Winemaker Notes
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Between Albania and Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) shares its southern border with Greece and Greece's wine appellation of the same name.
Though there are three main wine regions of Macedonia (FYROM), interest is growing also in the mountainous areas along the border. The established areas include Pcinya-Osogovo in the east, Pelagoniya-Polog in the west, and the central region of Povardarie (also called the Vardar River Valley). Povardarie is the most influential, including almost 90% of the country’s vineyard area, most of which are within this region’s Tikveš district.
Macedonia (FYROM) produces full-bodied red wines. Prevalent varieties include Vranec as well as Stanušina and Ohridsko Crno (the only genuinely indigenous varieties identified), Kratošija (aka Zinfandel) and a few international varieties. Žilavka, Župljanka, Temjanika (Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains), Smederevka, Rkatsiteli and Graševina are the sources of the fresh white wines of the area.