The Republic of North Macedonia is a country located in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. It is quite distinct from modern Greek Macedonia, with which it shares a border of over 160 kilometres (100 miles).
The wine industry is dominated by red wines. Production is centered on two indigenous Grape varieties (Vranac and Kratosija), as well as a few international varieties such as the ubiquitous Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The main wine-producing regions are Pcinja-Osogovo in the north, Pelagonija-Polog in the south and Povardarie. The republic as a whole has a stable area of 23,000 hectares (56,850 acres) of vineyards and a slightly larger coverage of vines harvested for table grapes.
Although it is a landlocked country (it is separated from the Adriatic Sea by Albania and from the Aegean Sea by Greece), the republic experiences continental and Mediterranean influences on its Climate. Its northeastern corner is separated from the nearest coast by 200 km (125 miles), while Lake Doiran, at its southeastern end, is only 55 km (35 miles) from the Greek coastal city of Thessaloniki, on the Gulf of Thessaloniki.
Along the Albanian border, in the southwest corner of the republic, several large lakes temper the climate. The shelter provided by the local topography combines with other geological factors to create particularly productive agricultural land, especially around the lake towns of Struga and Resen. Grapes play an important role in the local economy and agriculture.
Lake Prespa, which Northern Macedonia shares with Greece and Albania, is the highest tectonic lake in Europe.
Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
The largest-ever year for entries, an incredible 18,244 wines were judged at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards – with just 163 wines awarded a Platinum medal. ‘Winning a Platinum medal is something really exceptional’ said Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW. ‘Platinum is like the stratospheric level’ she commented, ‘so it’s really saying to the winemaker: this is a great wine.’ Making up just 0.87% of the total wines tasted at the 2022 c ...
Rosa Kruger, a self-styled ‘farm manager’ who is a leading figure in world viticulture and has played a major role in the development of South Africa’s modern-day wine scene, has been announced as recipient of the Decanter Hall of Fame prize for 2022. She is also the first South African to join this exclusive group of wine world stars. This year marks the 39th edition of the award, previously known as Man or Woman of the Year and launched in 1984. Chris Maillard, Decanter’s Edi ...
Jean-Guillaume Prats is set to leave the business around four years after being appointed CEO and president of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (DBR Lafite). A DBR Lafite spokesperson said Prats would leave before the end of the year, in order to ‘devote himself to his family business and to consulting’. Group chairwoman Saskia de Rothschild will take over the executive management of DBR Lafite as of December. Prats’ arrival at DBR Lafite was announced in November 2017 as part of a leadership ...
