Wine Regions of Europe – Macedonia

The geographic region called Macedonia stretches over northern Greece, part of Bulgaria, and the present-day landlocked country of Macedonia, which occupies the region’s northern third. The Republic of Macedonia is inhabited by a majority of Macedonians, who speak a South Slavic language, and a sizeable Albanian minority of about 25%. Greece objected to the country’s admission to the United Nations under the name of Macedonia, and therefore the country is often referred to as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) by the UN, the EU, and other organizations.

Red wines lead Macedonian production, largely from the local varieties Vranac and Kratosija, with the usual interlopers Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The main wine-growing regions here are Pcinja-Osogovo in the north, Povardarie in the center, and Pelagonija-Polog in the south.