mountains shelter it on three sides. The soils include rendzina, vertisol, alluvial and terra rossa.

Tikveš Winery was founded in 1885. T'ga za Jug takes its name from the poem "Longing for the South", and the wine was created in 1973 for the Struga Poetry Evenings.

That's the short version of the history. The taste is the better place to start. Pick one bottle from the list above and go from there.

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