North Macedonia Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

Three interesting wines from the Balkans to get the New Year off to a cracking start!

Although wines from the Balkans are not so well-known internationally, given the diversity of terroir across the region, and with very good wines being produced from familiar international as well as less familiar indigenous grape varieties, now is a very good time to explore the region’s wines and try something new.

PinotPinot Pinot noir 2021 (North Macedonia)

Behind the gimmicky name is a smooth, very pleasant Pinot Noir. The wine has raspberry, plum and cherry aromas on the nose, and flavours of red fruits, blackcurrant and a hint of vanilla and spice on the palate.

An easy-drinking, reasonable wine offering very good value for money, it will go well with a Sunday roast, roasted vegetables or a mushroom dish, and can also be enjoyed by itself.

Available from Sainsbury’s (£7.50)

Totem Viorica Château Vartely 2022 (Moldova)

This delightfully aromatic dry white wine from Moldova is a little gem! Produced from the indigenous grape variety Viorica, it is a crisp, refreshing wine with a long finish.

With orange blossom and honey on the nose, and citrus and peach flavours on the palate, this is well-balanced wine that has lots of character.

Perfect as an aperitif or with a seafood dish.

Available from The Wine Society (£7.25)

Marks & Spencer Expressions Fetească Regală 2022 (Romania)

This fresh aromatic white wine from the new M&S Expressions range is a very good example of one of Romania’s most popular white grape varieties, Fetească Regală (Royal Maiden).

With aromas of jasmine, peach and green apple and flavours of peach, pear and melon, this is a well-balanced wine with a long finish and a slight fizz on the palate.

This can be enjoyed by itself or with grilled fish. It’s also a good match for a slightly spicy Asian dish.

Available from Marks & Spencer (£8)

Though the name Smederevka may not exactly roll off the tongue, this is definitely worth a try …

Though the name Smederevka may not exactly roll off the tongue, the flavours of this North Macedonian grape variety are a real treat for the palate.

Wine production in the Tikveš region of North Macedonia has a history going back some 4,000 years and the country is known for its high-quality wines from a range of indigenous grape varieties. The two main varieties for white wines are Žilavka and Smederevka, with Vranec, Stanušina and Kratosija the best-known varieties for red wines. I reviewed a red wine from the Kratosija grape from this region earlier in the year and recently tried the Smederevka wine from the same winery, the award-winning Tikveš winery. Here are my thoughts.

Tikveš Smederevka Belo 2019

This is a crisp, floral wine with aromas of jasmine and elderflower on the nose, and flavours of apple, lemon, stone fruit and honey on the palate. Well-balanced with medium acidity and a lingering finish, it’s a smooth, refreshing wine that is a perfect match for seafood, or can be drunk by itself as an aperitif. If you are looking for something a little different, why not give this a try?

Available from Slurp (£8.95)

A Balkan treat – a little gem from North Macedonia

Although the wines of North Macedonia are not particularly well known outside the Balkans, wine production in the region has a history going back some 4,000 years and the country produces some high quality wines from a range of indigenous grape varieties such as Vranec, Stanušina and Kratosija for red wines, and Žilavka and Smederevka for white wines.

The Tikveš region in central North Macedonia is home to the Kratosija grape. Genetically similar to the Primitivo grape associated particularly with southern Italy, and the Zinfandel grape grown in the United States, the Kratosija grapes produce intensely fruity, high alcohol wines with medium tannins.

The Tikveš Kratosija Crveno Macedonia (2019) wine is produced by the Tikveš Winery, one of the biggest and oldest wineries in the Balkans. Founded in 1885, the winery has benefitted from massive investment in the last twenty years and if you are looking for a fine example of wine from North Macedonia, this fits the bill perfectly.

This is a dry, full-bodied wine with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins. It has aromas of raspberry, blackberry, plum and blueberry on the nose and flavours of blackberry, cherry and plum on the palate, with overtones of vanilla and spice. A well-balanced wine with a long finish, it is a perfect match for roast lamb.

Available from Slurp (£8.95)