Gourmet products local specialties and wines Kavadarci

It 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.

This 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.

We 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.

With 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.