Travel through Macedonia's countryside
2010-09-23
While not as well known as popular European regions in France and Italy, the lesser-known areas in Macedonia offer beautiful settings and plenty of vineyards to keep wine enthusiasts interested.
According to the New York Times, a trip through Macedonia's countryside can be both rewarding and relaxing. Macedonia's winemakers are humble artisans who admit that their handiwork is not ready to be mentioned in the same breath as wines from more celebrated regions. Yet that hasn't stopped a multitude of new vineyards from opening throughout the country, nearly all of which are welcoming to tourists who take the time to explore them.
The climate is ideal for agriculture and the country is the natural home of a number of different varieties of grapes, but the country's socialist past has held back the industry from truly living up to its potential.
"There’s a huge wine culture here, but we take it for granted," Jovanka Cvetkova, head winemaker at Winery Grkov told the news source. "We’re not market oriented, we’re ex-socialist. So we’re modest and not good at marketing."
Besides the wine, travelers may want to take the time to enjoy some of the country's stunning scenic sites, like Lake Ohrid, which is quickly becoming a popular destination for laid-back European travel.
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