Modern Wine Making Techniques Blended with Traditional Values

Tim praises wineries that have had the courage to change the way they “farm and ferment their grapes”, at times moving away from the winemaking traditions their father’s inherited and passed down through generations, bringing freshness to their new vintages.

Tim summarises his article by saying “Have we reached a tipping point, a moment when producers, sommeliers, wine writers and consumers say they’ve had enough? I believe we have. All over the world, and not before time, wines are shifting towards freshness, balance and fresher fruit flavours, with less prominent oak and alcohol and a greater sense of place. It’s like standing in a stuffy room and opening all the windows. The fresh air is unfamiliar at first, but it’s wonderful to breathe.”

We are delighted to hear that this trend for injecting fresh new wine making styles is being recognised in the wine industry, something which is echoed by Wine Maker and Enologist Dane Jovanov from the Stobi Winery in Macedonia. Dane comments, “Driven by the ever changing styles of wine being created and from feedback from numerous wine tastings made with respected UK Masters of Wine including Jo Ahearne MW, Caroline Gilby MW, Angela Muir MW , Derek Smedley MW and Darrel Joseph we decided to develop a fresher style of wine. To achieve this we have had to pick the grape earlier in the harvesting season in order to preserve the fresh citrus, lime aromas in the white wines and to not go with over extraction of polyphenols in red wines.” Bad weather has been well reported in the press for the 2014 vintage making it a challenging season for most wineries. Erin Smith outlined challenges that some wine regions have had to face during 2014 in ‘The Smith Report’ this month in Harpers. With heavy rain and frequent hailstorms prevalent this season in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean she identifies that for “smaller producers in these regions the financial impacts can be tough.” This statement is of course quite accurate, but Dane is philosophical about the ever changing weather conditions and sees this more as a challenge which can be overcome with good enological practices.

Dane is now in his 11th vintage as Stobi's Enologist and says, “Another vintage is now behind us and this is the time when we sum up the overall impressions of it. This vintage for me has been the most challenging in my work life as we had poor weather conditions and therefore we experienced some problems with crop yield and quality. However, following my belief that victims make excuses and leaders deliver results, I engaged with my experienced team and approached the harvest with full focus on preserving the quality of the berries, determining the best moment for harvest and implementing good enological practices inside the winery.” He goes on to say, “My view for future challenges is that we are going to face the effects of global warming and water scarcity, therefore we must improve the water we use efficiency. In addition we will start planting vineyards at a higher elevation to ensure their protection and sustainability.” Dane also believes it is essential keep up with modern techniques and to improve his knowledge. He is currently in the final stage of finishing his Ph.D. research “Oxygen impact on wine ageing”. He says “So far I have noticed that we have had a big success with the wines since I’ve been able to implement the knowledge I’ve gained during my Ph.D. research on wine ageing and microoxygenation, in combination of ageing wines in different types of oak. I believe this has been instrumental in Stobi gaining numerous international awards. Therefore, I strongly believe that success is never deserved, but success is always earned.”

The winery itself is ultra-modern and impressive and one of the most modern wineries in the Republic of Macedonia. £16,000,000 was invested in 2009 into the technological infrastructure, built to exacting standards which houses an impressive Barrique room for their most premium wines to mature. However, traditional values are not overlooked, and Dane’s father, Gjoko Jovanov who is Head of the Enology at the Stobi Winery and one of the oldest and most respected winemakers in Macedonia is still involved in the wine making process. He has a strong passion for the wine making region of Tikves, the most famous wine making region in Macedonia, and says “The best part is possessing the freedom to create and use your passion to produce wine, which will vividly represent our native area.” This passion is poured into the indigenous varieties which have been well received in the UK, including the classic Vranec, Premium Vranec Veritas and new Zilavka, with many Stobi wines receiving not only awards from Decanter and The Sommelier Wine Awards but also from well-respected Masters of Wine.   “I had tasted a few of the Stobi wines in London but tasting a wider range at the winery I got a greater understanding of the breadth of the range. The winery is impressive not a boutique with some 12,000 hectares and producing about one third of the Macedonia’s production. All very state of the art with gleaming stainless steel and row upon row of oak cask but it is not just the winery that is state of the art vineyard practices are also equally up-to-date.” Derek Smedley. "Macedonia’s quality wines not only have gotten, but are getting better and better. The consistency, the expression of aromas and flavours, the freshness, the balance and harmony, the use of wood, the aging potential – in other words, the absolute quality – are seriously there and keep notching upwards.” On the Stobi Zilavka “From the ‘classic’ series, a refreshing wine with aromas of citrus, lemon blossom and hints of sage and thyme. Juicy, light palate with citrus and mineral flavours. Refreshing acidity.” On the Vranec “Prominent acidity, masculine tannins and thick red and dark fruit flavours.” Darrel Josephs The winery also respects its local heritage by bringing in symbols from the ancient Roman ruins located nearby. The Roman pillars form part of the Stobi brand and the Peacock adorns both the label and cork. This mix of modern winemaking practices and traditional values forms the heart of the Stobi winery’s philosophy and values. If you want to experience the product of this mix of old and new, call us on 0845 370 2255 and we will arrange for you to taste what everyone has been talking about during 2014.