Greek Wines: geography, grapes and wineries

Most of us associate Greece with summer, sun and spending relaxing moments by the sea and when it comes to wine with Retsina. But there is so much more to Greek wine than this strange tasting, yellow liquid!

The modern face of Greek wine includes everything from fresh, citrus-scented whites and sparkling rosés to lusciously sweet reds. It combines the traditional with the modern. Native Greek grape varieties such as Assyrtico, Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro are found alongside famous international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and give us great, age worthy wines.

When it comes to wine it is all about geography. The climate, the topography of every region, its position on the earth, all greatly affect the wines produced there. Greece has a much more diverse climate than most people realise. The country has everything from arid Mediterranean islands like Santorini, to wet, mountainous pine forests that receive snowfall in the winter.

Santorini: Extreme terroir – unique wines

Santorini is an island in the Aegean archipelago. It is all that remains of an ancient volcano whose eruption, thousands of years ago, shaped the island’s cliffs and lagoon and is said to have brought an abrupt end to the Minoan civilisation.

It is one of the oldest continuously farmed vineyards of the world.  Phylloxera, a microscopic louse that lives underground feeding on vine’s roots and is responsible for destroying 70% of Europes’ vineyards in the 1900’s does not like the dry, sandy soils of Santorini’s vineyards and was never present there. These vineyards are planted with ancient vines of indigenous varieties. Nobody really knows their exact age which can easily be as high as 200 years old or even older giving very low yields of high quality grapes with naturally high levels of sugars and acidity. 

.Growing conditions on the island are extreme. Very strong winds and lack of rain are testing the vines every year.  Over the years vignerons have learned to space their vines wide apart and train them into a spiral, almost basket like form called ‘kouloura’. 

 The majority of Santorini’s vineyards are farmed without irrigation and planted with Assyrtiko, an indigenous white grape variety that is the first to have been planted in other wine regions outside Greece.

Assyrtiko has the ability to reflect the terroir in which it is grown. In the arid, volcanic soils of Santorini it shows a distinctive salty, mineral character whereas wines from mainland Greece are fruitier while those coming from other island terroirs like Crete, Tinos, Patmos and Paros have both fruit and minelity.

If you see the word Nykteri printed on the label it means that the wine is made from overripe Assyrtiko grapes that were harvested at night and immediately pressed. Nykteri wines are richer with more exotic fruit flavours and have undergone some oak maturation.

Assyrtiko’s mouth-watering acidity and minerality will pair beautifully with raw shellfish and lemony-sharp fish carpaccio dishes. For fried fish or any food that would require a squeeze of lemon Assyrtiko’s fantastic acidity will balance the fat. Creamy dishes based on white meat, such as chicken or pork, will also work. 

Nemea: Captivatic reds

Nemea is one of Greece’s most important red wine appellations located in the north-eastern corner of the Peloponnese peninsula. The appellation surrounds the village of Nemea and is geographically the largest in Greece. Around 40 wineries are located within its boundaries.

Vine growing and winemaking in the area dates back to the 5th century B.C and is part of Greek mythology. It’s terroir is a mosaic of vineyards that vary in exposure to the sun, altitude and soil. This diversity is expressed in wines which come in a wide variety of styles and qualities. Nemea’s climate is warm Mediterranean with many hours of sunshine during the growing season. The best examples of Nemea wines are made from vineyards at the highest altitudes, where the soils are thin, gravelly and lower temperatures help to produce high-quality grapes.

Wines with Nemea PDO on the label are made from 100% Agiorgitiko grapes grown within the geographic boundaries of Nemea.

 Agiorgitiko is the most widely planted red Greek grape variety. It is not only planted in Nemea but also across mainland Greece. As a variety, Agiorgitiko is very charming and joyful and offers wines with lovely fruit aromas of strawberries and cherries. Fruit, acidity, tannins and alcohol are all in full harmony.

Amyntaio: High altitudes, formidable wines

Amyntaio is located in north-western Macedonia. Vineyards are planted in high altitude (700m above sea level) surrounding the town of Amyntaio.

The climate in the region is continental, with temperate summers and cold, rainy winters. Warm sunshine during the day is followed by colder nights that shut down the production of sugar in the grapes, preserving acidity in the resulting wines. Amyntaio PDO wines are solely made from Xinomavro grapes but range in styles from light, fruity reds to dry rosés that can be both still and sparkling.

Xinomavro’s name is a conjecture of two greek words: Xino that means sour and Mavro that means black. It is described as “finicky” and demanding and it is often compared with Nebbiolo, the grape from which the famous Piedmontese wines of Barolo and Barbaresco are made.

Xinomavro wines are usually released on the market when they are at least two years of age, having spent a significant proportion of that time in oak and in bottled ageing. The bottle aging potential of these wines is long and nothing less than remarkable.

About the author:
Maria was born in Greece but spent most of her life living abroad. She studied Political Science and Media and Communication at the London School of Economics and worked alongside the Greek Minister of Finance for 3 years. However, it was wine that captured her heart and became her passion. She is passionate about making wine accessible to everyone and loves teaching about it through fun yet informative seminars. She holds the WSET Level 3 certification and will be starting the WSET Diploma soon. In April 2019, she founded the Geneva Wine Society. She organises wine tastings and wine events in Geneva as well as online. Maria has lived and worked in various countries over the past 20 years and is a proud mom of a very active 3 year old boy.
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• Agiorgititko
• Amyntaio
• Greek wines
• Koouloura
• Nemea
• Nykteri
• Retsina
• Santorini
• wines