Macedonian Wineries

The Republic of Macedonia is located on the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and its territory covers 25.713 km2. Geographically, Macedonian territory spreads between the 40°51` and 42°21`northern geographic latitude.

In Macedonian wine production and growing grape vine goes back to ancient times. Numerous objects have been discovered round the archeological sites in the Republic of Macedonia that doubtlessly point to a great wine production culture. There was an especially marked development of wine production in this region between the 11th and 14th century. It is interesting to mention that during this period vine growing was located besides numerous monasteries along the whole territory. The arrival of the Turkish conquerors in this region, and their religious conviction contributes to stagnation of viticulture. Nevertheless, the existing abundance of convenient climate conditions for production of grapes led to growing of table quality grapes which exist up till today in the Macedonian ampelography, while tradition continues to develop through the monasteries which are allowed to grow and produce grapevines for the purpose of their religious rituals.

The territory of the Republic of Macedonia has adequate conditions for production of grapes and wine. Its location on the Balkan Peninsula and indirect influence of the Mediterranean climate, which can be directly noticed only in the lower reaches of the river Vardar through Gevgelija, Valandovo to Demir Kapija and a less effect in Negotino, creates specific conditions for vine growing.
The medium annual temperature moves from 10,2°C to 15,8°C. The medium annual temperature air amount in certain vineyard areas moves from 3.723°C to 5.402°C. The adequate altitude for grapevine growing moves from 50-300meters in Gevgelija Valandovo area, while in the Tikvesh area to 150-500 meters, Skopje area to 250-600 meters, Bitola area to 600-700 meters, Ovche Pole area to 300-550 meters.
According all the above stated markers it is evident that in Macedonia there are good conditions for growing a large number of quality grape and wine types. On the basis of researched land and climate characteristics, as well as distinctive marks of developed products originating from different areas, we can divide Macedonian vine growing production into three regions, which are further divided into smaller wine growing units, or vineyard areas: Pcinja-Osogovo region, Povardarie region, Pelagonia Polog area.

History of the Wine

The holly land was well known by the grapes recognized as one of the seven gifts of the Mother Nature. Macedonia had the honor to carry out the rich wine tradition dating from the time of Fillip II and Alexander the Great when wine was a privilege to the royalty.
Tradition continues in the time of the Roman imperia when Macedonia was one of the well know region for razing grapes and in the time of Christianity the product of the grapes-the wine has been used as a synonym for god's blood in many church ceremonies.

During the past the wine had special influence on the culture of all civilizations. From its earliest development the wine had special place in our customs, celebrations and gatherings. The wine cultivation exist throughout hole world.

There a very few regions on earth where the good wine is made. Macedonia is one of them.

Macedonia is a country with its own distinctive quality of living and life style that understands enjoyment of small, but very important things that make life.

The growth of wine popularity is compared with development of western civilizations. As trade with wine advanced, the civilized world advanced too.

Macedonia is a country with its own distinctive quality of living and life style that understands enjoyment of small, but very important things that make life.
When famous painters visiting Macedonia were asked what is so special that made them so delighted about this country, they said: “The Sun shines so beautifully different here.” This is probably the reason why this Sun, when poured into your wineglass, tastes so beautifully different and unique.
And it is also the reason why we, at Ezimit vino, decided to give the rest of the World an opportunity to feel a small portion of our Sun and tradition captured in a wine bottle.
Ezimit vino is part of Macedonian story of wine, respecting the many century old tradition of wine making. The legend of these miraculously potent wines has been alive in this land since time immemorial. Wines with the aroma of the south and the taste of song and laughter. It is from here that these wines begin their navigation through the world’s wine chart. And this earth and sun, this sky and vine will always remain here to keep their secret ...

St. Trifun Wines

Sv. Trifun Red

St. Trifun is the protector of grapevine and wine. Every year on February 14th in Macedonia is the celebration of the Day of St. Trifun. On this day grape growers are pruning the first vine and taking a piece of the blessed grapevine for good luck and good yields.

Sv. Trifun Red from Bovin is generous wine with a nice bouquet of dried strawberries, dark cherries, vanilla and chocolate. The taste is mediumbodied with freshful fruit, nicely balanced velvetlylike tannins giving a complex wine, expressing good grapes and good winemaking. The wine should be served at 15-17°C with beef, roasted pork, lamb, grilled meats and especially Macedonian clay dishes.





Sv. Trifun White

St. Trifun is the protector of grapevine and wine. Every year on February 14th in Macedonia is the celebration of the Day of St. Trifun. On this day grape growers are pruning the first vine and taking a piece of the blessed grapevine for good luck and good yields.

The wine Sv. Trifun White from Bovin is made from Italian Riesling grape variety. Juicy and bright, with refreshing lemon and pineapple flavors, modest pear and almond flavors finishing with delicacy. Best served chilled at 6-8°C with light meat, green salads, fish and seafood.

Wine making philosophy

Our main viewpoint in the production of wine outlines that wine making is not an industrial process but a creative one.

Vine growing and harvesting are a result of hard work all year round. However, that is only the beginning in the quest towards higher quality and perfection of our wines. We see wine as a lively substance that needs to be continuously cared and looked after.

Each step and each decision in the production of wine is following a calendar that disembarks the influence of the nature itself: the ripening of the grapes, its processing and wine vinification. We devote each step in a sincere pursuit towards a better quality and perfection.


The experience of wine with taste and aroma the way we have imagined it overwhelms the long-lasting work of vine growing for that moment of truth. The use of modern technology in Imako Vino Winery finds its purpose to improve the different phases of wine production. Nevertheless, we believe that technology will not shadow the human, because it is the human that can take pleasure in the joy of a glass of perfect Macedonian wine.

The modern production of wine enables us to balance the new technical sophistication methods with the long established tradition of wine making. By fusing tradition with innovation, Imako Vino Winery aims to fulfil its final purpose – production of quality wine for each table.

Wine regions of Macedonia

Маcedonia. An unforgettable name that evokes images of the past, great civilisation and wonderful untouched nature. Warm and welcoming country in the hearth of south-east Europe.

The geographic location of Macedonia, the fertile soils and optimal climate conditions are exceptional for breeding vine and present a formation of distinguished tastes of the specific grape varieties. Macedonia has around 35 000 hectares of vineyards which enable production of remarkable quantities of wine. Macedonia has three larger vine regions: Osogovski, Povardarski and Pelagonski.

Winemaking has been blessed from traditions, enabling Macedonian winemakers a sense of uniqueness and continuity of customs aged of more then 2000 years. The tradition of winemaking comes from the ancient times of Alexander the Great and the royal family for whom it is well known to be admirers of good wine. The tradition of vine growing and winemaking continues throughout the centuries and it is present today. Nowadays, the grape harvests are filled with songs and the winemakers invite their friends to try their grape must. Once a year, on the 14^th of February, Macedonian winemakers and vine growers celebrate the name of their patron, St. Trifun and the day is filled with celebrations of winemaking, love of good wine and wishes for a fertile year and good harvests.

Wine Growing and Wine Making

A large fertile plain of about 2,000 square kilometers makes up the Tikveš district (part of Povardarie region), located in central Macedonia and enclosed by mountain highlands on three sides. It consists of gentle undulating hills at an average of 300 meters above sea-level, and its climate is characterized by long, hot summers and mild and rainy sub-Mediterranean winters with an average of 460 mm of rainfall each year. Spring is shorter, some say fresher here and autumn is a bit longer and warmer.

Its altitude varies between 110 and 650 meters and the Vardar River, the country’s principal river, cuts the valley into western and eastern sections. These two sections are very different in their relief, climate, surface waters, soil quality and flora and fauna. The valley’s eastern section is arid and sparsely populated, while the western section is fertile and, compared to that of the east, much more densely populated. This area is also rich in forests, minerals and pastureland and resembles an oasis with a virtual Valhalla of vineyards and orchards.

As a result of a harmonious climactic and geographic convergence, the Tikveš region is a perfect place for the cultivation of the people’s favorite, wine, something we have been producing for over 2,500 years. It is a place where hard-working people have lived for and from wine, where entire villages have grown up dedicated to wine, built by people whose days and nights are devoted to one thing only: to growing, cherishing, and enjoying wine.

Today, there are predominantly 20 different grape varieties grown in the Tikveš region. The local Smederevka,Vranec and Temjanika comprise 80% of the total grape production. As wine consumers' preferences change globally, the region is trying to keep pace with current trends and is adjusting its vine varieties accordingly.

Wine - The tradition

The tradition of wine making and grape growing in the Tikveš region date as far back as the 4th century BC, the industry thrived during medieval times with its production as was common at the time throughout Europe being made in monasteries.

The Tikveš region is situated in an area with a unique and favourable climate produced by the merging of the Mediterranean from the South and Continental from the North. Combined with arable soil; high with eroded clay content makes this a most favourable area to grow grapes.

The combined municipalities of Kavadarci, Rosoman and Konopiste utilise 20% of the Republic of Macedonia’s total landmass (45 km²) for the cultivation of grapes, the country is the seventh largest exporter of wine to the EU from outside the region. Of the total harvested crop in Kavadarci, 80% are wine Grapes and 20% are Table Grapes. The Tikveš winery processes up to 55 million kilograms of grapes to produce approximately 35 million litres of wine each year. Although the largest and most prolific, Tikveš is by no means the only winery in the city, examples of others that exist in Kavadarci include Cekorovi (Macedonian: Чекоров) and Popov (Macedonian: Попов). The combined wineries in the region export up to 26 different countries around the world.

On the first week of September of each year a festival called "Tikveski Grozdober" - Tikveš Grape Picking (Macedonian: ТИКВЕШКИ ГРОЗДОБЕР) is held for several days marking the beginning of the wine grape harvest in the Tikveš region. Such is the importance of this fruit, the city flag is composed of 6 circles in white and red representing the town’s most abundant and important produce

Tikves Region

As a result of a harmonious climactic and geographic convergence, the Tikveš region is a perfect place for the cultivation of the people’s favorite, wine, something we have been producing for over 2,500 years. It is a place where hard-working people have lived for and from wine, where entire villages have grown up dedicated to wine, built by people whose days and nights are devoted to one thing only: to growing, cherishing, and enjoying wine.

A large fertile plain of about 2,000 square kilometers makes up the Tikveš region, located in central Macedonia and enclosed by mountain highlands on three sides. It consists of gentle undulating hills at an average of 300 meters above sea-level, and its climate is characterized by long, hot summers and mild and rainy sub-Mediterranean winters with an average of 460 mm of rainfall each year. Spring is shorter, some say fresher here and autumn is a bit longer and warmer.

Its altitude varies between 110 and 650 meters and the Vardar River, the country’s principal river, cuts the valley into western and eastern sections. These two sections are very different in their relief, climate, surface waters, soil quality and flora and fauna. The valley’s eastern section is arid and sparsely populated, while the western section is fertile and, compared to that of the east, much more densely populated. This area is also rich in forests, minerals and pastureland and resembles an oasis with a virtual Valhalla of vineyards and orchards

Kratošija

Classifi cation: Quality dry red wine
First year of production: 1970
Average bottle production: 500,000 bottles
Wine District: Tikveš
Wine Region: Central (Vardar Valley) – Povardarie
Variety: 100% Kratošija
Terroir: Alluvial soil, well-drained with light structure. Yields do not surpass 12 t/
ha. Th is region is infl uenced by Mediterranean and Continental climate and thus
very arid with annual rainfall between 400-500 mm.
Viticulture: 4,000 vines per hectare, with 2,3m distance between the rows and 1m
distance between the vines; double Guyot method of pruning is used.
Vinifi cation: Th e grapes are harvested manually. Fermentation takes place in vertical
roto-fermentors with regular pumping over of the must at a controlled temperature.
Th e wine is stored for a year before bottling.
Characteristics: Th is wine is characterized by an intense ruby-red color and aroma
of red berry fruits and an extremely pleasant taste. It has a light and harmonious
structure and smooth fi nish.
Food pairing: Try this wine with roast meat, grilled food and various strong-fl avored
or smoked cheeses.