WINERY TIKVES

As early as in Roman times, a tradition in Macedonia was flourishing - a tradition to craft enchantingly powerful wines exhibiting the scent of the south, having a symphonic flavour and epitomizing the joyfulness of Macedonians. Tikveš Winery is one of the most important creators of this tradition. For more than 125 years, the sky, land, sun and vineyards in the south of Europe, each with its own share, have been a part of the story about Tikveš wines. Tikveš Winery has been crafting and aging premium Macedonian wines … ever since 1885.

At the late 70's of the 20th century agro-combine Tikveš is founded by merging several smaller agricultural cooperatives. Tikveš becomes the largest winery in Southeast Europe.

At 1973 the wine T’ga za jug, in honour of Struga Poetry Evenings, is crafted. A star is born.

WINERY TIKVES produces 24 types of wine, out of which the most atractive are: T'ga za jug, Traminec, Kratoshija, Chardonay, Alexandria – Cabernet Sauvignon and Alexandria – Riesling, and the famous Tikveš grape brandy – Lozova rakija – Zolta.

At the Wine Innovation Forum in Paris – 2008,Tikveš Winery is ranked among the world’s 30 most innovative wine brands.

From the top people of Tikves Winery:

“Wine is more than just an ordinary product. Every wine tells a story about the soil, sun and wind – about the country of its origin. Wine is a story that imparts the energy of the people involved in its creation.Tikveš Winery has been narrating Macedonia’s story as a winemaking country ever since 1885. Our goal is to turn this story into a best-seller by positioning Macedonia’s Finest to the top, regionally as well as globally. We see Tikveš becoming one of the most important players in the European and global winemaking industry and we invest all our energy in order to meet this long-term objective. We are prepared to reveal the authenticity of our region and tell the world a unique winegrowing story. We are ready to change the market and habits of consumers from around the world. This is a characteristic of any company that aspires to reach the top.Every company’s growth should be based on sustainability as a key principle. Fully aware of this, we treat nature and the people who are part of our story with respect. We remain attentive to every detail, as details make our story even more beautiful.And finally, we do not forget to enjoy at the end of each day. Wines are crafted with pleasure and are made for pleasurable moments.”

„Macedonia’s finest“ implies and obliges us to deliver nothing but the very best. We are therefore always on the lookout for the best people and we invest in them as well is in all segments of our operations – from vineyards to the delivery of the Macedonia’s finest bottle to our consumers. The wines of Tikveš Winery are a synergy of the local winemaking tradition, the energy of our employees and the very best of what this industry in the world has to offer. We take great pride in the fact that we use the best world’s knowledge and experience in our operations. “

As early as in Roman times, a tradition in Macedonia was flourishing - a tradition to craft enchantingly powerful wines exhibiting the scent of the south, having a symphonic flavour and epitomizing the joyfulness of Macedonians. Tikveš Winery is one of the most important creators of this tradition. For more than 125 years, the sky, land, sun and vineyards in the south of Europe, each with its own share, have been a part of the story about Tikveš wines. Tikveš Winery has been crafting and aging premium Macedonian wines … ever since 1885.

1885: Pano Velkov, merchant, nobleman and landowner, turns his dream into reality and founds Tikveš Winery on a plot of 1200 square meters. In this period, the power of the Ottoman Empire diminishes and the world finds itself in the grip of profound changes.

1912: The first wine is produced under the Tikveš label. Aleksandar, the son of Pano Velkov, inherits the entirety of the vineyards and wine cellar. Tikveš now starts cooperating with the Greek wine and spirits producer Metaxa and is licensed to produce spirits under their label.

1914: The outbreak of a disease called phylloxera almost fully destroys the Macedonian vine-growing tradition and the indigenous grape varieties such as zhilavka, stanushina, mustenik, plovdina, belerche and sivjak. Vine-growers from the region unite and import American hybrid varieties of grapes so that Tikveš can shine once again.

1938: Pano and Stefan, the sons of Aleksandar, take over the company management. They increase the wine and spirits production and begin producing soft drinks. Tikveš becomes a renowned company in the Balkans and its products are being sold in Serbia, Albania, northern Greece, Turkey and Egypt.

1946: Government enacts a Law on nationalization of private property. Aleksandar Velkov voluntarily hands over the winery keys, under one condition: the new owners should not terminate the employment of his sons as they have all the winemaking knowledge and experience. The government honours his request. Tikveš becomes a state-owned enterprise. Shortly afterwards, construction of new facilities on another location begins.

1968: Agro-combine Tikveš is founded by merging several smaller agricultural cooperatives. Tikveš becomes the largest winery in Southeast Europe.

1973: The wine T’ga za jug, in honour of Struga Poetry Evenings, is crafted. A star is born.

2003: M6 Group purchases Tikveš Winery and commences investing and upgrading the production equipment. Special attention is paid to advancing the overall production process, from grape growing, harvest, to obtaining the finished products.

2008: At the Wine Innovation Forum in Paris, Tikveš Winery is ranked among the world’s 30 most innovative wine brands.