Somewhat isolated inland is the Republic of Macedonia, not to be confused with the Greek province of Macedonia. There are two spellings of the name of the republic - Mazedonia and Makedonia. The spelling with "z" is of Latin origin, today the common spelling is with "k".
The Republic of Macedonia borders Kosovo to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west. The approximately 30,000 hectares of vineyards are distributed in three wine-growing areas, of which the Varda Valley, crossed by the Varda River, is the largest and most important.
Despite its remoteness from the sea, the climate is rather Mediterranean, with mild winters and warm, sometimes even subtropical summers. The topography is characterised by mountains and barrenness, the highest mountain of the small republic measures 2,800 meters, and there are other two thousand metre peaks.
Native grape varieties are grown, such as Zhilavka and Smederevka for white wines, but they are increasingly partnered by international white wine varieties such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
Red wines are produced from Plavac Mal, Vranec or Prokupek varieties, but also from international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or Merlot.
Although the wines from Macedonia have experienced a significant improvement in quality in recent years, they are hardly known outside the country.
