Vranec, Temjanika and the wines of Macedonia: the back story

About Vranec, Temjanika and the wines of Macedonia: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Skopje Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Vines have grown in the Vardar valley since antiquity, and today wine is one of the country’s great pleasures. The hot summers and cool nights of the Tikveš region, an hour south of Skopje, give rich reds and fragrant whites.

An ancient tradition

Wine was made here in antiquity, and the region has kept its vineyards ever since. Tikveš, the country’s best-known winery, traces its history to 1885; since the 2000s a new generation of family wineries has joined the big names.

Vranec

Vranec is the signature red grape of North Macedonia and its neighbours: dark, full-bodied and fruity, with soft tannins when young and real depth with age. It is the wine to drink with grills and tavče gravče.

Vranec means “black stallion”, and the wine lives up to the name.

Temjanika and the whites

Temjanika, a local name for an aromatic Muscat-type grape, makes fragrant, floral whites. Smederevka is the traditional everyday white, and international grapes such as Chardonnay and Cabernet are widely grown.

Tikveš

The heart of wine country is the Tikveš region around Kavadarci and Negotino, with wineries such as Tikveš, Popova Kula at Demir Kapija and Stobi near the ancient city of the same name. See our Tikveš & Stobi guide.

Where to drink

In Skopje, every kafana has a wine list, and wine bars and modern restaurants pour bottles from small producers. Ask for local wine by the glass: it is usually excellent value.

Our advice: drink Vranec with dinner and Temjanika with a summer lunch, ask for small producers as well as the big names, and give a day to the Tikveš wine route with a visit to Stobi. Book winery tastings ahead.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Vranec, Temjanika and the wines of Macedonia: the back story before you go.