Wines Of Greece 2022 Extended

Greece has been producing wine uninterruptedly for at least 5,000 years, making its Venus history one of the longest in the world of wine. Wine for Greeks has been a most important part of everyday life for millennia. It wasn't just a drink. It was a conveyor of culture, history, art. Many people consider Greece a land of never-ending summer, a beautiful place to go on holiday, but not the best setting for quality wine production. This image is seriously flawed. Greece is at the same time one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, as well as having one of the longest coastlines in the world. So the 33 Protected Designations of Origins, or PDOs, and more than 120 Protected Geographical Indications, or PGIs, only scratch the surface. To effectively deal with the ongoing competition with wines from New World countries, whose dominant element of communication with the consumer is the indication of the variety, a new subcategory of wines, the varietal wines, was created. Starting from the north, Thrace, Macedonia, and Epirus, as the border runs from east to west, have some of the coldest regions of the country, but many of the most well-known as well. But if there is a king of grapes in northern Greece, this is the black Xenomavro. Xenomavro has four PDOs dedicated to it. Naoussa has been the first PDO to make Xenomavro famous. The flavors go beyond the usual jam and vanilla spectrum expected by a number of wine drinkers, verging on notes of sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and fried herbs. The red wines produced here are expressive and structured, while their aging potential can be matched by few others. Aminteo is quite close to Naoussa, located on the opposing side of the Vermio mountain. The climate of Aminteo is radically cooler than the one of Naoussa. The wines show this difference, being more elegant. Of course, many other varieties are grown here, like Syrah and Merlot, frequently blended with Xenomavro. Towards the eastern part of Macedonia, Kavala and Drama are not decorated with any PDOs, but the PGI wines produced are enjoying huge commercial success for the past four decades. Actually, from a stylistic viewpoint, the wines from the two areas, especially from Drama, changed the perception of many consumers of what a modern Greek wine can be. Central Greece has been another traditional bastion of viticulture. Especially the area around Athens' Attica is still the most important in terms of volume of vineyard land in the whole of Greece. The climate of certain parts of Attica is the hottest and driest in the country, but no one could tell by tasting the wines. The main reason is Savatiano, the local white grape variety. Moving further north, Phthiotida and the island of Evia are areas that have been making waves in the world of Greek wine. Once again, their initial successes were based on international grape varieties, but recent vintages witnessed the renaissance of a number of local grapes. The southernmost part of mainland Greece is Peloponnese, a place with some of the longest histories in the world. The most important PDOs are located in Nemea, Mandinia, Achaia, and around the medieval town of Monemvasia. Nemea is the most important red wine PDO of Greece, and it has been so until well back in antiquity. The red wines of Nemea, the blood of the lions of Hercules, are made from Aioriitikon, an extremely multifaceted grape variety. Its versatility, coupled with the intense topography of Nemea, creates an incredible range of wines. The wines of Nemea can be the most instantly appealing red wine ambassadors of Greece. The white wines of Mandinia can be considered the most instantly appealing white wine counterpart to Nemea Reds. One could drive from one place to the other in 30 minutes, but the climate is very different. The grape is Moschofilero, a pink-skinned variety that produces exceptional wines, mainly still white wines, but also rosés and sparkling whites. Moschofilero wines have an intense floral nose and a light-bodied palate, coupled with crisp acidity. Towards the north of Peloponnese, Achaia boasts four different PDOs. Three of them are dedicated to sweet wines. Muscat of Patras and Muscat of Riopatras are white, sweet wines that can be fortified, showing all the vivacity of wines made from this famous grape variety. Mavrovafni of Patras is a PDO dedicated to sweet, fortified reds made from the eponymous grape variety. Finally, the pink-skinned variety of Rovitis is the grape behind the PDO Patras. The last two decades have witnessed a significant expansion on Greek wines produced around the Greek islands. There are better and better wines made in a constantly enlarging gamut of islands. Some classics are now making the best wines of their long history, while other islands enter the Greek wine map with impressive credentials. The Ionian island of Kefalonia is the source of a stunning range of Robola dry wines. Rhodos redefines its image as a top sparkling wine region. Paros captures the essence of Aegean whites and reds from Monemfasia and Mandirlaria, while Samos and Limnos are pushing the quality and image of sweet wines from Muscat. Kos is one of those islands that are now crafting a new image. Tinos is another Aegean sea island already established at the top of the quality ladder. Just a look at the vineyards of Tinos is enough to convince everyone else about the uniqueness of the wines. Crete is the largest island of Greece and one of the largest in the Mediterranean Sea. The range of wines made on the island justify the size, but also convince with their personality and stature. Arguably, Santorini is the most famous PDO of Greece. While its main variety, the Assyrtiko, is slowly becoming not just a national, but an international grape grown in several regions and countries. Vines are trained in the form of a basket in order to protect the grapes from the blistering sun and fierce gusts of wind. In this form and in this environment, vines produce tiny yields of concentrated grapes. The grapes are, in turn, used to make white wines of impressive pedigree, full of extract, acidity, minerality, and the ability to age for years. When sun-dried, the character of Assyrtiko grapes is transformed into sweet Vinsanto. Santorini PDO wines are rare, expensive, but a must-try for every serious wine professional or wine lover. Yet Santorini, with its current preeminence around the wine world, is just the start for Greek wines.