Lazar Ristov

Lazar Ristov is an owner of Lazar Winery ltd (Vinarska Vizba Lazar dooel) from Negotino in the Republic of N. Macedonia, established 20 years ago, in 2001. Lazar’s family has been a wine grape producer for 4 generations where most of the production was sold to other wineries. The family Ristov has been producing a small quantity of wine just for family use. That way, Lazar has been attracted by grapes and wine in his family tradition, so when he finished the education, he decided to start his own family owned winery. At the very beginning, Lazar Winery produced 10-12.000 liters of wine and it was sold to the local restaurants as wine on a glass. In the year 2003, Lazar joined with some other partners and they started the FONKO winery as a brand. That was the beginning of the success story of Lazar Ristov as an esteemed winemaker and entrepreneur. In 2003 at the famous wine competition in Germany, “MUNDUS VINI” his wine Chardonnay was awarded the gold medal as first ever Macedonian wine at that competition. In the following years Lazar Winery has been a partner to another successful wine brand “Chateau Sopot” until 2016 when Lazar has decided to continue the business under his own name “Lazar Winery”. Today Lazar Winery is located at the Rosoman municipality, in the heart of the most famous Macedonian wine region of Tikves valley, a few door steps from the highway E-75 connecting north with south of Europe. At the brand new facility Lazar Winery has started the new path towards the stars in the wine business in south-east Europe and opened its doors to every wine lover. Today Lazar Winery has a boutique hotel with 7 rooms and a cozy restaurant close to Black river and the ancient town of Stobi. Lazar Winery today is producing various labels of white, rose and red, still wines and he is the first Macedonian producer of sparkling wine produced by Charmat technology (prosecco style). Annual production is more than 60.000 bottles per year with continuous trend of increased sales by two digits in every year since the beginning. The recognition of the quality of the wines is continuous process with the golden medal on Mundus Vini for the wine Erigon Kratošija vintage 2017 in 2021, double gold medal on BIWC (Balkan International Wine Competition) for Alshar (dry red wine, blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc vintage 2016 and others. In addition Lazar has started one new investment in a winery in Greece, Di Allure Winery with more than 50.000 liter capacity located in the town of Polykastro in 2021.