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Enhancing Macedonia’s Premium Wines
Introduction of oak aging facilities and technology helps Bovin expand its line of high quality wines
 Bovin was the first private-owned winery in Macedonia, and was established in 1998 when it sold 120,000 bottles of high quality white and red wines. Over the next decade Bovin raised its capacity to one million litters. However, to enhance its image and product range, the winery needed to further expand its facilities and introduce oak aging technology. This would enable adding more value to Bovin’s premium wines, enhancing the company’s competitiveness and increasing their exports.
Recognizing the relevance and value of AgBiz Wine Value Chain assistance, Bovin solicited AgBiz support to further improve its wine quality, invest in expanding their product range to include barrel aged (barrique) wines and to develop and introduce wine tourism.
Based on Bovin’s proposal, AgBiz awarded a grant to the winery as a contribution to implementation of a Project to construct oak aging and wine tasting rooms, purchase oak barrels, train personnel in oak aged wine production and to purchase and install an advanced grape crusher. Bovin also participated in the AgBiz-supported “Improving Oak Aging Technology Training” taught by an international winemaking expert who provided advice and hands-on training to winery staff on using oak barrels, and alternative methods for wine aging and storage. Bovin adopted these recommendations.
As a result of the new technologies utilized by Bovin’s winemakers, and the new cellar for oak aging wines, Bovin is now able to produce high quality barrique wines, and in 2009 started aging 10 barrels of Vranec, 26 barrels of Dissan (special Vranec), six barrels Cabernet Sauvignon, nine barrels of Merlot and four barrels of Chardonnay, all using Macedonian oak.
The substantially expanded tasting room built as part of the Project will enable Bovin to serve more visitors their fine wines and an outlet for direct sales to tourists.
“So far the development of the wines is extraordinary. What we have built under the AgBiz Project has proved to be of great value to our winery, but most importantly it adds a lot of value to our wines and makes us more competitive in the premium wines market ”; said Jani Bogevski, Sales Manager of Bovin.
Bovin is one of the four wineries out of the 20 Macedonian agribusinesses that received export-focused business expansions grants from USAID‟s AgBiz Program. AgBiz has also assisted Bovin to: Exhibit at the prestigious “ProWein” wine trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany in „08 and „09; Promote their wines at the London International Wine Fair in the UK in „09 to Identify opportunities for entering the UK market; Participate in the International Women Association wine tasting charity event; Participate in the “How to Apply for IPARD funds” training; and Promote the winery through the “Wines from Macedonia” Promotional Video.
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