Macedonia: The Balkan Tuscany of Wine

If you travel through Macedonia, you will meet many people who pursue their profession with love. As a small and humble country, Macedonia offers vast opportunities for those passionate about viticulture and winemaking.

Many already know Sashko Atanasov, who has dedicated his life to viticulture and the promotion of good and high-quality Macedonian wine.

Since the pandemic is currently challenging the work of those in the hospitality sector, our team decided to share the stories of people who are part of this industry.

Sashko is well-known for his work at the "Sopot" winery, but many of us are unaware that he actually grew up in the village of Vatasha, near Kavadarci. He explains that in this village, everyone is involved in cultivating grapevines, which is one of the main sources of income for their livelihood. Like all other families, Sashko's family also worked with this crop, which inspired his love for viticulture and winemaking.

Over time, he came up with the idea of engaging in tourism and hospitality to promote Macedonia on the global wine map. Through continuous training and education, he has managed to reach the third level of the WSET program, which he is currently focused on.

Sashko says that Macedonia has always been a country where quality wine is produced. Most importantly, we need to understand that the lesson about wine is not something you learn once for a lifetime—it is a way of life.

He is happy that, over the past decade, the quality of Macedonian wine has been improving and takes joy in the fact that the number of new family wineries in the country is steadily growing.

On one hand, this serves as a boost for the economy, and on the other, it educates the Macedonian consumer about quality wine.

As one of the more experienced individuals in the field, Sashko states that the interest of foreign tourists in Macedonian wine is endless. Some tourists who visit Macedonia are already aware of the fact that the country produces quality wine, while those who learn about it upon arriving are truly impressed.

He adds that Macedonian wine, along with traditional Macedonian specialties, is one of the country’s greatest ambassadors. According to him, Macedonian winemakers will increasingly focus on greater care for primary production, ensuring that every winemaker begins crafting their wine at the vineyard itself. Only from good grapes can good wine be made.

Sashko believes that the future lies in small boutique wineries. He is happy to see that many young people in Macedonia are starting to engage in winemaking and is confident that they will be successful.