BOVINE WINE CELLAR (БОВИН БОВИН)
Read moreFounded in 1998 by brothers Kiril and Gjorgji Bogevski, this winery is still one of the most reputable in Northern Macedonia, exporting to about thirty countries, including France. With 60 ha of vineyards and a capacity of 1.5 million liters per year, of which 60% in vranac, the range is indeed rather correct. Despite a rich palette of aromas, it all lacks a bit of surprise and identity compared to the new wave of winemakers in Kavadarci. The prices of the good bottles (not included in the classic tasting formula) are high.
HÔTEL-RESTAURANT ET DOMAINE VITICOLE QUEEN MARIA (ВИНАРИЈАТА КРАЛИЦА МАРИЈА)
Read moreThe second biggest wine estate of North Macedonia produces some good wines. This is the least you can do when you sell 7 million liters per year. It is also a slightly expensive hotel, a decent restaurant and a place full of history. The estate was created in 1928 by the Serbian king Alexander I of Yugoslavia with the help of French winemakers under the name of Elenov. The king's wife, Queen Maria, stayed here a few times. Her villa now houses rooms. Wine bar for tastings and private tours for hotel guests.
KARTAL WINERY
Read moreYou can visit this winery (Винарија Картал) located in the Usje/Усjе district, near Boris-Trajkovski Boulevard (bus line no. 41, "Staklara" stop). Since 2006, brothers Jordan and Filip Kartalov have been cultivating vineyards in the surrounding area, which yield around 200,000 liters of wine a year, mainly cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, vranec, tempranillo, merlot and syrah, and, in whites, chardonnay, temjanika and riesling. Some are quite good. Tasting tour with meal on reservation.
DALVINA WINERY
Read moreIt is the main winery in the Strumica Valley with about 410 ha of vineyards and 5 million liters per year. The reds are made from vranac, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, muscat de Hambourg, temjanika. Worked in monocépages and in assemblies, they also give some rosés. The whites are sauvignon, rkatsiteli, župljanka, smederevka, gewurztraminer, riesling and chardonnay. The latter also produces a sparkling wine, Kupidon. The tasting usually includes four wines, of which one or two are good.
NEGOTINO WINE CELLARS
Read moreFounded in 2019 by a winemaker's son and grandson, this small winery (Максимилијан) was purchased two years later by Tikveš Winery in Kavadarci. It retains its autonomy with a tiny production of about 4,000 bottles a year from 1.5 ha of vines planted with chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, temjanika, cabernet franc and vranac. Some bottles are not bad, but it is uneven. The tasting is in any case very pleasant, in a pretty farmhouse and with solid appetizers to accompany the wines.
JOSTELA WINERY
Read moreCounted among the few female winemakers in the country, Venera Gelebeševa Krstić took over the family estate in 2018. With twenty years of experience as an oenologist at the great houses of Tikveš, she has designed about twenty vintages here, made her first rosé in 2021, joined the Slow Food movement, planted the white žilavka grape variety from Herzegovina, developed delicate rakijas and a very good travarica, a brandy with Dalmatian herbs. The company offers various tasting options: classic, tour, mini-conference or meal.
VINARIJA PEŠKOV
Read moreIt is here (Винарија Пешков) that the best wines of North Macedonia have been tasted. Since 2017, Petre Peškov has taken over the vineyards planted by his grandfather at 450 m above sea level, in Resava, 8 km to the southwest, to produce about 5,000 liters per year only organically. The yields are deliberately low, without irrigation, fertilizer or chemical pesticides. The vranec (red) is still a bit experimental, but the smederevka (white) is superb, with an incredible finesse. It also exists in a "natural sparkling" version. It is the only one of its kind in the country.
VINARIJA NAUMČEVI
Read moreThis winery produces mostly organic wine. The owner, Gjorgji Naumčev, started making wine in 2006. He owns only one hectare of vineyards and buys the rest of the grapes from local winemakers to produce about 15,000 l/year. Very good reds in cabernet sauvignon and stanušina (an endemic grape variety) and whites in temjanika (the local name for small-grained muscatel). For tastings, it is imperative to call in the morning or the day before. We welcome you in a classic house with a huge cellar underneath.
BADI WINERY
Read moreWe highly recommend a tasting at Blaže Badi Minevski (Винарија Бади/Vinarija Badi), especially since this small producer of organic and natural wines sells its production (about 10,000 liters per year) only locally. Here we discover the full potential of local reds: the vranec and the very rare bisera, classic or late harvest. The latter, with its high alcohol content, evokes the sweet wines of Portugal. On the white side, we also appreciate the Cabernet Sauvignon, always late harvested. Special mention for the incredibly pure rakija.
CHATEAU KAMNIK
Read moreFounded in 2004 around a chateau-like cellar, this estate is well organized for visits and tastings. It boasts 17 ha of vines planted with Vranac, but mainly with French and Italian grape varieties. The range includes reds (merlot, carménère, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, montepulciano...), whites (chardonnay, sauvignon, pinot gris, gewurztraminer, moscato giallo...), rosés, effervescents, "orange" wines and some organic wines. The owners have a store in Skopje and the Hunter's Lodge Kamnik hotel-restaurant.
CAVE À VIN DE TIKVEŠ (ВИНАТА НА ТИКВЕШ)
Read moreWith a capacity of 30 million liters per year, it is the largest wine producer in the country. Its generous and unrefined wines, such as T'ga za Jug and Alexandria, are among the most popular. But this company, founded in 1885, nationalized in 1947 and reprivatized in 2003, is adapting to the tastes of international customers. It now produces good high-end wines such as the white Bela Voda and even has an estate in France, in Bollène, in the Vaucluse: the Château de Gourdon. On site: visit of the cellars, tasting and good restaurant.
HÔTEL-RESTAURANT ET DOMAINE VITICOLE DE POPOVA KULA (ВИНАРИЈАТА ПОПОВА КУЛА)
Read moreThe "Pope's Tower" winery is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, but not the first choice for wine lovers. Established in 2004 on the heights of Demir Kapija, it offers magnificent views up to Mount Kožuv on the border with Greece. On the other hand, the production of 600,000 l per year is disappointing. The deceptively old building that houses the winery and the famous tasting tower-restaurant is also a hotel: the rooms are not bad, but, like the wines, a bit expensive considering the quality. Area for camping-cars.