Page 13 - Koga po~nav da ja pi{uvam prikaznata za vino sakav da gi izbegnam site misti~ni stapici koi kako crveni rubini go osvetluvaat patot kon po~etok na ovoj bo`estven pijalok

and viticulture areas, but perhaps because of the composition of the soil, and
probably the experience, the quality of the Tikvesh wines was never exceeded. In
the time of the great Turkish conquests there was a story about the sultan Murat the
third, who during the march with his army toward Kosovo bypasses Demir Kapija
and in the Ovce pole valley a welcome party was organized where among other he
was served with wine from Tikvesh region. It is said that when the sultan tasted the
wine he said: “this beverage cures seven diseases”. We don’t know on which
diseases the sultan Murat actually meant, but we assume that he meant to give his
gratitude to the hosts and to praise the beverage that he really liked. After the fall
under Ottoman occupation in Macedonia viticulture plants, grapevines from Asia
Minor were brought, above all the grape Sultanija that does not contain seeds and it
is used as raisins for different variety of deserts. Also in that period were brought
different types of red grape, used by the Turkish people for preparing madzun or
winehoney. But in the Christian population red wine is used as a symbol of Christ’s
blood, maintaining its cult position throughout the ages and widely spreading
among Christians.That is the period when Tikvesh restores its primate as viticulture
region with highest quality, above all because of the fact that wine trade is
expanded in all of the territories under Ottoman rule. I must emphasize that around
300 years ago Europe is stricken by the first wave of the disease Phylloxera that
literally destroys the viticulture plantations. The disease phylloxera attacks the root
of the grapevine and destroys it. Europe was working intensively in finding a
solution for this disease. The experts from France, Spain and Italy found the
solution. On the wild American grapevine base (RIPARIA, BERNARDIERI and
DILOT) a domesticated European grapevine was grafted and a European clone
known as [ASLA was obtained. This clone opposes the phylloxera with success and
gives the opportunity of further crossings. The grapevine that gives the famous
French PINOT-NOAR or Crn Burgundec, was actually created by crossing the
SENTEMILION as mother and the Macedonian Stranusina as father. Later new
attempt was made by crossing SENTEMILION and Prokupec obtaining similar
grapevine. The French took these grapevines to the south of Demir Kapija strait and
for a period of time this area became wine sub region. This wine sub region beside
the grapevines that give the dessert wines was also suitable for table grapes such as
Valandovski drenak and Belozimsko. The Tikvesh wine region got wine sub region
that stretched from Gradec to Idomeni in the south and Dojran (Tauriana) in the
southeast. In the second half of the 19-th century from Augustin Negrotto’s sources,
from his personal correspondence with his family in France we have obtained the
information that the wine from the Tikvesh region and the valandovo-gevgelija sub
region was exported to France. In that period the railway line Istanbul – Paris
became operational which facilitated the transport to the west. This is the period
when Tikvesh region again became exclusive wine producing region. Probably in
this period the types, the varieties of grapevines were moved to the west. In 1911
and until 1924 the disease phylloxera again destroyed the viticulture plantations in
Europe. Small number of the indigenous grapevines survived this disaster. In 1925
again a nobleman changed the destiny of this region. Namely, the Serbian king,
Alexander the first Karagjorgjevic advised by the French ampelographeres and
enologists, bought large property from the Turkish Beys in the area between Demir
Kapija and Negotino to build modern winary and viticulture plantations. That is
also a period of renaissance of Stenae, Stena Stenae, Prosek turning into modern
urban settlement which was named after the railway station Demir Kapija. This
period was the golden era in the development of this settlement because after the
disastrous earthquake in 1931, with epicenter in the village Pirava, the earthquake
literally demolished Valandovo and also the village Banja, nearby the royal estate,
the king Alexander the first Karagjorgjevic issued an order by which all the families

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