Châteauneuf du Papes 2006 by Armand Dartois

We drunk this special French wine at a dinner with friends and chose it among many other fabulous wines in the wine collection of our host. I have to confess the choice was difficult, but this stylish bottle stand out. The other thing was my likeness to french wines.

The Châteauneuf du Papes by Armand Dartois, vintage 2006 is one of the best vintages of this wine. It comes from the southern Rhone region in France. The younger generation in Châteauneuf du Pape has taken seriously the farming in the vineyards. There are more organic and biodynamically run vineyards here than in any other appellation of France.

The sweet spot for drinking Châteauneuf du Papes is usually the first 5-6 years after the vintage. The has a long lasting finish and strong nose of berries and wild fruit, which makes the wine a pleasure for the senses. Very well balanced and very drinkable. The tannins was a bit too much, but overall - a great choice and a recommendation.

2008 Vranec Special Selection, Tikveš Winery, Republic of Macedonia

I picked up this wine from the shelves of a supermarket in Skopje (Republic of Macedonia), where I was on a business trip recently. It was one of the most expensive ones available and it did prove to be a great wine! With a deep red colour and nose from black fruits, the Vranec has a very special character. The taste is well balanced and elegant and the finishing is long lasting with a tannins tint.

The Tikves wine region is the primary wine-prodicing region in Macedonia. Macedonia is a small country on the Balkans, generally populated with Bulgarians and Albanians. The winery was established some 120 years ago and is the largest in the country. Currently they own around 500 hectares of vines and control further 3500 hectares, producing over 20 million bottles a year. Their primary grape s Vranec, which comes in four ranges: Classic, Special edition, Limited edition and Alexandra Cuvee.

On the picture, the bottle is next to a Bulgarian martenitsa - a symbol of March.