North Macedonia makes more wine than it can reasonably drink, in more styles than any single guide can carry. This almanac is our reading of it. 10 regions, ranked the way we'd visit them; the houses our critics keep returning to; and a short list of restaurants where we'd spend the evening.
Femente · Country Almanac
A wine guide toNorth Macedonia
North Macedonia
10
85
90
The country, in numbers and adjectives.
The terroirs, by hand.
7 regions worth the trip first — chosen by the Femente desk for the houses we’d open with, the variety of styles within each, and the cooking that grew up around them.
Tikveš
Tikveš plants red grapes in continental heat and pulls whites from cool nights—a region where ripeness and acidity chase each other…
Povardarie
Povardarie builds its reds on Vranac and Cabernet, pushing toward structure and dark fruit where the Vardar Valley's heat could easily…
Skopje
Skopje's winemakers chase ripeness in a continental climate where summer heat pushes reds toward plushness while whites fight to hold…
Wine of North Macedonia
6 estates working under the regional appellation.
Tikveshiya
Tikveshiya's reds grip the palate with dark fruit and tannin; its whites push toward mineral restraint. Producers here chase ripeness…
Gevgelija – Valandovo
2 estates working under the regional appellation.
Ovche Pole
1 estates working under the regional appellation.
The country’s house grammar.
The 5 styles North Macedonia makes most of, ranked by bottle count on Femente. The bar beneath each cell shows that style’s share of north macedonia’s production.
7
Greek Red — the country’s most numerous bottle.
1
1
1
1
The houses that keep showing up.
2 North Macedonia estates the prestige critics have agreed on — ordered by the count of 95+ scores across Vinous, Decanter, Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.
Where to spend the evening.
12 rooms across North Macedonia our editors keep coming back to — chosen for the cooking and the wine list, in that order.
Riben restoran Planinska kukja
Traditional · European — Lavci
40
Ресторан Бачило Берово 🍽
European · Traditional — Berovo
40
Restoran & Hotel Amor Kochani
Traditional — Kochani
40
DIWA Restaurant & Hotel
European · Modern — Strumica
40
Етно ресторан Дедо Димо
Traditional · European — Prilep
40
𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐛𝐚𝐫 & 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞!
European — Prilep
40
КАФАНА РАСАДНИК
Traditional · European — Prilep
40
MOMENTS LOUNGE 🍇
Street Food · European · Traditional — Prilep
40
Hotel&Restaurant Eterno
Traditional · European — Gevgelija
40
UMAMI 🥢 🏆Wolt Winner
Grill · Modern · European — Gevgelija
40
Restaurant Vata
European · Traditional — Municipality of Chair
40
Restaurant & Bar Bila Zora
Grill · European · Traditional — Veles
40
Add North Macedonia to your cellar journal — or pick a region and start walking.
A short note in your inbox when we add a new region, find a winery worth crossing town for, or open a tasting we’d send you to. No noise. Just the ones we’d book ourselves.