Viticulture in Greece
The Greek wine has a long, reaching back into antiquity tradition. During the time of the Byzantine Empire , at the latest when Greece became part of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th century, there was practically no further progress in viticulture. It was not until the end of the Greek military dictatorship in 1974 that the political framework conditions for quality winegrowing were restored. In the last 20 years, Greek winemakers have switched to producing mostly dry wines. After a period in which viticulture was dominated by winegrowers' cooperatives, private wineries have been setting quality exclamation marks since the 1970s . By investing in cellar technology, top Greek companies have been able to build on international standards since the 1980s. A consistent clearing program of inferior grape varieties and the withdrawal to higher, cooler areas in connection with modernized cultivation methods and the cultivation of quality vines are signs of a new quality policy in viticulture in Greece. The central wine institute in Athens ensures that the Greek wine industry continues to develop in terms of quality.
The overall mild climate with sufficient hours of sunshine in a mountainous landscape with mostly calcareous and occasionally volcanic soils create the conditions for the development of good quality wines. At the same time, viticulture benefits from the variety of soils and the large number of indigenous, autochthonous grape varieties whose potential has not yet been exhausted. Slightly more than half of the 113,000 hectares of vineyards are used for wine production, 10 percent are used for growing table grapes and 30 percent are used as the basic product for the production of raisins. Of a total of 4,000,000 hl of wine produced in 2005, only 289,000 hl, or just under 7 percent, was exported. In the same year, the average export rate of wine-producing countries in the European Union was 31 percent. In 2000 the profit margin generated by the winegrowers was 146 million euros.
In the list of the first twenty producing countries worldwide from 2005, Greece was in 13th place.
history
Viticulture in ancient Greece
From archaeological finds of cores in Dikili Tash , a tell near Philippi in the regional district of Drama , researchers gained the knowledge that wild grapevine berries were processed in Greece as early as the late Neolithic period . After a find in what is now Iran , it is the second oldest evidence of its kind in the world.
There is already numerous evidence of the widespread use of the vine from the early Bronze Age . Excavations on the island of Crete reveal the pre-Greek history of viticulture in the region. In Vathypetro ( Greek Βαθύπετρο ), an archaeological site near Archanes , one of the oldest wine presses in the world can be seen. The excavated stone wine press and numerous clay vessels from the Minoan culture show that Crete was the cradle of commercial Greek viticulture. The resinated wines that are still produced today are likely to have their origin in the previously practiced preservation method, in which the walls of the amphorae were sealed with resin .
Thanks to intensive trade relations, wine and viticulture soon came to the island of Santorini . Viticulture found its way to mainland Greece via the Cyclades . Presumably, however, this was not the only way to spread it. Since the Old Babylonians were familiar with viticulture at least as early as the Egyptians, it is likely that it spread over today's Turkish west coast of what was then Asia Minor via the Aegean Islands .
Archaeological evidence of intensive viticulture during the Mycenaean culture between 1600 and 1150 BC Are abundant. In addition to dried seeds and the remains of pressed berries, there are numerous images on ceramic works such as pots and vases.
Rituals, festivals and vessels
In the Greek religion , the libation of liquids such as water, milk, honey, wine or oil was the most common cult act. It happened in the morning and in the evening, for prayer, during the oath, when going on a trip or at symposia and banquets. The vessels used for the libation were mostly different from those for everyday use. A common vessel was Rhyton , libiert was purified by Phiale (φιάλη or phial) and Patera (both bowls) and Lagynos and Guttus (sacrificial cans).
In October, Athens celebrated the Oschophoria grape harvest festival . In winter, the Lenaia followed , which originally asked for growth and fertility in the new year. In February the Anthesteria took place, which has been documented since the 15th century BC. Were celebrated. The Dionysia were added later.
The berries were mashed in a vessel called Linos . For alcoholic fermentation , the juice obtained was usually placed in a pithos using a goat skin wine tube . Amphorae were used in antiquity as storage and transport vessels for oils and wine, garum , tropical fruits such as dates and others.
Wine was always drunk with water; the consumption of undiluted wine was considered a characteristic of the barbarians . Unmixed wine was used only for the libation at the beginning of a symposium. In the beginning, the Greeks often used the wine kettle as a mixing vessel ( Lebes or often incorrectly referred to as Dinos ) as a mixing vessel , but later other forms of crater prevailed. An insert for the crater, called a psykter , was used for cooling . For this purpose it was filled with fresh water or, less often, with hail or snow.
To fill the transport vessels, ladles or vessel shapes such as the kyathos were used . Jugs, such as Oinochoen or Olpen , were used for transport and pouring . Served as the drinking vessel Skyphos which kantharos and at times very popular drinking cup Kylix . In some regions special forms emerged as drinking vessels, in Laconia, for example, the Lakaina was particularly popular. With their drinking and feasting culture, the Greeks had a great influence on other Mediterranean areas; especially the Etruscans were very much oriented towards the Greek drinking culture.
First mention in literature
The times between 1200 BC BC and approx. 750 BC Due to a lack of written sources or archaeological finds, little research has been carried out on them and they are also referred to as dark centuries . It is the time between the end of the Mycenaean palace period and the upswing in the late Geometric and Archaic times from around 750 BC. Even in Homer's work , wine is represented as an important part of everyday culture. Even if the mythical Nestor cup mentioned by Homer has not yet been found, several descriptions of Homer are backed up by archaeological finds.
Hesiod was the first Greek author to deal with work in the vineyard and the making of wine in his work. In his epic didactic poem Works and Days , the author, who lives in the 7th century BC, reports on the grape harvest on the island of Chios . In addition, Hesiod reports on the correct storage of the wine.
The first botanical observations go back to Theophrastus of Eresus . In his Natural History of Plants , Theophrastus mainly deals with questions of wood technology and the use of wood, but also the location of various useful plants, including the vine. In his work Περὶ ὀσμῶν (About the smells) he describes the influence of the soil and the water supply on the wine and summarizes the spices that can be added to a wine to improve it.
Archaic time
In the archaic period (700 - 500 BC) there was a great colonization of the Mediterranean area . In addition to overpopulation and securing trade routes, reasons were also internal struggles in Greece. Wine export profited from this colonization to a considerable extent. In addition to Athens as the most important domestic market, markets on the Black Sea , along the Danube as far as what is now Austria, in southern Italy to Solunt and Etruria were opened up. The most important means of transport was the ship. With the founding of Massalia, today's Marseille , the Greeks gave the local Celts their first insights into commercial viticulture and thus laid the foundation for viticulture in France before the Romans .
Early wine legislation
Wine became a popular commodity early on. From Homer we know about the pramnios oinos , a wine from the island of Ikaria . The fame later went so far that the pramnios oinos became a synonym for strong, alcoholic wine and did not necessarily have to come from Ikaria. A little later, wines from the Aegean islands were considered excellent. The wines of the island of Chios enjoyed the best reputation, but the products from Lesbos and Thasos were hardly inferior to the former.
The importance of wine since the 5th century BC at the latest. The example of Thasos , the northernmost Aegean island , shows that a wine law was already known here 2,400 years ago. On two marble slabs that were found on Thasos, there were inscriptions relating to regulations for wine production and the wine trade. In addition to taxation, the trade in grapes , must and wine was also regulated . To control the export, the amphorae were marked with stamps .
In addition to wine taxation, the rulers issued legal regulations for wine production. Also in ancient Greece one dealt seriously with the cultivation of grapes. The enormous knowledge of the ancient Greeks also provided development aid to other peoples with regard to viticulture.
Romans and Byzantines
It is believed that viticulture in ancient Greece reached its golden era between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. Had. But also under the Romans and the Byzantines, viticulture in Greece initially retained its high status. However, after the end of Hellenism, the city of Athens increasingly lost its importance. The more difficult access to the most important transshipment points in the Mediterranean area had an effect; the reputation of Greek plants faded noticeably.
The prohibition of belief in gods in Greece after the introduction of Christianity had at least a short-term impact on wine, as almost all activities in viticulture were related to the now forbidden god Dionysus. The shift of power from Rome to Constantinople after the division of the empire in 395 did not bring about the hoped-for easing of exports. Viticulture was almost exclusively restricted to personal consumption or consumption in the monasteries.
Aside from resin, flavoring wines has almost been given up. The dilution of wine was also frowned upon. Nonetheless, the name krasi , derived from the Greek verb for "to mix" (κεραννυμι ›Aorist ἐκερασα), which was previously only used for diluted wine; to this day it is synonymous with wine. The expansion of sweet dessert wines based on partially raisined berries became more and more popular.
In 992, the Republic of Venice received a privilege that significantly reduced trade taxes in the Byzantine Empire and favored Venetian traders over those from competing cities. The Monemvassios oinos , a wine that was loaded at the port of Monemvasia and became known under the name Malvasia in France, Germany and England, developed into a bestseller .
The privileges enabled the Republic of Venice to import foreign wines at unrivaled low prices. This brought many of the local producers to the brink of ruin. The largest export markets of mainland Greece and Crete had also passed into the hands of the Italians.
The period between the 15th century and independence
After the conquest of large parts of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottomans, large parts of the Greek-speaking area belonged to the Ottoman Empire for four hundred years . With the conquest by the Turks in the 15th century, viticulture lost its important role, but was continued to a lesser extent, especially on the islands. However, there was no longer any export business in the regions under Turkish rule. However, viticulture was rediscovered as an attractive source of income. Taxes were levied not only on wine but also on the production of grapes. However, the level of these taxes was so high that many farmers abandoned their vineyards. On the Ionian Islands , ruled by the Venetians , the cultivation of raisins was promoted as an export good, which also led to a decline in the cultivation of vines.
When the Turks withdrew after the Greek Revolution , many agricultural areas were devastated.
From independence to the phylloxera disaster
After the Turks were pushed back in the 19th century, viticulture was slowly revived. Except for a few wineries, cultivation was mostly anonymous. The wine was produced using primitive technology and was often sold to France as a blended wine or consumed in the cities - in barrels . The island's wine, on the other hand, had a good reputation. Acquiring high-quality vines was difficult except for the Korinthiaki variety . By the end of the 19th century, the area under vines quadrupled, while the total area under vines only doubled. Julius Menzer was the first to import Greek wine to Germany and opened Greek wine bars in various German cities from 1882.
Phylloxera was discovered on Greek soil in 1898 . Greece knew in 1916 with almost 200,000 hectares of vineyards, the widest spread of viticulture in memory; however, this population was severely restricted by phylloxera within a very short time. The rebuilding of the vineyards was slow because the demand for Greek wine had collapsed between 1925 and the Second World War. In the first two decades of the 20th century, the Sultana table grape finally found its way into the Greek vineyards.
Viticulture could hardly benefit from the general boom between 1952 and 1967, since the mainly foreign support was concentrated on the construction industry and the Greek merchant fleet.
Viticulture after the end of the military dictatorship
Since the 1950s, wineries have benefited from oenologists trained abroad (above all in France). However, high-quality Greek viticulture only experienced a renaissance with the end of the military dictatorship and the accession of Greece to the European Union : In 1974 a wine law was passed that adapted to European rules. The Greek alphabet, which was difficult to understand in the exporting countries, isolated the Greeks from the rest of the wine world. Therefore, the Greeks were allowed to use designations of origin on the bottle label from other languages. French and English terms are mainly used. From agricultural subsidies the EU urgently needed were investments made in cellar technology and vineyards. The first big winner of the urbanization of Athens as well as of the emerging tourism was the resinous retsina , which had a long history before 1960, but led a rather shadowy existence . Originally conceived for the mass market, the products of the important suppliers Achaia Clauss , Kambas, Kourtakis , Boutari and Tsantali have changed over time to high quality products.
Many newer wineries emerged from private initiatives. Despite growing sales figures, the market is concentrated, not least because of the clearing of bad parcels and the synergies in bottling and administration. In their efforts to promote exports, the vintners are currently still on their own due to the lack of structures.
Geographical requirements
Greece lies between the 34th and 42nd degree of latitude on the eastern Mediterranean in southeastern Europe and is geographically composed of the Greek mainland at the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula , the Peloponnese peninsula and numerous islands mainly in the Aegean Sea , in the Ionian but also in the Libyan Sea .
The country has a total area of 131,957 km²: more than 80 percent are on the mainland, almost 19% are spread over 3,054 islands, of which only 87 are inhabited.
Despite its strong maritime character, Greece has a very high proportion of mountains and is therefore classified as a mountainous country . The central mountains and mountain ranges of the country are the Pindos Mountains , the Olymp - Ossa - Pelion Mountains and the Rhodope Mountains on the Greek mainland, the Taygetos Mountains on the Peloponnese peninsula and the Ida and Psiloritis Mountains the island of Crete. The mountains mostly run from north-west to south-east. Larger, economically usable levels are only sparsely available and are mainly located in the regions of Thessaly in central Greece and Macedonia and Thrace in the north of the country.
The number of rivers in the country is small. Only a few larger watercourses such as the Mariza, which arise in the northern Balkans, do not dry out in summer. The main types of soil in Greece consist mainly of limestone and sand. Alluvial soils are only richer in nutrients near the coast . On some islands like Santorini the soils are of volcanic origin.
climate
Almost everywhere Greece has a Mediterranean climate with short, humid and mild winters and dry and hot summers. On the coast it is very mild in winter and it rains more often; Snow rarely falls. Summers are relatively hot and there are only occasional summer thunderstorms. In the interior of the country it is significantly cooler, especially in winter, and there is often night frost, sometimes heavy snowfall. In summer it is hot and dry, similar to the coast. Annual rainfall varies between 400 mm near Athens and 1097 mm in Corfu, the northernmost of the large Ionian islands . During the growing season of the vines, rain falls only in the regions of Macedonia and Thrace to a significant but small amount.
The majority of the wine-growing areas are close to the coast. The areas benefit from the moderate sea breezes. Nevertheless, these areas are among the warmer wine-growing areas on earth. In order to give the wines more structure, vineyards are deliberately planted at great heights. At the same time, this measure is an effect of climate change on viticulture . In the cooler regions, berry ripening slows down. The vine can build up more extract due to the longer vegetation period and the higher acid values can better compensate for the high must weights. Another method of slowing ripening is to plant vineyards on northern slopes.
From the month of October the amount of precipitation increases by leaps and bounds. If the autumn rainfall starts a little earlier, late-ripening grape varieties cannot fully mature at high altitudes, even in Greece. The climate data from Athens and Corfu show that in Greece precipitation is generally the time-limiting component for the vegetation period of the vine. In terms of temperature, the fruit of the plant could still ripen in October and November. However, the grapes must be collected before heavy rainfall, otherwise the aromas will be diluted and the berries will burst open.
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Corfu
Source: Weather data Corfu
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Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Athens
Source: Athens weather data
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Definitions
Terms
In ancient Greek and Katharevoussa , wine is referred to as Οίνος (Inos) and, accordingly, Λευκός Οίνος ('white wine') and Ερυθρός Οίνος ('red wine'). These terms are still used in the modern Greek language in the context of wine, alongside the new term for wine Κρασί (Krasí) . Krasí is derived from the concept of the mug with a handle or from mixing.
The Greek term Σταφύλια (Staphylia) for grapes comes from the son of the wine god Dionysus , who was called Staphylos.
Quality levels
With the establishment of the European Economic Community, a common agricultural policy was defined. Within the framework of this policy, called the GAP, national wine law was defined in the affiliated states based on European wine law. Overall, two different systems emerged.
In Germany, Luxembourg, England and later in Austria, almost all growing areas were defined as bA (certain growing areas in the sense of a designation of origin). The must weight serves primarily as a quality criterion, whereby the location of the vineyard or the yield restriction are of little importance. The other member states followed the French wine law that had existed since the beginning of the 20th century. There only part of the wine area is granted the right to an AOC (currently approx. 60 percent, in Italy only 30 percent). A number of parameters are set in the decrees for the individual appellations: maximum yields per hectare, certain grape varieties that are selected according to their historical role in addition to their local suitability, soil structure, minimum must weight or minimum alcohol content of the wines, aging regulations (in barrel and bottle) and sensory exams. Following the French model, controlled designations of origin for the best growing areas were introduced in Greece in 1971 and 1972 by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Wine Institute. Greek wine is marketed under five quality labels.
- OPAP Onomasia proléfseos anoteras piótitos ( Greek Ονομασία προελευσέως ανωτέρας ποιότητος ): Comparable to the French AOC , wines of higher quality from a controlled growing area. The wines have a red band on the cork. Currently 26 of these growing areas are defined (Malvasia-Monemvasia is missing in the picture of the OPAP / OPE wine-growing regions)
- OPE Onomasia proléfseos elenchoméni ( Greek Ονομασία προελευσέως ελεγχομένη ): wines of higher quality from a controlled growing area, which applies exclusively to sweet wines. The wines have a blue banderole, which must be stuck over the cork under the capsule. A total of 8 growing areas have this status
- Topikos Inos ( Greek Τοπικός Οίνος ): country wine with designation of origin, d. H. the origin must be shown on the label. Around eighty areas are currently defined, after only 52 country wines were introduced in 1995. The quality level is comparable to the Italian name Indicazione Geografica Tipica or a French Vin de Pays and was introduced in 1989. There are three levels of country wine in total. The geographically broadest definition corresponds to the expansion over a region, the second level corresponds to the definition with a regional district and the third level has a more communal character. The following principle applies: the smaller the area to which the definition relates, the higher the quality, reputation and price level of the respective wines.
- Kava or also Cava ( Greek Κάβα ): Name (dt. Cellar or analogously “cellared”) for a long-term table wine (Epitrapezios Inos) of top quality. White wines have to be stored for two years (of which at least 6 months in barrel and six months in bottle), red wines for three years (of which at least 6 months in new oak or 1 year in used oak and 2 years in bottle).
- Epitrapezios inos ( Greek Επιτραπέζιος οίνος ): Corresponds to the German or Austrian table wine , the French "Vin de table" or the Italian "Vino da tavola". These are blended wines from different growing areas without a designation of origin. The Retsina and the Verdea of the island of Zakynthos enjoy a special status, which are declared as so-called Onomasia kata paradosi ( Greek Ονομασία κατά παράδοση ), i.e. wine-growing areas based on tradition.
Wine-growing areas
In Greece, wines are produced in very different regions, so that the characteristics of the same are very different. In general, the growing regions are assigned to the warmest wine-growing zone CIII. The regional districts Florina, Imathia, Kilkis, Grevena, Larisa, Ioannina, Lefkada, Achaia, Messenia, Arcadia, Korinthia, Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno, Samos, Lasithi and the island group Santorin were assigned to the somewhat cooler zone CIII a . All regional districts not listed, including those of the Cyclades outside Santorini, belong to zone CIII b.
Thrace
Thrace lies east of Macedonia and extends to the northernmost point of Greece, which borders Bulgaria and Turkey. The peripheral location led to an economically less favorable situation - the inhabitants of the region like to talk about the forgotten Thrace . In fact, GDP in 2006 was 63.5 (EU-27: 100) compared with that of the EU, expressed in purchasing power standards, which is well below the Greek average of 96.4. This can also be felt in the larger cities such as Xanthi , Komotini , Alexandroupoli or Soufli .
Homer already praised Thracian wine. Odysseus defeated the Cyclops Polyphemus with Thracian wine . Odysseus gets in the Kikonenstadt Ismaros of Maron , the Thracian priest-king of Apollon , son of Euanthes and King of Kykonnen, with whom he has drunk the Cyclopes the heady red wine, to him dazzle. However, the ancient importance of the cultivation areas did little to market the wine. In addition to local consumption, there was hardly any marketing at the local or even international level. In the early 1990s, the wine was sold in barrels as "Macedonian wine". The Soufli-based winery Bellas, which was only founded in 1994, was one of the first to market bottled wines with clearly identifiable origins. The most common grape varieties in Thrace are currently the white Zoumiatiko and the red varieties Mavroudi and Pamidi , which are among the most widely grown grape varieties in Bulgaria. In addition, like in neighboring Macedonia, red wines from Xinomavro are made . Wine production in Thrace currently averages around 50,000 hectoliters per year; the area under vines surveyed by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2001 is 400 hectares. The warmth is relieved by cool north winds or sea breezes. Often the Samothraceotis blowing from the island of Samothrace brings warm and humid air, which over a narrow strip of the mainland near the coast provides for a cloudy sky or for precipitation and thus makes viticulture possible. The coastal strip itself has an arid climate in the summer months. Intensive efforts have been made in recent years to revitalize the historic vineyard of Maroneia, as ancient Ismaros is called today.
Three new growing areas with the rank of table wine were opened in 1997, but there are no wines with the classifications OPAP or OPE. The large wineries Tsantali and Maronia AE were important advocates of opening up internationally known varieties and establishing designations of origin .
With the designation of origin Thracicus (French: Vin régional de Thrace or Vin régional de Thrakis ) a regional appellation was created that extends over the entire region of Thrace. The recognized mix of grape varieties is characterized by Greek and French grape varieties. In particular, the mention of French grape varieties is intended to simplify marketing. While the grape varieties Assyrtiko , Athiri , Chardonnay , Malagousia , Moschomavro (a red variety from the Muscat family), Sauvignon Blanc and Roditis are permitted for the production of white wines , the red varieties Cabernet Sauvignon , Carignan , Grenache , Limnio , Limniona , Merlot are used and Syrah for the production of red and rosé wines. All wines can be matured in the flavors dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet.
The production of the Ismarikos country wine (French: Vin régional d'Ismaros ) is limited to the Rodopi regional district. The wine-growing region on the southern edge of the Rhodope Mountains was recognized at the instigation of the joint venture between Tsantali and Maronia AE. In contrast to the first-mentioned appellation Thrakikos, the accent is more pronounced on native grape varieties. For white wine, the varieties Zoumiatiko and Roditis must have at least fifty percent of the blend. With rosé wine, the same applies to the Roditis and Grenache varieties. When it comes to red wine, the leading varieties are Limnio and Grenache.
The third of the official table wines of Thrace is Avdira , which is named after the municipality of the same name Avdira in the regional district of Xanthi . Only with the 2002 vintage are the wines available on a modest scale. The legislature went a little further here than with the Ismarikos appellation, since all the leading varieties in white, rosé and red wines are local varieties. In addition to Zoumiatiko and Roditis among the white varieties, the red Pamidi variety plays an important role. The existing vineyards are only a few kilometers from the sea.
Despite the extensive viticulture of almost 500 hectares under cultivation, there is no separate designation of origin in the Evros regional district . Because of the cool climate by Greek standards, mostly light, sometimes fruity wines are produced here.
Macedonia
Macedonia is the largest geographical region in Greece and borders the states of Albania , the Republic of North Macedonia and Bulgaria in the north . It is bordered by the Epirus region to the west and Thessaly to the south . In the east Macedonia is separated from Thrace by the river Nestos . Despite the size of the region, Macedonia, with almost 7,210 hectares of vineyards, is only in third place among the most important growing regions behind Central Greece and the Peloponnese. This is partly due to the topography. The west of the region is very mountainous and in the regional districts of Grevena , Kastoria and Kozani the topographical height of 500 meters is hardly undercut. On the other hand, in the area of Macedonia lies the largest plain in Greece. With Thessaloniki there is only one bigger city, industrial settlements are rare. Agriculture plays an important role; viticulture is only of secondary importance. In some areas, wine is only a minor by-product of the popular Tsipouro pomace brandy .
Macedonia is well supplied with water through the mountains. An irrigation of vineyards in the summer is therefore possible in principle.
In Macedonia, red wine is mainly produced; the most important grape variety is Xinomavro. The variety of grape varieties was severely restricted by the phylloxera disaster at the end of the 19th century. Researchers at the Viticulture Institute in Athens assume a loss of almost 60% of the region's autochthonous varieties. On the other hand, recent finds of old vines near Siatista in the Kozani regional district show that many of the varieties that were believed to be lost do not meet today's quality requirements.
It is noticeable that the vineyards newly planted after the phylloxera disaster often have a low planting density of 3000 vines per hectare. This density, which is too low for quality cultivation (internationally one speaks of an ideal tillering of 5000 to 10,000 vines per hectare), is primarily due to the high costs of the plant material. While vines had to be grafted after the phylloxera , it was sufficient before that the winemaker took his own cuttings from his vines. In the early 20th century, many Macedonians left their homeland. Many vineyards were abandoned. However, the region was revitalized as early as the early 1920s. In 1922 the Greco-Turkish War ended with a definite Greek defeat. In the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, an exchange of population was agreed: All Greeks still living in large parts of Turkey were expelled to Greece (around 1.5 million), in return, around 500,000 mostly Turkish Muslims had to leave Greece, with the exception of the Muslims in Thrace . Many of the Greek refugees known as mikrasiates found a new home in Macedonia and planted a large number of new vineyards there.
With the designations of origin Naoussa in Imathia , Amyndeo in Florina , Goumenissa in Kilkis and Côtes de Meliton ( Greek Πλαγιές Μελίτωνα Plagies Melitona ) in Chalkidiki , Macedonia has four of the total of 26 OPAP wines in Greece.
Viticulture in the Drama regional district is dominated by two wineries belonging to the Lazaridi family. Since there are no OPAP regulations in this region, the family, who made their fortune by mining marble and granite, was able to give free rein to their ideas about quality viticulture. Nicos Lazaridis runs the 52 hectare Château Nico Lazaridi winery and his brother Kostas heads the 200 hectare Domaine Costa Lazaridi. The last-named estate has been producing white, rosé and red wines in the tradition of French viticulture since the early 1990s with the Amethystos product line. As a consultant, Kostas used the services of Denis Dubourdieu , professor at the University of Bordeaux and owner of the well-known Château Doisy Daëne estate , and, since 2004, of Michel Rolland .
Epirus
Epirus borders on the Ambracian Gulf and the Aetolia - Acarnania region to the south and Thessaly and Macedonia to the east , from which it is separated by the Pindus Mountains . In the west, the coast of the Ionian Sea forms the border.
Epirus is one of the poorest regions in Greece and the European Union. Industry and intensive agriculture are concentrated around the capital Ioannina, where most of the population lives. Mainly olive oil and tobacco are grown for export. There is no significant viticulture in the regional districts of Thesprotia , Arta and Preveza . With the designation of origin Zitsa and the country wine from Metsovo, commercial cultivation is concentrated in the regional district of Ioannina.
When choosing the grape varieties, the relatively early onset of autumn rain was taken into account, which often prevents reliable ripening in October. In an average of four of the vintages of a decade, the Debina grape variety, which is widespread in Epirus, does not reach full maturity. The Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc varieties achieve good results.
In the red grape varieties, the early maturing Bekari and Vlachiko play an important role.
Evangelos Averoff produced a wine from Cabernet Sauvignon and Agiorgitiko vines at his Katogi winery in the 1960s . For the first time in Greece it was possible to market a cuvée that was composed of a foreign and an autochthonous Greek grape variety.
Together with Rhodes and the Amyndeo wine-growing region in the Florina regional district (Macedonia), Epirus is one of the few regions in Greece with a tradition of producing sparkling wine . The offer ranges from inexpensive sparkling wines that are carbonated to sparkling wines using the Charmat process and products from classic bottle fermentation . The flavor covers the entire spectrum from dry to sweet. The sparkling wines are mostly pale white, rarely pink. However, the consumption of sparkling wine is hardly a tradition in Greece and is only occasionally drunk on upscale occasions such as a wedding. The market potential is therefore very limited.
Thessaly
The region of Thessaly ( Greek Θεσσαλία Thessalía ) is located south of the Macedonia region and north of the Central Greece region . In the west it borders on the Epirus region (modern Greek Ipiros ).
In Thessaly the proportion of flat land is considerably higher than elsewhere in Greece; Thessaly therefore bears the name O Kambos (the plain). The economy of the rich region is based primarily on the production of agricultural products. The most important products are grain and cotton . The viticulture was only assigned to the peripheral areas of the plains. The climate in Thessaly is comparatively humid; this promotes the development of fungal diseases on the vines.
So far, viticulture has only played a modest role in Thessaly. Growing price pressure on grain and cotton has made the cultivation of vines attractive. Recommended grape varieties are Assyrtiko, Roditis and Limnio , which are complemented by the international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The varieties Cinsault and Batiki are also permitted . According to an analysis by the Viticulture Institute of Athens, the region, with its independent Limniona, has a variety with high quality potential. It was therefore recently added to the list of recommended varieties.
In the last survey in 2001, a vineyard area of 4408 hectares was registered. Despite this modest area, Thessaly has three OPAP wines:
Anhialos in the Magnisia regional district was named after the coastal town of Nea Anchialos , which is not far from the city of Volos . Only a white wine made from the Roditis and Savatiano grape varieties may be produced under this name. The maximum permitted yields of 84 hectoliters / hectare are clearly too high. Therefore, leading manufacturers avoid this designation of origin. Of the total of 449 hectares of vineyards in the Magnisia regional district, only 15 are in the Anhialos wine-growing region. However, the winemakers have so far lacked a geographically more clearly defined definition of a land wine in this area. So far they are only allowed to use the regional name Thessaly.
With the Rapsani growing area , the Larisa regional district has the most famous OPAP wine in the region. The vines grow up to a height of 700 meters on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus . Due to the privileged location at the seat of the Greek gods, Rapsani was repeatedly associated with nectar, the drink of the gods. The red wine from Rapsani consists of equal parts from the grape varieties Krassato , Stavroto and Xinomavro. The areas are in the municipalities of Krania, Pyrgetos, Abelakia and the eponymous Rapsani. Since Dimitris Katsaros of the Katsaros Estate winery found the regulations too restrictive, he had the town of Krania removed from the Rapsani regulations and had the country wine Krania defined, for which Chardonnay , Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are permitted.
There is a large growing area around Tyrnavos , which mostly supplies bulk wines or basic products for the tsipouro. The most important grape varieties are Muscat de Hambourg and Roditis. However, if a winemaker wants to use the name Tyrnavos on the wine label, the dry white wine made from Roditis and Batiki and the dry red wine must consist mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon.
In the Trikala regional district, there is only a very modest amount of commercial viticulture, although the cultivation of vines has a tradition near Meteora . Karditsa, on the other hand, has the Messenikola , a red wine from the OPAP category. The wine-growing area extends as far as the 800 meters high Plastiras reservoir .
Central Greece
The geographical region of Central Greece ( Greek Κεντρική Ελλάδα Kendriki Ellada ) includes the regions of Central Greece ( Greek Στερεά Ελλάδα Sterea Ellada ) and Attica as well as the regional district of Aetolia-Acarnania .
Central Greece
The region, whose capital Lamia is, includes part of the central mainland Greece and the second largest Greek island Euboea (Evia) and is divided into five regional districts. While no commercial vineyards are registered in the Evrytania regional district, the vineyards are divided between Fthiotida (820 hectares), Boeotia (3437 hectares), Euboea (3942 hectares) and Fokida (400 hectares). Central Greece ( Greek Στερεά Ελλάδα Sterea Ellada ) is the wealthiest region in Greece. The recent history of viticulture in Central Greece is closely linked to the Retsina . This wine has always been made by adding resin to the young wine. The resin comes from the pines of the region and the resin of the Aleppo pine in particular enjoys the best reputation. By improving the aging process, the resin content in the barrel could be reduced from 7.5 percent to 5 percent by the 1960s. The bars in Athens were the largest sales market. With the onset of tourism, the retsina became a popular drink. The use of the resin was limited to 1 to 2 percent during this time, the wines had hardly any structure, too little acidity and an unbalanced alcohol content. In the 1980s, the quality of the Retsina sold had hit an all-time low; Large wineries like Kourtakis or Cambas had flooded the market with meaningless wines. While Cambas was taken over by the Boutari wine house in 1991 , the Kourtakis house was renamed Greek Wine Cellars. Today's retsina has more acidity, is slightly richer in alcohol and is less influenced by the resinous taste. However, the sales figures are very modest compared to the recent past. Kourtakis alone sold 60 million bottles of retsina annually in the 1970s.
However, the negative image still has an impact on the entire wine industry in Central Greece. The Savatiano grape variety is currently by far the most important grape variety in the region. After the phylloxera disaster, it increasingly displaced the qualitatively better Roditis vine. There is no long tradition for rosé and red wines there. The first serious attempts in this direction have only been made for 30 years (as of 2008).
Despite significant vineyards, only two OPAP wines have so far been defined in central Greece, but were discarded a short time later due to lack of interest on the part of winemakers. Boeotia is located north of the Attica region. However, the climate here is a little cooler than in Attica, as Boeotia is not shielded by mountain ranges from winds from the northeast. Viticulture is limited to four isolated areas. The coolest growing area is at an altitude of up to 500 meters on the northern slopes of Parnitha . Further to the west there are areas at the foot of the Kithairon . The designation of origin Côtes de Kitherona (a country wine) is rarely used. In the center of Boeotia near Elikona there is a third area that benefits from cooler growing conditions. The warmest growing area of Boeotia is located east of Thebes near Arma. Together with the fertile soils of the plain, the yields are very high. Most of the formerly important areas on Parnassus have been abandoned.
Euboea is Greece's largest island after Crete. As everywhere in central Greece, the Savatiano dominates the grape variety with almost 80 percent. The spectrum is supplemented by Roditis and Assyrtiko. Other Greek varieties such as Aidani, Limnio, Mandilaria, Liatiko , Vradiano and Karabraimis are rarely found. The French varieties Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc were introduced in the last 25 years (as of 2009). The efforts of the winemakers have so far been rewarded with the country wines Karystos , Lilantio Pedio and Ritsona Avlidos . With the Malamatina winery, the island is home to one of the largest suppliers of retsina. The 0.5 liter bottle with the crown cap is often found in Greek bars. Malamatina has over 600 hectares of vineyards and fills more than 50 million half-liter bottles annually. The winegrowers' cooperative Halkida is less prominent and, according to its own information, has over 1000 hectares but hardly markets a fifth of it itself. The rest is sold as anonymous barrels.
In Fokida, despite 400 hectares of vineyards, there was no bottler until 2002. The grapes went to cellars in the surrounding regional districts. While early on-site bottlings are good, it's too early to judge the area's potential.
The vineyards of the Fthiotida regional district, which were already known in antiquity, were largely destroyed by phylloxera. Due to the onset of rural exodus, a large part was no longer replanted. It was not until the founding of the Hatzimichalis winery in the Atalandi area in 1962 that viticulture was revived. In the 1980s Dimitris Hatzimichalis set qualitative standards in Greece. Of the total of 820 hectares in Fthiotida, the winery cultivates 160 hectares and purchases the grapes from 20 hectares.
Attica
Attica borders on Korinthia in the west, Boeotia in the north , the areas on the Peloponnese peninsula border on the Argolis region . The southernmost island in the region, Andikythira , is located around 30 km northwest of Crete .
The mountain ranges Gerania in the west as well as Kithairon, Parness and Pateras (Πατέρας, 1131 meters high) in the north protect the region from the cold north winds. In summer Attica is one of the driest and warmest regions in Greece (see also the climate diagram of the city of Athens).
A total of 11,540 hectares of vineyards are spread over 3 larger areas. The dominant grape variety here is similar to that in central Greece, Savatiano, which in Attica has a share of almost 90 percent. In the west of the region there is a wine-growing area near Megara , where the production of bulk goods predominates.
To the east of the city of Athens lies a plain in the province of Mesogia. The once important wine-growing area is increasingly falling victim to the urbanization around the Greek capital. Many vineyards had to give way to the Athens-Eleftherios Venizelos international airport . Thanks to the excellent connection between the airport and the metropolis, the area around the site developed extremely quickly.
In the north lies the third area, which hugs the slopes of the Parnassus and Pendeli . Due to the altitude, the temperature gradient between day and night is higher there than in the other wine regions of Attica. The Savatiano grape variety produces white wines that are comparatively light with a maximum alcohol content of 12 percent by volume .
Attika does not have any OPAP wine, but in return has 14 different country wines. The winegrowers' association of Attica, which is based in Sparta, tries very hard to develop the wine-growing region. In addition to lobbying for the establishment of country wines, it set up a wine route and tried to attract customers from Athens and tourists from the region to the wine-growing areas with an abundance of activities and events.
The dry climate favors organic viticulture , and with the Georga family there is now a winery that follows the ideas and concepts of Didier Dagueneau , the Loire winemaker , with the application of the (controversial) biodynamic agriculture .
Ionian islands
The Ionian Islands region ( Greek Ιόνια Νησιά Iónia Nisiá ) extends west of mainland Greece in the Ionian Sea . In contrast to the rest of Greece, it was never part of the Ottoman Empire, but belonged to the Republic of Venice until the late 18th century . Viticulture is practiced on all of the larger inhabited islands, namely Corfu , Lefkada , Kefalonia , Ithaka and Zakynthos . The most important areas are in the former prefecture of Kefallinia with 1,105 hectares. With 1,055 hectares, Corfu has only marginally less cultivated area. It is followed by Lefkada (5742 hectares) and Zakynthos (654 hectares). The terrain of most of the islands is strongly mountainous. Together with the isolated location of the cultivation areas and an abundance of microclimates, an abundance of grape varieties could be maintained.
Viticulture on Zakynthos was strongly influenced by the Republic of Venice. More than 500 hobby winemakers supply their income to the local winemaking cooperative, and only a few winemakers market their products independently. The island has been an important supplier of table grapes since the 16th century. The Italians call the island Zante, a name that was carried over to the Korinthiaki grape variety . The name Zante has been used in English to this day for this grape variety, which is marketed in the dried state as currant . With the Verdea , an alcoholic, oxidatively developed wine was kept on the island. This wine, which currently does not meet international tastes, consists of an abundance of grape varieties such as Goustoldi, Robola, Skiadopoulo, Pavlos and the very rare Areti and Korinthi. Although the legal regulation stipulates a proportion of the Skiadopoulo variety of at least 75 percent, compliance with the regulation is hardly controllable.
According to a legend, Kephalus , the son of the messenger god Hermes and patron saint of the island, brought wine to Kefalonia under the care of the wine god Dionysus . The cultivation of currants was promoted under the Venetians, so that in 1798 wine was in second place among export goods (the grapes were allegedly picked four times a year) currant production in 1807 was 9 million pounds. The production of currants dominated the island's economy up to the 20th century (alongside shipping), but in contrast to wine, it has largely lost its role. Despite a slump in exports after the Second World War and a devastating earthquake in 1953, the island is now the most important wine producer in the archipelago. Since tourism is currently the better source of income, the money is only sparingly flowing into the investments necessary to improve quality. Similar to Zakynthos, the range of grape varieties is characterized by an abundance of typical island varieties. The most important variety is Robola , which is also officially called Rombola Aspri. In the south of the island, the Robola grape variety is dedicated to the Robola Kephallinias OPAP wine (Ρομπόλα Κεφαλληνίας or Robola of Cephalonia). The best qualities grow at a height of 300 to 800 meters on the slopes of the 1628 meter high Aenos. The Gentilini winery has been producing top quality products since the late 1980s.
With the designations of origin Moschatos Kephalinias and Mavrodaphni Kephalinias , the island has 2 of a total of 8 Greek quality wines of the OPE level. In the event of an OPE, the rules only provide for the expansion of sweet wines. The nutmeg wine is produced in the western part of the island, while the Mavrodaphni plants are spread over the whole island including the southern part of the island of Ithaca . Both types of wine have only been revitalized since the mid-1990s, and the results are promising. With the country wines Côtes de Ainou , Metaksata and Matzavenata , the winemakers have the opportunity to market wines based on the Goustoldi, Moschatella , Tsaousi and Araklino grape varieties .
On Lefkada , the Vertzami grape variety dominates, which is possibly the Italian Marzemino . The white wines, which are sold under the label of a country wine, are pressed by the winemakers from the Verdea grape variety. In addition, Malagousia, Lagorthi, Mavrodaphne, Vardea, Thiako, Chlores and Merlot are cultivated on a small scale.
Despite a vineyard area of 1055 hectares, there are hardly any self-marketing winemakers on Corfu. The high humidity of the island only allows the cultivation of very robust varieties that can withstand the pressure of infection by fungal diseases. With the white Kakotrigis and the red Petrokoritho , the island has two independent grape varieties.
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese is the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula and thus the area that protrudes furthest into the Mediterranean . The southernmost point of the Peloponnese is Cape Tenaro . In the east, the Peloponnese is bounded by the Aegean Sea and in the west by the Ionian Sea .
The Peloponnese region essentially comprises the historical landscapes of Messenia, Arcadia, Laconia, Argolis and the surroundings of Corinth as well as a piece of the mainland beyond the isthmus. It is divided into the five regional districts Argolida (Αργολίδα / Argolída), Arcadia (Αρκαδία / Arkadía), Corinthia (Κορινθία / Corinthía), Laconia (Λακωνία / Lakonía) and Messenia (Μεσσiníaνία / Messia. Achaia (Gr. Αχαΐα, Achaía ) and Elis (Gr. Ilía Ηλεία) belong to the region of Western Greece , but are dealt with in terms of viticulture together with the Peloponnese region.
Apart from the coastal areas and the plains between Patras (Achaia) and Pyrgos (Elis), near Kalamata (Messenia) and between Sparta and Gythio (both in Laconia), the Peloponnese is very mountainous. Viticulture is the only economic form of agriculture due to the predominantly poor soils. The parameters of altitude, the orientation of the planted slopes and the distance to the sea give the region an abundance of microclimates.
The legislation currently provides for six top-class designations of origin for the Peloponnese. Achaia alone has four appellations with the OPE wines Mavrodaphni Patras , Moschatos Patras and Moschatos Rio Patras as well as the OPAP wine Patras . The German Gustav Clauss plays an important role in the development and marketing of the wine at Mavrodaphne. Clauss founded the Achaia Clauss winery, which is still known today .
The Korinthia regional district in the northeast of the Peloponnese is one of the country's most important red wine producers. Of the total of 6137 hectares, 2,123 hectares are attributable to the well-known designation of origin Nemea , where rich red wines are made based on Agiorgitiko. In return, the region is an important supplier of inexpensive bulk wines. Just outside the definition of the Nemea cultivation area is the village of Klimenti at an altitude of 750 meters. The local winemaker Giogios Gioulis campaigned for the creation of the country wine Klimentis, which produces white wines based on Chardonnay and red wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon.
In the agricultural Argolis , only high-altitude plots are used for viticulture, which can hardly be used otherwise. Of the total of 736 hectares, 165 are still in the Nemea wine-growing region. It is currently unable to match the important role in viticulture that the region with the towns of Mycenae , Palea Epidavros and Argos played.
Arcadia is located in the middle of the southern Greek peninsula and has only a relatively narrow access to the Peloponnesian east coast on the eastern slope of the Parnon Mountains . The country is criss-crossed by mountain ranges and the agriculturally usable areas are comparatively high. Since the balancing climate effect of the sea does not take effect here, especially in spring and autumn, the harvest in Arcadia takes place later than elsewhere in the Peloponnese. A total of 1555 hectares of vineyards are spread over the entire regional district. The most famous wine in Arcadia is Mantinia , which has the status of an OPAP. In this appellation north of the city of Tripoli along the European route 65 , aromatic white wines are produced based on the Moschofilero grape variety. Stylistically, the wines are somewhere between a Gewürztraminer and a Muscatel, but have a fresher character thanks to their stronger acidity. The Tegea country wine was introduced to market red wines based on the French model . The wine-growing area is located at an altitude of 700 to 750 meters near the eponymous municipality of Tegea .
Laconia is located between the Parnon and Taygetos mountains, high mountain ranges that usually exceed the thousand-meter limit and thus make the whole region difficult to pass. The mountain ranges end in two “fingers” of the Peloponnese peninsula, the Taygetos in the Mani peninsula . Between them are the Laconian Gulf and the fertile valley of the Evrotas River , which provides enough water to irrigate agricultural areas even in summer. In Laconia only 685 hectares of vineyards were officially raised. However, the area of privately used areas is likely to be much higher. In the Middle Ages, this was the cradle of the extremely popular Malvasia. A new beginning of commercial viticulture was only started in the 1990s and the two country wines Lakonia and Monemvasia were only set up in 2000. The number of local grape varieties is confusing, and all of the young winegrowers still have to work out the local character of the region's wines.
The heart of the Messenian landscape on the Messenian Gulf is the Pamisos river valley and its tributaries. The area that used to be called Stenyklaros is now the most densely populated part of Messenia. It is an extremely fertile landscape, where oranges , lemons , almonds , figs and olives are grown to this day. Much of the 2800 hectares of vineyards is concentrated in areas near the sea and around the area between Kalamata and Messini . For almost 10 years, the region has been making a name for itself as a high-quality producer of red wines, to whom the Trifilia and Messinia country wines are offered a marketing platform. The Dereskos and Tsoli wineries are the pioneers of this movement.
Although the regional district of Elis has over 3,232 hectares of planted vineyards (this is more than the vineyard area of the German wine-growing region Rheingau ), an independent viticulture has hardly developed so far. The winegrowers' cooperative von Elis, which was founded in 1921, has never made a name for itself and although it claims to have a total of 2000 hectares under contract, the volume of wine bottled is 600,000 bottles per year. In the past, the grapes often went to the neighboring Achaia to quench the insatiable thirst for bulk wines such as Demestica.
South Aegean
The South Aegean consists of the Dodecanese and Cyclades archipelagos , which each formed their own prefectures until 2010.
Cyclades
The islands of the Cyclades mostly consist of gneiss and mica slate , sometimes granite and volcanic rock. Because of their fertility, ancient times called them the "Pearls of Hellas" . Today many of the islands are without tree vegetation, arid, bare and burned. The heat of summer is reduced by the sea breezes ( Meltemi ).
The weather, which is ideal for a nice summer holiday, is not very conducive to viticulture. Only on the islands of Paros (main article Paros (wine) ) and Santorin (→ Santorin (wine) ) is wine grown on a large scale, so that the vineyards on the Cyclades total at least 4100 hectares. Both islands have cultivation areas with the rank of OPAP. The great heat and drought lead to a rigorous selection of grape varieties. Only varieties that can cope with drought stress can be grown . The strong wind can have a major impact on yields by destroying the flowers in spring. After a dry summer at the time of maturity, the plants on the underside of the leaves close the stomata to limit evaporation . However, this process hinders further ripening of the grapes.
In addition to the islands of Paros and Santorin already mentioned, there are also vineyards on the islands of Tinos , Mykonos , Naxos and Syros . Due to the barren soil with an extremely low proportion of clay, phylloxera never gained a foothold in the Cyclades. The average age of the vines is therefore among the highest in Greece.
Dodecanese
The name Dodecanese is derived from the Greek words for "twelve islands" after the dozen main islands. Today around 25 of the islands are inhabited. Geographically, most of the 160 or so Dodecanese islands belong to the southern Sporades archipelago . Almost 80 percent of all wine in the Dodecanese is made on Rhodes. Viticulture is also well structured on Kos. Both islands are the only ones that also export their wines abroad. Smaller areas are cultivated on the islands of Patmos , Nisyros , Tilos , Astypalea , Kasos , Symi and Karpathos, while on Kalymnos , Lipsi and Leros production is practically only for domestic consumption.
Rhodes ( modern Greek Ρόδος ( f. Sg. ), Ródos ; ancient Greek Ῥόδος Rhódos ) is the main island of the archipelago. Rhodes is very mountainous, especially in the interior of the island. The highest peaks are the Attavyros with 1215 meters and the Akramitis with 825 meters. The mountains that reach to the coast usually drop steeply to the sea. The southern and northern parts of the island are much flatter. Hardly any rain is expected from mid-May to mid-September. Sufficient water supply is ensured all year round thanks to the limestone mountains . With a total of 1143 hectares of vineyards, the main island is also the most important wine producer in the Dodecanese. Although it is as warm as on Paros or Santorini, the wind on Rhodes is less prevalent. There are three designations of origin of the highest quality level. The dry OPAP red wine Rhodes is made from a single variety from Mandilaria, the dry white wine from the Athiri. The sweet OPE dessert wine Moschatos Rhodou (Muscat of Rhodes, Muscat of Rodos) is produced from the Muscat Blanc variety. Around 90% of the grapes are vinified by the large Cair wine cooperative . Emery Wines is another major producer with 70 hectares.
North Aegean
The North Aegean region has around 210,000 inhabitants and includes islands that, geographically, belong to the North Aegean and East Aegean Islands and the Southern Sporades. The capital is Mytilene on Lesbos. The region is divided into the regional districts of Lesbos , Limnos , Chios Ikaria and Samos .
The island of Samos is the most important growing area in the northern Aegean. Of the total of 2800 hectares, over 1500 hectares are on this island. With the wine called Samos , the island has a designation of origin in the range of an OPE. The dessert wines are made on the basis of Muscat blanc .
Almost 100 percent of the harvested grapes are processed by the superordinate Samos UWC wine cooperative, which is therefore able to provide sufficient quantities of wine for export. The Samos UWC itself uses the services of 25 cooperatives.
The second most important growing area in the region is the island of Limnos . The dry white wines based on the Muscat d'Alexandrie grape variety may be marketed under the Limnos designation of origin . Limnos is one of the 25 OPAP wines in Greece. The dessert wines that are made with the same grape variety may be marketed under the appellation Moschatos Lemnou (Μοσχάτος Λήμνου or Muscat of Limnos) with the rank of OPE.
Viticulture on Lesbos has declined sharply. The red wines of the island were well known from ancient times to the 15th century. Today there is a maximum of 80 hectares dedicated to viticulture. The main source of income on the island of Lesbos is the cultivation of olives. The third largest island in Greece is known for the spirit ouzo . Almost 50 companies have specialized in the production and trading of this drink.
In addition to olive oil, Chios is best known for its mastic production, especially in the southern Mastichochoria district . The evergreen mastic trees that secrete the natural resin grow in the vicinity of the municipalities of Pyrgi, Mestá and Olympia . The formerly known viticulture is currently limited to about 10 hectares.
At the end of the 19th century, the area under vines on Ikaria was almost ten times larger than it is today. Mainly the grape varieties Mandilaria, Athiri, Assrtiko, Agianniotiko, Fokiano, Kotsifali and Ritino are grown on almost 100 hectares. There are currently three self-marketing winemakers based in the municipality of Evdilos .
Crete
Crete is the largest Greek island and the second largest in the Eastern Mediterranean after Cyprus . The island has an elongated shape, it measures over 260 kilometers in an east-west direction with a maximum width of 60 kilometers. At its narrowest point at Ierapetra , Crete is 12 kilometers wide. Crete is very mountainous and is determined by a mountain range extending from west to east, which is mostly steeper towards the south coast and flatter towards the north. The summer is hot and dry, with very high temperatures being measured especially on the south coast. The winter is rainy and mild, the high altitudes of the mountain ranges are snowy. Crete is characterized by several climate zones . The range extends from dry and hot to humid alpine zones.
The main industry of Crete is tourism. Agriculturally, the island is mainly used for wine, olive and fruit growing . A large part of Cretan viticulture is used to produce raisins . The few plains of Crete in the southeast, the Lasithi plateau and the Messara plain are characterized by numerous greenhouse cultures in which vegetables and salads are grown both for personal use and for export .
Crete has four OPAP-ranked wines, three of which are located in the Heraklion Region . The condition of the Cretan viticulture was in a desolate state for several decades of the 20th century. Despite a large number of after-work winegrowers, there were only a few commercial wineries. A large proportion of the vineyards were used to produce the raw material for the very popular Tsikoudia . It was not until 1972 that the island's first plantings fell victim to phylloxera. The invasion of the pest destroyed an abundance of old vineyards. Since the plants of the autochthonous red grape varieties Mandilaria , Liatiko , Romeiko and Kotsifali only deliver high quality grapes after 20–30 years, the OPAP regions around Archanes and Peza in the former municipality of Nikos Kazantzakis were particularly hard hit. In addition to these red varieties, Vilana is an important white autochthonous grape variety. The international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Chardonnay, Semillon and Viognier were later planted. The experiments with the Silvaner are considered a curiosity . The taste-neutral variety is supposed to give the blends the necessary acid structure.
For a long time, viticulture in Crete was dominated by a total of six wine cooperatives. The winemakers were encouraged to produce extremely high yields due to a lack of quality policy. Harvests of 420 hl / ha and more did not seem to be uncommon. This put the yields seven times above the limit for acceptable quality cultivation. Since the 1990s, the quality concept has gradually gained acceptance.
The Chania regional district in the west of the island has the coolest climate on the island. So far, the vines have been grown in the fertile soils of low-lying areas. In these circumstances the returns are bound to be too high. The grape variety list is dominated by the Romeiko grape variety. The range is complemented by the varieties Fokiano and Tsardana. So far, Romeiko's quality potential has not been explored. Since the winemaker Ted Manoussalis from the winery of the same name acquired a vineyard with over 60-year-old Romeiko vines a few years ago, the winemakers in the region have been hoping for impulses for the correct expansion of the products.
The regional district of Rethymno is bounded in the west by the White Mountains ( Lefka Ori ) and in the east by the Ida Mountains with the Psiloriti. From a climatic point of view, the year-round temperature distribution is similar to that of Heraklion. Rethymno is noticeably warmer than neighboring Chania. The high mountains ensure an adequate water supply throughout the year. Although there are still plenty of vineyards preserved, there are still no self-marketing winemakers. The grapes are brought to the neighboring regional districts and are used in table wines or supraregional country wines of Crete.
Heraklion is bordered by the White Mountains and the Dikti Mountains . The Greek legislation has given this regional district three OPAP wines. The Archanes , Peza and Dafnes wine regions are all south of Heraklion . The red Archanes is always made dry on the basis of the Kotsifali and Mandilaria grape varieties. The aromatic red wines from Dafnes can be offered dry or sweet and are single-origin products from the Liatiko grape. In Dafnes, the Idaia winery is best known. The wines of the winery are offered in Germany and are also popular in non-Greek restaurants and retailers. His wines are of a very good international standard and have received appropriate awards. Like Archanes, Peza's dry red wines are made from Kotsifali and Mandilaria. The dry white wines of the region are made from the must from Vilana. The most significant investment was made by the Michalakis winery in the Metaxohori village of the Nikos Kazantzakis municipality.
The regional district Lasithi in the east of the island is both the driest and warmest region of Crete. With an official vineyard area of 953 hectares (as of 2001), the regional district has just under 10 percent of the planted area of Crete, but 689 hectares of which are in the definition area of the OPAP wine Sitia . At least 70 percent of the dry white wines from the Sitia area are made from the Vilana grape variety. The rest comes from the Thrapsathiri variety. At least 80–100 percent of the red wines come from real roots and very old Liatikoreb plantations. The blend can be supplemented by the deep dark mandilaria. These wines are offered in dry and sweet flavors. Fortified red wines are also permitted under the law. The largest supplier in Lasithi is the Sitia Union of Agriculture Cooperatives (UAC for short), which operates a total of 43 branches and is supplied by almost 9,000 members. The UAC also supports the Toplou Monastery in the expansion of the monastery’s own wines. The most important supplier in terms of quality is the Economou Winery near Xiros.
Grape varieties
Virgil has already reported on the confusing large number of Greek grape varieties . In his work Georgica it says:
“But how rich in species they are, and in names how many times, If the number is missing, and not yes, to put them in number, it is rewarding. Whoever desires to count them desires to investigate the Libyan ebb sand flow, how much is rolled in the vest; "
It was a long time coming before the local grape varieties were scientifically processed. Although the Athens Wine Institute was founded in 1937, it did not start operating until almost 15 years later. In its early days, the institute first devoted itself to issues of distillation and wine legislation. An inventory of the grape varieties only moved into the focus of oenologists in the 1980s. Although this work is not yet complete, the earlier estimate of at least 300 to 350 autochthonous grape varieties seems to be clearly exaggerated. The oenologist Haroula Spinthiropoulou published a directory with a total of 199 varieties at the end of the 1990s, which are often only grown regionally. The difference between earlier information and the current assessment of the situation is based on a better understanding of the cultivation areas, which are often very difficult to reach. Many other names have often turned out to be synonyms of already known varieties or previously independent grape varieties presented themselves as clones of other varieties.
In the 1960s, with the Katogi-Averof from Cabernet Sauvignon and Agiorgitiko vines, a cuvée from domestic and imported vines succeeded for the first time .
Red grape varieties
Agiorgitiko (2319 hectares, as of 1999) is considered one of the finest red grape varieties in Greece. It is mainly grown in the Nemea region in the Peloponnese. Agiorgitiko was named after the former name of the city of Nemea , Agios Georgis.
Cabernet Franc (39 hectares, as of 1999) is a variety from the southwest of France. Unlike the other two varieties of Bordelais , Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it is only grown to a much lesser extent in Greece in the Peloponnese, Attica, Boeotia, Epirus and Macedonia. It is certainly used in the most prominent place in the OPAP wine Côtes de Meliton . In addition to a classic blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, the variety is also used on the side of the local Limnio . In the warm climate of Greece, the grapes ripen in the second half of August and can therefore reliably reach full maturity. The disease-prone variety quickly suffers from drought stress and is therefore preferred in higher-lying and more humid areas.
In the early 1960s Evangelos Averoff planted the first plantings of the internationally known Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety (687 hectares, as of 1999) in Metsovo . Almost 15 years later, Dimitris Hatzimichalis presented Greece's first single- variety Cabernet Sauvignon wine that was recognized internationally . The variety is now a legal component of almost half of all defined designations of origin and is grown by more than 140 winemakers.
Cinsault (108 hectares, as of 1999) originally comes from the Languedoc in southern France. Already used shortly before the Second World War, mainly in Thrace and Macedonia, the variety never caught on in Greece. Today it is found in the southern areas of Greece; it is mostly used there in a blend with other grape varieties such as Grenache.
Kotsifali (1148 hectares, as of 1999) is a Greek variety that can be found mainly on Crete. The berries ripen in late August or early September and make wines with high alcohol and low acidity . The color of the red wines is only medium-deep red due to the thin berry skin. Usually, Kotsifali is blended with the Mandilaria variety. Mandilaria gives the wine more color, tannins and acidity.
Liatiko (2546 hectares, as of 1999) was wrongly associated with the Italian grape variety Aleatico . The vigorous and high-yielding variety is processed into both sweet and dry red wines in Crete. It ripens there by the end of August at the latest and is known in three variants. Psilorogo Liatiko has smaller berries than usual, Araiorago Liatiko has more loose berries and the leaves and berries of the Kotsifoliatio variant are lighter in color . The best sweet and dry wines based on Liatiko are the OPAP wines from Dafnes and Sitia.
Limnio (122 hectares, as of 1999) is one of the oldest grape varieties in Greece. It was probably mentioned by Hesiod (approx. 700 BC) and Aristotle (384–322 BC) as "Lemnia" or "Limnia". On the island of Limnos was in the 2nd century BC. A grape variety Limnia stafili mentioned. However, it is not known whether there is a connection to the Limnio variety. Today the variety is cultivated in Macedonia, Thrace and Limnos. However, it has not been able to achieve its previous popularity. Only Domaine Carras was able to demonstrate the potential of the variety in single-variety expansion in the mid-1990s.
Mandilaria (845 hectares, as of 1999) is one of the most popular among the deep dark varieties in Greece. Even the very dark wine of the Cabernet Sauvignon variety can still gain color with a 10 percent addition of mandilaria. In the wine of Paros , a 20 percent share of mandilaria together with the white variety Monemvasia is sufficient to produce a red wine! However, the grape variety lacks acidity and alcohol. With the exception of the red wine with the designation of origin Rhodes, it is therefore rarely made single-variety. In Crete, it gives more color to the wines of Kotsifali, as can be seen in the wines of Archanes and Peza .
Mavrodaphne (537 hectares, as of 1999) is a red variety that belongs to the Muscat family. Mavrodaphne von Patras is a red, lightly fortified Greek sweet wine, which is mainly made in the Patras area from grapes from the vine of the same name. In addition to the white Samos from the island of the same name, Mavrodaphne is the most famous Greek sweet wine and is one of the real classics of Greece. The earlier success of the wine is particularly linked to the Achaia Clauss winery . In the meantime, more and more excellent dry wines are produced from the grape, which have their own character and great potential.
Merlot (183 hectares, as of 1999) is, like Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, a red grape variety from the French region of Aquitaine. It was introduced to Greece in the early 1960s by pioneers Yannis Carras, Dimitris Kataros and Evangelos Averoff. However, Dimitris Hatzimichalis only showed the full potential of the grape variety when he presented a single-variety wine of international class in the early 1990s. It is now grown in 23 former prefectures in the regions of Epirus, Thessaly, Macedonia, the Peloponnese and central Greece. In Greece, the grapes usually ripen in late August.
The red grape variety Negoska (96 hectares, as of 1999) is cultivated in almost all regional districts in the Macedonia region. Presumably the variety comes from the Naoussa area, whose Slavic name is Negush. The grape variety, which sprouts particularly late, results in fruity, but low-acid wines with well-incorporated tannins and a deep dark color. The red Negoska is often combined with the more acidic grape variety Xinomavro , a combination that is prescribed in the Goumenissa Designation of Origin.
The Vertzami (491 hectares, as of 1999) is to a certain extent the Mandilaria vine of western Greece. In the western Peloponnese, western central Greece and the Ionian Islands, Vertzami brings the dark color to the blends. With its fruitiness, well-incorporated tannins, high alcohol content and moderate acidity, single-variety Vertzami wines are more interesting than single-variety Mandilaria. The high-yielding variety does not ripen in warm locations until mid-September, so it no longer reaches full maturity in higher altitudes or cooler growing areas in Greece. The synonym Lefkaditiko feeds assumptions that the variety is at home in Lefkada .
The capricious Xinomavro variety (1818 hectares, as of 1999) is difficult to grow. The plant quickly suffers from drought stress and is susceptible to the classic fungal diseases of powdery mildew , downy mildew of the grapevine and gray mold rot . If there is a lack of potassium , the acid values can be extremely high. Because of the problem with drought stress, the variety is mostly grown in the wetter and cooler north. Xinomavro is an important component of the OPAP wines Amyndeo, Naoussa and Goumenissa.
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White grape varieties
Aidani Aspro probably comes from Asia Minor and is now widespread on the Cycladic islands of Santorin , Paros and Naxos . The variety is well adapted to the hot and dry climate of this region. The variety is hardly available in a single variety. It is often used in blends with the Assyrtiko variety.
Assyrtiko (1106 hectares, as of 1999) is one of the high-quality grape varieties in Greece. Even when ripe, Assyrtiko retains refreshingly high acid values of up to 6.5 g / l ( measured in tartaric acid ). The wines are only slightly fruity, never too sweet and minerally clear; a fact that is astonishing under the climatic conditions of the Cyclades. The variety shows its full potential on the island of Santorini, but is also part of the OPAP wine Côtes de Meliton in Chalkidiki. There the wines from Assyrtiko are less mineral, but more fruity. In a mix with Aidani Aspro and Athiri, the dessert wine Vinsanto , which should not be confused with the Italian Vin Santo , is made from sun-dried, partially rosinated berries on Santorini .
Athiri (1273 hectares, as of 1999) is possibly one of the oldest Greek grape varieties. The name of the grape recalls its origin on the island of Santorini, which is also called Thira . It is recommended to cultivate it in Crete, the Peloponnese, the Dodecanese and the Cyclades, and it is also approved on the island of Evia. A highly regarded sparkling wine is made from this variety on Rhodes. In addition to its qualities as a wine grape, it is also valued locally as a table grape because it has a sweet juice. However, the berry peel is too thin to transport the berries without damage. Athiri ripens in late August or early September. The wine has a fruity aroma and a full taste with medium alcohol and low acidity. The blend with Assyrtiko gives the wine more structure. With the Athiri variety, Greek researchers found the only link to the family of Malvasia grapes to date.
The Chardonnay grape variety (36.1 hectares, as of 1999) enjoys worldwide popularity due to its quality and has been cultivated in large parts of Greece since the 1980s. It is adaptable and produces attractive wines in many growing areas. The grapes ripen in Greece in the last ten days of August. The variety quickly suffers from drought stress and is therefore mainly grown in the cooler north. In some locations, the Chardonnay can be at risk of late frost, as it sprouts as early as mid-March.
Malagousia (22.8 hectares, as of 1999) probably comes from the region around Nafpaktos on the Gulf of Corinth . After its rediscovery, it can mainly be found in Macedonia, but is also grown in Attica and the Peloponnese. Wines with full body, medium acidity and aromas that are reminiscent of exotic fruits, citrus, jasmine and mint can be made from the aromatic grape variety.
The color of the white grape variety Moschofilero (293 hectares, status 1999) is similar to that of the Pinot Gris between white and red. It is mainly grown in the Peloponnese and ripens in late September or early October. Due to the high must weight, the good acidity and the aromatic accents, there was a boom in this variety in the early 1990s, which can be marketed in a certain way as Greek Chardonnay or Greek Gewürztraminer. A DNA analysis showed, however, that Moschofilero is neither related to the latter grape nor to the muscatel . The name Moscho suggests its strong scent that attracts insects. The fragrant and spicy OPAP white wine Mantinia is made from Moschofilero . It is also used for sparkling wines according to the Charmat method , rosé wines, blends (with Savatiano and Roditis) and locally as a table grape .
Roditis (7243 hectares, as of 1999) is the second most widely grown grape variety in Greece after Savatiano. Their name indicates their slightly reddish color. Dry, aging white wines with a fruity aroma, average to high alcohol content and a fresh bouquet are produced on suitable soils. Acid wines are obtained from Roditis. As with retsina, it is often blended with the Savatiano variety.
Savatiano (12,747 hectares, as of 1999) dominates the regions of Central Greece and Attica and is an important part of the Retsina. It shows good resistance to drought stress. Savatiano is usually processed into less expressive wines, but with low yields and good maturation it can produce white wines with a balanced taste. Ideally, the wine shows fruit aromas such as lemon, kiwi, peach, strawberry, banana or sugar melon.
Vilana (566 hectares, as of 1999) is grown on Crete in the regional districts of Heraklion, Lasithi, Rethymno and Chania. Vilana ripens in the island's warm climate from mid-September. If Vilana is grown correctly, well-structured wines with a medium to high alcohol content and a medium-strong aroma are obtained due to the acidity. The grape tends to oxidize quickly and must be handled with care during harvest until it is pressed. Vilana finds its way into the dry white wines of Peza and Sitia.
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literature
- Armin Faber, Thomas Pothmann (photographer), Uta Büxel (editor): Wine . Ed .: André Dominé . Könemann, Cologne 2000, ISBN 3-8290-2765-6 .
- Gerd Hagenow: From the ancient vineyard. Wine in poetry, customs and everyday life (= cultural history of the ancient world . Volume 12 ). von Zabern, Mainz 1982, ISBN 3-8053-0589-3 .
- Rudolf Knoll : Greek Wine . Meininger, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse 1985, ISBN 3-87524-057-X .
- Konstantinos Lazarakis: The Wines of Greece (= Mitchell Beazley Classic Wine Library ). Mitchell Beazley, London 2005, ISBN 1-84000-897-0 (English).
- Friedrich Carl Ott : Tatoi and his wines. A spring day in Attica . Wuerzburg 1912.
- Jancis Robinson (Ed.): The Oxford Wine Lexicon . 3rd completely revised edition. Hallwag, Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-8338-0691-9 .
Web links
- Greece - growing areas
- Greek wine (information portal)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Situation of the global viticulture sector in 2005 (PDF) ( Memento of July 11, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), editor OIV , p. 36.
- ^ Situation of the global viticulture sector in 2005 (PDF) ( Memento of July 11, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), editor OIV, p. 37.
- ↑ Konstantinos Lazarakis: The Wines of Greece. P. 6.
- ↑ Situation of the global viticulture sector in 2005 (PDF) ( Memento of July 11, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), editor OIV, p. 11. Before Greece were the countries Italy , France , Spain , Italy , USA , Argentina , Australia , China , Germany , South Africa , Chile , Portugal and Russia.
- ↑ Ancient Wine Making In Neolithic Greece , in Archeology News Report on March 20, 2007 by Tania Valamoti
- ↑ Wolfgang Schiering : The Greek clay vessels. Shape, purpose and change of form. 2nd Edition. Mann (Gebr.-Mann-Studio-Reihe), Berlin 1983, ISBN 3-7861-1325-4 , p. 148f.
- ↑ Excerpt from the didactic poem Works and Days , verses 570 to 589
- ↑ Excerpt from the didactic poem Works and Days , verses 609 to 617
- ↑ Iliad, Canto 9 , verses 70–72
- ↑ The Chablis , whose name was used worldwide for the marketing of dry white wines, experienced a similar fate in the 20th century .
- ↑ General on Venice's commercial privileges in Byzantium: Julian Chrysostomides: Venetian commercial privileges under the Palaeologi. In: Studi Veneziani . 12 (1970) pp. 267-356.
- ↑ wein-edition.com
- ^ Helmut Kalinke: The German Wine and Beverage Market in Numbers , Volume 1, p. 1005.
- ↑ Greece in Google Book by Paul Hellander, Kate Armstrong, Michael Clark and Des Hannigan
- ↑ Der Fischer Weltalmanach 2008: Numbers, data, facts. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2007, ISBN 978-3-596-72008-8 , p. 198.
- ^ German Pharmacists Association: Archives of Pharmacy . 1849, p. 169. Available at: Digitized at Google Books
- ↑ Peter Bucher: The European wine law. on Google Books, BoD, ISBN 978-3-8334-0353-8 , p. 143ff.
- ^ Karl Kapeller: The Austrian DAC appellation system in international comparison. Analysis of the opportunities and dangers using the Weinviertel DAC as an example. (PDF; 321 kB) Diploma thesis. Rust 2004, pp. 50-52.
- ^ Official Journal of the European Communities . (PDF) (PDF) p. 46.
- ↑ Eurostat News release. (PDF) Purchasing power standard within the European Union based on selected regions.
- ↑ Odyssey 9.40 ff., Odyssey 9, p. 196 ff.
- ↑ Konstantinos Lazarakis: The Wines of Greece. P. 105.
- ↑ Konstantinos Lazarakis: The Wines of Greece. P. 238.
- ↑ Friedrich Justin Bertuch: General geographical ephemeris. P. 55. via Google Books
- ↑ European annals. JG Cotta 1801, p. 221 via Google Books
- ↑ Konstantinos Lazarakis: The Wines of Greece. P. 443.
- ^ Virgil : Georgica, 2nd song in the Gutenberg-DE project
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Vitis International Variety Catalog ( Memento of the original from December 19, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Konstantinos Lazarakis: The Wines of Greece. P. 76.
- ^ Jancis Robinson: Greek grape varieties in Italy not Greek?
- ↑ Konstantinos Lazarakis: The Wines of Greece. P. 62.
- ↑ winegeeks.com Information about Roditis on the Winegeeks page
