Introduction to Greek Wines Map of wine growing regions of Greece
History of Greek Wine Wine tourism in Greece Where to buy Greek wine online The Wine road
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Making and drinking wine ( krasi in Greek ) are an important part of Greek culture .The country's mild, dry climate and chalky soil are favorable to growing wine . greece is the ninth largest producer of wines in Europe and fourteenth worldwide and has over 300 indigenous varieties of wine .The most famous of the greek wines are :
Retsina (Ρετσίνα in Greek), wine that has been flavored with the resin of pine trees. Goes well with Greek food and is a good aperitif . considered by some to be an acquired taste .Adding resin to wine is a process that dates back to antiquity when resin was used to make the amphorae impermeable and preserve the wine .retina should be drunk young and cool . the best restinas come from the Attica region .
Tsipuro a wine produced from the grape skins left over from winemaking to ferment a highly potent spirit. Also known as raki and tsikouda in Crete .
Ouzo, also made from distilled grapes, but has many flavorings such as mint, fennel and aniseed. The proper way to drink ouzo is to add water, which will turn real ouzo milky white . In greece, ouzo is usually drunk as an aperitif and then wine is drunk with the main meal .
Mastiha, a clear liqueur from the mastic gum .
Brandy, the most famous brand is Metaxa, which tends to be sweet . Many Greeks flavor it with various fruits and let it stand out in the sun for 40 days or more .
Naoussa wines from Macedonia is a renowned fine red wines .The xynomavro grape produces the dry, robust reds for which Naoussa is famous .
Muscat of Patras, a rich desert wine from the Peloponnese .
Mavrodaphne, a black red wine, not unlike sherry .
Visanto wine from Santorini island, made the ancient way by letting the grapes ripen in the sun .
The aromatic white grape of Greek origins in the Peloponnese where it is used to make a dry and bold wine with lots of spice and perfume.
A system of appellations of origin was implemented by the Greek Government to assure consumers the origins of their wine purchases . The appellation system categorizes wines as: appellations of origin of superior quality and controlled appellations of origin .
According to Greek law, all red appellations have to be aged in barrels for at least one year, cava reds must be aged a minimum of one year in barrels, one year in tanks and one year in the bottle .Grande reserves must be aged 2 years in a bottle .
Greece is home to more than 300 native grape varieties, most of which aren't found outside of Greece .
Map of wine growing regions of Greece
Macedonia and Thrace Epirus Thessaly Naoussa Zitsa Rapsani Amindaion Goumenissa Anchialos Goumenissa
The Peloponnisos Attica Cyclades Patras Kantza Paros Nemea Santorini Mandinia
Eastern Aegean Islands The Dodecanese Limnos Rhodes
Macedonia and Thrace
Macedonia and Thrace have been known for their wines since antiquity . there are four appellations in Macedonia : Naoussa, Amindaion , Goumenissa and Cotes de Meliton .The Naoussa vineyards on the slopes of Mount Vermio are some of the most beautiful in Greece, famous for its red wines . Amindaion produes light reds and roses . Goumenissa produes dry, red wines .
Epirus
Zeus temple in Dodona Zitsa, near the Albanian border produces white and sparkling wines .
Thessaly
The most famous vineyards in Thessaly are in Rapsani, on the slopes of Mount Olympus and produes red wines from the xynomavro, stavroto and krasato grapes .
The Peloponnisos The Peloponnisos is the largest wine growing region in greece . Patras, where Lord Byron died, is famous for the Muscat of Patras and the sweet red Mavrodaphne . Nemea's vineyard is famous for its ' Blood of Hercules ' made from the agiorghitiko grape, which will grow nowhere else .
Crete
Crete has some of the regions oldest vineyards and wine has been made here since Minoan times and is renown for its powerful red wines .
Samos
When the Turks conquered Samos in 1453, they destroyed the island vineyards . famous for its white muscat wine.
Rhodes
Rhodeshas made wine since antiquityfamous for its white athiri wines and red amorgiano wines . the dry white lindos wine is grown under the ruins of the Acroplis of Lindos, where the Knights Templars once ruled .
The origins of wine-making in Greece go back 6,500 years .Legend claims that wine was invented on the island of Icaria. The spread of Greek civilization and their worship of Dionysus, the god of wine, spread Dionysian cults throughout the Mediterranean area . The Ancient Greeks introduced vines such as Vitis vinifera and made wine in their numerous colonies in Italy,Sicily,southern France,and Spain. The Greek wines that most of us buy today are vinified in concrete or stainless steel tanks, under controlled conditions at controlled temperatures. They are sometimes matured in oak and are bottled in glass. All this is totally different from ancient methods. In antiquity, wines were vinified in deep, half-buried earthenware vats and then stored and transported in sealed earthenware amphorae or animal skins . the ancient Greeks were the first to label their wines according to their orgin .The most famous of the ancient wines were :
amphorae
Chian Wine
From the island of Lesbos . It was said that Oinopion, son of Dionysus, was the founder of Chios town and had personally taught Chians the art of winemaking . In ancient plays Dionysus sings of " noble and unhurtful Chian ”
Cretan wine also has a long history. Wine was certainly being made by the Minoans before 1600 BC.
Temple of Zeus in Nemea
The Nemea region ( Νεμέα) is an ancient site near the head of the valley of the River Elissos in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese, in Greece. Formerly part of the territory of Cleonae in Argolis, it is today part of the prefecture of Corinthia. first noted for its winemaking by Homer who called it "Ameloessa" meaning "full of vines."The small village of Iraklion is immediately southwest of the archaeological site, while the town of New Nemea lies to the west.) south of Corinth is one of Greece's premier wine growing regions . The area is now being marketed as the ' Wine road ' where tours of wineries can ce done . Ktyma Palivou in Nemea and Lafkioti in Kleonai are open to wine tours . Vineyards in Santorini also hold wine tasting and tours such as the Boutaris in Megalohori and the Antoniou winery in Megalohori . There is also a wine museum in Santorini at the Vulcan Wine Museum .
Where to buy Greek wine online
Howtogrowtea.com How to grow your own tes |
Greece’s wine-producing regions, vineyards, grape varieties, wines, and wineries are explored by the country’s very first Master of Wine, Konstantinos Lazarakis (Amazon)
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