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.
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