Macedonian Wines from Bovin Winery
Okay, the first thing you probably asked yourself is, where is Macedonia? Well, I’m no geography expert, so just do like everyone else and Google it. I found out about this tasting courtesy of Hardy, a local blogger who is a Top 10 finalist for A Really Good(e) Job. Good luck to him!
The tasting was put on by the importer of the wine, who is local and located in Decatur. It was hosted by The Mercantile, a Candler Park, GA specialty food and grocery store that you should definitely check out. Okay, now that I’ve got all of that covered, onto the wines.
2007 Bovin Symphony $15.99
A unique blend of 40% Chardonnay, 40% Sauvignon blanc and 20% Riesling. This wine sees no oak and while the official description says there some woody aromas, I didn’t get that at all. I got white citrus, tart granny smith apples and a background note of tropical fruit, which was the only indication of Chardonnay I was able to detect. The palate yielded flavors of gooseberry, stone fruit and hints of grassiness. It was our favorite of the tasting, enough to yield a purchase on Saturday and consumption on Sunday with roasted shrimp cocktail and garlic bread. You can find this at FLIP Burger by the glass and I’d recommend pairing it with their po boyger.
2007 Bovin Vranec $15.99
For those trying to join the Century club, here is a must try. An indigenous varietal to Macedonia, this is the first and only Vranec available in the United States (according to the distributor), so if it takes off like Argentine Malbec or Australian Shiraz, you can say you were there at the beginning. The aromas we got were currants, cherry and an underlying hint of toast. On the palate, I got tastes of red berries and cherry. I’d say this is a nice foil to beef burgers, as you’ll want some fat to cut the firm structure.
2006 Bovin Alexandar $15.99
A blend of 40% Cabernet sauvignon, 40% Vranec and 20% Merlot, this was the most old world in style. The aromas were distinctly earthy and herbal, reminiscent of a basic Bordeaux. It tasted of red currant, tobacco and spice, making it well suited for a herb and garlic crusted lamb dish.
Final word: The Symphony was clearly our favorite, with the Vranec coming in second and the Alexandar a close third. These are all food wines and I think the reds would make nice alternatives for those looking to try new and different things.
Nice report AWG. I planned to be there at The Merc Sat., but life got in the way. The Symphony does sound like a winner. Are the prices quoted here Merc prices? Thanks.
Yes, those are the prices being charged at The Mercantile
I was out of town for the tasting so I really appreciate the reviews. The 2006 Bovin Alexander sounds like a wine I would enjoy. Hopefully The Mercantile will host more of these tasting events.
Thank you,
Lori
AWG,
Thanks again for coming out. Even though Macedonia has been producing wines for centuries, they have not reached the Western world. Thanks for helping us get the message out.
For Lori, the Bovin Alexandar is sold by the glass as Parker’s on Ponce.
The distributor is actually like family to my husband. He’s a great man, and I’ve sampled some of these wines myself. I drink wine on occasion, but I have to say from what I have sampled it is some of the best I have ever tried. Thanks for spreading the word about these lovely imports!
I have sampled all of the Bovin wines and they are indeed high quality wines.Trust me, I would know this since I am a wine producer from Macedonia myself.Cheers.