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Macedonia
Located
in northern Greece, the region has a tradition of polyculture.
The climate is harsher than the rest of the country, experiencing
extremes in the summer and winter temperatures.
The
area is ideally suited for the production of dry red wines
from the Xynomavro grape. There are three OPAP Appellation
of Origins in the area: Naoussa, Goumenissa and Amyntaion. |
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Amyndeon:
In 1971, the appellation of Amyndeon was created for red,
rose and sparkling wines from the Xinomavro grape. The
appellation rests on a plateau of Alluvial soil from 540-700
meters above sea level. The area of Amyndeon enjoys a temperate
microclimate with cold winters and moderately warm summers
with low humidity. In order to qualify for the Appellation,
an Amyndeon red must have at least 85% Xinomavro and up
to 15% other grapes. Xinmavro in this region is very similar
to Pinot Noir in texture and flavor. Wines produced here
are aromatic, medium bodied with moderate tannins that
require a few years of aging before consumption. White
wines made in this area qualify for the Regional Wine of
Florinas Appellation, which is a city within the region
of Amyndeon.
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Central
Greece
The
center of the mainland is primarily a fertile plain that
is surrounded by various mountain ranges and bodies of
water. Thessaly has two OPAP Appellations: Rapsani and
Ankhialos. Attika has one OPAP Appellation: Kantza.
The
Rapsani Appellation is for red wines only. There are three
authorized grape varieties: Xynomavro, Stavroto and Krasato.
The OPAP Appellation of Ankhialos is for white wines. The
authorized grape varieties are Rhoditis and Savatiano.
Appellation law requires 85% of the blend must be from
the Rhoditis grape. |
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Kantza
is a small Appellation with Savatiano as the only authorized
grape variety.
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Peloponnese
The
southern mainland of Greece is home to some of the most
exciting new wines available on the market. Most of the
vineyards are located in the northern half of the region
on high mountainous terrain. For dry wines, there are three
OPAP Appellations and two OPE Appellations.
Peloponnese
dry wines can fall under the following three Appellations:
Nemea, Mantinia and Patras. Nemea, authorized in 1971,
is the appellation authorized for dry red wines produced
in the town of Nemea and 15 neighboring towns. The only
authorized grape variety is the Agiorgitiko grape. Nemea
wines can be produced in a wide variety of styles ranging
from a light bodied Beaujolais style to a deep, rich tannic
style with aging capabilities, similar to a premier cru
Bordeaux. |
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Authorized
in 1971 as well, Mantinia is a plateau on which the wine of the
area is grown on. Moschofilero is the only authorized grape variety.
The appellation includes dry and semi-sweet styles of white and
rose wines. A small amount of sparkling wine is also produced,
but is not entitled to the appellation.
Patras,
a well-known port town, is known for its sweet Mavrodaphne and
Muscat wines. There is one appellation for dry white wine from
the rhoditis grape variety. Of the OPE Appellations, there are
two sweet styles categorized. The Mavrodaphne of Patras appellation
is for sweet wine made from the mavrodaphne and mavri korinthiaki
grapes. This wine is fortified and reaches levels of 15% alcohol.
The Muscat of Patras appellation is authorized for the region
east of Patras. The Moschato aspro is the only authorized grape
variety. The wines can be either fortified or unfortified.
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The
Islands
Greece
is made up of hundreds of islands, many uninhabitable.
Of the populated ones, wine making has been practiced for
thousand of years. The major islands of significance are
Cephalonia, Samos, Santorini, Crete and Rhodes.
Cephalonia is
located in the Ionian Sea. In 1971, an OPAP area was designated
for dry white wine from the Robola grape. The appellation
covers the southwest portion of the island that extends
upwards from the ocean to 800 meters above sea level. Click
here for a more in-depth profile of Cephalonia and
its characteristics. |
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Samos is
located close to Turkey in the Aegean Sea. In 1971, the island
was granted the OPAP Appellation for dry and sweet wines made
from the moschato aspro grape. The local Cooperative controls
the island's wine production. The vineyards are located throughout
the island, from sea level up to 800 meters above sea level.
As a result, the harvest begins in late July and lasts until
late September.
Santorini,
one of the most famous islands of Greece, is home to one of the
only active volcanoes in the country. The island is unique in
this respect because it has volcanic soil that is very poor quality.
The summer on the island is harsh with high daytime temperatures
and strong summer winds, better known as the Meltemi winds. The
vine survives however. Due to the volcanic activity, the island
is enveloped in a nightly fog that acts as a protector and gives
moisture to the vine.
Crete is
the largest and southernmost island of Greece. The appellations
are divided according to the four regions: Sitia.
Greece has 28 Appellations
of Origin, two of which are in Rhodes. Specifically:
- RODOS AOC (Appellation of Controlled
Origin)
It includes the areas that cultivate the variety white Muscat of the municipalities
of Rhodes
- RODOS VQPRD (Appellations of High
Quality Origin)
It includes two zones, the one of the white grape variety "Athiri" designated
between the municipalities and the other is of the red grape Amorgiano
that includes the municipalities Kritinias, Monolithou,
Agiou Isidorou, Apollonon, Embonas, Salakou, Mandrikou,
Kalavardon, Fanon, Soronis, Theologou, Damatrias and
Maritson.
In Greece
the wines of Appellation of Origin represent 8 - 10% of the total
production of wine. In Rhodes, the percentage reaches 90% of the
total production in grapes whereas in wines it approaches 40%.
Approximately 7,500
acres of vine are grown on the island in two vine zones (Zone
A: Plain - Pedina, Zone B: Hillsides of Mount Attaviros - Orina)
Each zone both due to climatic as well as soil differences
produce wines of different quality. As in most Aegean islands, the shape
of the vines is cyclical - Kipeloides. This guarantees stronger
endurance to drought and high temperatures and does not expose
the grapes to the strong summer rays.
The vineyards of
Rhodes, in small and dispersed areas, never experienced phylloxera
(plant lice). For this many grapevines are 50-60 years old. From
the 900 tones of must that Emery manufactures every year, over
90% come from steady and long term contracts with grape growers,
with vineyards (Zone B) at an average altitude of 720m and
performance per acre around 42 HL/HA.
Aegean
Islands
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Ionian
Islands
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