Touring the Povardarie Wine Region in Macedonia

In this episode, David spends a couple of days touring the Povardarie Wine Region in Macedonia – one of the country’s three main wine producing regions. Here, he explores three of the region’s top wineries: Tikves, Stobi, and Popova Kula.

Learn more about these wineries in our article: Wineries You Must Visit in the Povardarie Wine Region

During his September visit to Povardarie David was fortunate enough to be there during the annual grape harvest. Winemaking has been a part of Macedonian culture for more than 2,000 years! A visit to Povardarie will give you the opportunity to taste several Macedonian varieties, as well as international wines.

David begins his wine adventure at Tikves. Here, David was given the opportunity to see how the grapes are separated and cleaned before being pressed. The entire process of picking grapes takes about a month. At Tikves David tries several Balkan wines and a very good rakia.

Next stop of the day is Stobi Winery for a tour of the fermenting tanks and a peak at their harvesting process. During his lunch at Stobi David tried five types of wine. He also left with a couple of his favorites like Moscat and a Macedonian red wine called Vranec.

Like the other two wineries, Popova Kula was in the midst of a harvest. David and the crew woke up at 5:30 AM to catch the action for themselves. David even took part in the action and was cutting grapes alongside the other workers in the vineyards. Popova Kula is on our list of 10 Places You Must Visit in Macedonia

Popova Kula produces over 20 wines, many of which are Balkan varieties like Zilavka, Stanushina, and Prokupec.

The best part of Popova Kula winery is that you can stay here to get to know the wine, food, and local culture. Guests are invited to see a traditional Macedonian folk dance and join in if they wish. Touring wineries in Macedonia’s Povardarie wine region is a must for any wine-lover in Macedonia.

Special thanks to Macedonia Timeless and XShot.

Production by Carlos de Varona from Chromahouse.

Have you ever visited Macedonia’s Povardarie wine region? If so, leave us a comment below!