Rkaciteli is a delightful, refreshing white with wonderfully zingy acidity and aromas of tropical and citrus fruits.\n \n Producer Information\n Tikveš is the oldest and largest winery in North Macedonia and one of the largest in southeastern Europe. The estate was founded in 1885 and boasts more than 130 years of winemaking history in the region of Tikveš. The winery produces more than 50 different wines ranging in style and quality level as well as several types of Rakija, eastern European fruit brandy. In 2003 Tikveš was purchased by M6 Investments and the company invested nearly €30 million to improve and modernize the winery. Additional investment was secured in 2008 when the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) became a minority shareholder (the EBRD sold its share to M6 seven years later). Based in the town of Kavadartsi (also spelled Kavadarci) in southern central North Macedonia some 90km (54 miles) south of Skopje, the winery produces wines with classic, international grape varieties as well as less-known varieties indigenous to southeastern Europe including Vranac, Plavec (known as Palvac Mali in Croatia), Belan (Grenache Blanc), Rkatsiteli, Smederevka, Kratošija (also known as Zinfandel) and Žilavka. The estate's top wines are part of the Terroir collection. From the estate's Barovo vineyard, located at the bottom of Kozuf Mountain, the estate produces a red blend of Vranec and Kratošija and a white wine with Chardonnay and Belan. A similar white blend of Belan and Chardonnay is produced from the region of Bela Voda, which is composed of clay soils and enjoys a Mediterranean climate. Here, Tikveš also produces a red wine from Vranec and Plavec. Tikveš' Terroir wines make up a small portion of the estate's total production, which accounts for around 60 percent of Macedonia's wine export market. Additional collections in the estate's portfolio include Traditional Wines, Classic, T'ga za jug, Special Selection, Alexandria Cuvée, Table Wines and Bag in Box. Tikveš produces a sparkling wine made by the traditional method called Ergion as well as oak-aged grape brandies. The latter include a Rakija VS produced from a combination of long-aged distillates. Renowned Rhône-based enologist Philippe Cambie consulted to the winery until his death in late 2021.
