Macedonian wine comes with no reference points for most people here. No familiar grape names, nothing on the shelf to compare it against. So here are five bottles to start with, and what each one is actually for.
1. Smederevka, if you want the easy white
Tropical and stone fruit over zesty citrus, a green apple edge, and a bitter-sour finish the winery itself calls green peach. Pinot Grigio and Picpoul drinkers land here happily. Salads, grilled fish, roast chicken. The one to keep in the fridge door for whoever turns up. Smederevka.
2. Temjanika Luda Mara, if you like Sauvignon Blanc
Elderflower and acacia first, then grape, lime and a little gooseberry, with ripe citrus and green plum on the finish. Picked by hand into small crates, chilled overnight, a few hours on the skins, then a cool ferment in steel. Nothing gets between you and the perfume. Aperitif, salads, sheep's and goat's cheese. Temjanika Luda Mara.
3. Kratošija, if you want a red for a Tuesday
The same grape as Primitivo and Zinfandel, confirmed by DNA at UC Davis in 2001. Bright redcurrant, cherry and brambly berries, warm and gently spicy, satisfying without asking to be studied. Hand-picked, fermented in steel and left on its lees, which is where the texture comes from. Roast meats, pulled pork, moussaka. Kratošija.
4. Vranec Luda Mara, if Malbec is your usual
Same dark weight, drier, with more grip. Blackberry and black cherry first, then blueberry, pomegranate and dried herbs. Picked by hand into chilled crates, two weeks on the skins in concrete, then a year's rest. Grilled meat, roast lamb, ripe cheeses. Open it when the grill is going. Vranec Luda Mara.
5. Alexandria Premium Cuvée Red, if the table is mixed
The one everybody agrees on. Redcurrant and cherry up front, with sweet spice, vanilla and a little cinnamon behind. Soft tannins, then darker fruit and cedar on a long finish. Roast veal, grilled pork, aged hard cheeses. The bottle to open when nothing was planned and you still want it to feel considered. Alexandria Premium Cuvée Red.
Or let us choose
The Introduction is six bottles across every colour, and it carries two of the five above. If you would rather taste across the range in one go, start there. The full range is here.