The TwenTieTh cenTUry
The twentieth century was probably the most eventful in Greece’s long and colourful history. After almost 400 years of an unchanging, miserable way of life for most, things began to change – but not without a price
being paid. As well as the Balkan Wars of 1912–13, Greece was heavily involved in both world wars, and its own devastating civil war in the 1940s. There were also many minor clashes with Turkey and with some of the northern Balkan countries. It is often said that the first ever Greeks not called upon to bear arms to defend the nation were those born after 1975. The economy of the country was in a poor condition after these various conflicts, but the Greeks, with an optimism that must be infused in their DNA, saw every problem as a potential opportunity. While the public sector was in many cases more concerned with its own survival than running the country, private companies flourished for most of the second half of the twentieth century. Greece’s difficult economic history meant that its people became adept at problem-solving and adaptation –their experience gave them the skills to become some of the most seasoned business people in Europe.
Rise and fall
The second decade of the twentieth century saw a significant enlargement of the Greek state. After the addition of the Ionian islands in 1864 and Thessaly in 1881, the size of the country remained stable for close to thirty years. Then, in 1913 and 1914, Epirus, Macedonia and the Aegean islands, including Crete, officially became part of the Greek state. Six years later, Thrace and the small islands of Imvros and Tenedos were acquired, although the two isles and the eastern part of Thrace had to be returned to Turkey just two years later.
These continuous land additions make following the significance of viticulture and the rate of new plantings quite difficult. By 1916, the area under vine had reached around 200,000 hectares, but thereafter expansion came to a halt. The main reason was the problems caused by phylloxera. The first known incidence of phylloxera in Greece occurred in 1898 in the northern region of Pilea near Thessaloniki. The spread of the disease in Macedonia was rapid and devastating. Although vineyard planting reached an all-time high in 1916 with 200,000 hectares under vine, vineyards began to shrink significantly after 1920 as a direct result of the spread of phylloxera. The introduction of American rootstocks provided a much-needed solution and plantings started to increase once more, especially in central Greece and the Peloponnese. Nevertheless, the vineyard area never reached the level of 1915–16 again.
Robola is used as a single varietal in the Robola of Cephalonia PDO, but growers in other parts of Greece, recognizing its potential, have begun planting it elsewhere. In Cephalonia, it is one of the most expensive wine grapes in Greece, however nowhere near Assyrtiko in Santorini.
Robola is best when grown at high altitudes (above 300 metres/985 feet), on sloping, well-drained, gravelly soils that are poor in organic matter. The ground is so rocky in the Cephalonia PDO zone that the Venetians named the wine ‘vino di sasso’ (wine of stone). The vine is fairly vigorous, but sensitive to water stress, and is susceptible to powdery mildew, botrytis and several vine viruses. Bunches are relatively small and loose, with small berries. Robola is compatible with most rootstocks available in Greece today, but it is still predominantly an ungrafted variety, grown as a bush vine.
In the cellar, Robola used to be considered sensitive to oxidation, and minimal handling from vine to pressing was deemed essential. There were people who believed that the true Robola character could only be tasted on Cephalonia – and that even transporting a bottle to the mainland apparently led to a loss of aromas. Recent examples from
Robola harvest in Cephalonia
leading producers of the island, such as Gentilini and Sclavos, are far more adventurous and show completely different facets of Robola.
Robola produces aromatic, fresh wines of exceptional quality that are characterized by delicate citrus and mineral aromas, balanced, crisp acidity and medium body. Robola possesses a firm, almost Germanic elegance that is rarely encountered in Mediterranean whites. The best examples of Robola of Cephalonia PDO wines can be superb and show interesting results when aged for a couple of years in bottle.
Savatiano
Savatiano is the most commonly planted indigenous grape variety in Greece, covering more than 11,000 hectares. It is mostly seen in Attica, the island of Evia, and Viotia (Central Greece), but extensive vineyards can be found on the Cyclades islands, in Macedonia and in the Peloponnese. It is also planted on Cephalonia (Ionian Islands) where it is known locally as Perahortiko. It is a variety used in the Anchialos PDO with Roditis and in several regional wine designations. Yet the bulk of Savatiano is used for the production of retsina and other wines.
The vine is moderately vigorous and resistant to powdery and downy mildews and water stress. Bunches are large, sometimes weighing up to 500 grams and, if cultivated in flat, fertile, irrigated vineyards, yields can exceed 250 hectolitres per hectare. As with other varieties that tend towards high yields, Savatiano grapes give more promising results when grown in cooler climates and on dry, moderately infertile soils. In addition, carefully cultivated old vines, such as those in Roxanne Matsa’s Attica vineyards, can strike a good balance between alcohol, acidity and extract.
Savatiano is a great case for illustrating the changing tides in Greek wine production. It is a grape that still has an image problem. Highyielding Savatiano gives very dull, bland wines. But careful winemaking and restrained alcohol levels can result in an excellent, easygoing style. Nevertheless, there is a lot of bad Savatiano in the market, usually retsina, mainly because both vine and wine have been mistreated. Over the last decade, Savatiano has returned in style. Producers like Papagiannakos and Mylonas craft versions that can be late release, old vine, single vineyard, orange, wild ferment, no sulphites or any combination of the above. The new Savatiano is here to stay.
Yet wine production in Thrace has an illustrious past. Throughout Classical and well into Byzantine times, wine produced in the area was famous, especially in the town of Maronia, southern Rodopi, and could demand high export prices. After all, this was supposed to be the wine that Odysseus used to fool Polyphemus, the most famous Cyclops, by getting him drunk so that he could escape. Mythology aside, there is a wealth of archaeological evidence showing a thriving wine industry, and Maronios Oenos, wine from Maronia, and Ismarios from the eponymous mountain standing on the east of town, were the first wines in Ancient Greece to become famous.
The decisive move away from viticulture happened during the second half of the nineteenth century. Local landowners realized that the lack of any substantial wine businesses nearby was making tableand wine-grape production financially unfeasible. Instead, tobacco, sugar cane and cotton were identified as products that could guarantee significant returns, and certain sites in central Xanthi and Rodopi
An ancient installation in Thrace for treading grapes
proved particularly suitable for the production of top-quality tobacco. High demand for these products, plus a strong local Muslim population, pushed viticulture into the shadows.
Vines for wine-grape production continued to exist, but only on a small scale and mainly for domestic consumption. From the 1920s onward, the first waves of refugees from eastern Thrace (modern-day Turkey) – where vine-growing had been a major part of the culture –slightly reinvigorated wine consumption. Nevertheless, the impact was far less evident here than the boost these people gave to wine further west in Macedonia. Quantities produced were low, and minute volumes were traded, since the relatively insignificant demand was satisfied with wines from the nearby islands of Thassos and Bozcaada (Turkey), from Asenovgrad (in Bulgaria), Kirklareli (in Turkey) and, to a lesser degree, from Kavala in Macedonia. Another factor limiting the expansion of wine culture was the fact that the Muslim population preferred ouzo to wine or grape-related distillates.
From the 1970s, the tobacco, cotton and sugar-cane crops favoured by growers around Thrace ceased to be popular among national traders, who could find alternative and cheaper sources in Eastern Europe. Consequently, demand decreased. People started evaluating other ways of using their land and vineyard plantations emerged as one option. However, at that time the big companies of central Macedonia were not interested in buying fruit from Thrace. Meanwhile producers in Kavala and Drama were small, so their needs were met by local vineyards. In addition, building a new modern winery, with its high initial capital and heavy running costs, proved out of reach for all interested parties – particularly since the possibility of EU funding was remote.
A new beGinninG
However, the situation was set to change. In the the early 1990s, established wine producer Evangelos Tsantalis decided to move into Thrace. In the Maronia region it established a joint venture with a local businessman Apostolos Tassou. The new venture, Maronia AE, needed a legislational framework within which to work. This was soon after the laws governing regional PGIs had been introduced, so the required paperwork was swiftly
Tsantali Maronia Vineyards
Maronia
tel.: +30 23990 76100, 23990 61466 www.tsantali.com; info@tsantali.com
vineyards owned: 56 ha; annual production: c. 310,000 bottles; farming: precision agriculture and certified organic see also tsantali entries on pages 119, 138, 172 and 324
The establishment of Maronia Vineyards by Tsantali was a classic Tsantali move. Wines from Maronia and Ismaros were extremely successful in ancient times, and this solid past was a perfect match for Evangelos Tsantalis’ plans to develop modern wines destined to compete in foreign markets. For this he required an underdeveloped, and therefore cheaper, region. The project began in the early 1990s with Maronia Vineyards, then named Maronia AE, with Tsantalis and Apostolos Tassou as the founding partners. In the early 2000s the partners split, with the children of Tassou moving on to create Kikones.
Initially, the focus of the Tsantalis Maronia venture was the production of varietal wines, with a large percentage of them aged in oak. The focus was on international grape varieties, mainly Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Syrah and Grenache Rouge, together with some plantings of Malvasia, Roditis and Limnio. In 2007 this also became the first vineyard in Greece where precision viticulture was practised. Currently, harvested grapes are transported in small crates to the main Tsantali winery in Aghios Pavlos, Halkidiki.
The wine range from Maronia has changed a lot in the last decade, in styles, blends, names and varietals. The core wine of Maronia is the Mavroudi, which is barrel aged, with a quarter of new oak. This may be one of the finest-value red wines coming from Greece. The Kanenas range is not associated with the Maronia Vineyards on a marketing level but it originated here. The white Kanenas is a fresh Muscat of Alexandria–Chardonnay blend, while the rosé and the red are Mavroudi with Syrah. Wines are easy drinking and good value.
Ktima Vourvoukeli
67061 avdira, Xanthi
tel.: +30 25410 51580
www.ktima-vourvoukeli.gr; info@ktima-vourvoukeli.gr
vineyards owned: 10 ha; annual production: approximately 150,000 bottles; farming: certified organic, biodynamic
Ktima Vourvoukeli was one of the first wine producers to be established in Avdira, with the first bottlings in 2001. It was established by Nikos Vourvoukelis, who sadly passed away in 2014. However, his two sons, Odysseas and Giorgos, are determined to progress the estate to the next level.
Fruit is sourced mostly from owned vineyards that are about as close as one could get to the sea. Four hectares dedicated to red varieties are located 3 kilometres (1.86 miles) from the shore, while the other six, planted mainly with whites, are just 500 metres (1,640 feet) from the beach. The organically cultivated vineyards are predominantly planted with Greek varieties, plus Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Merlot and Cinsault. Assyrtiko was brought in from Santorini and a Roditis clone came from the Peloponnese (rather than the nearer vineyards of Macedonia). Cuttings from Zoumiatiko and Pamidi have been painstakingly gathered from old vineyards in the region and sent to Italy for nursery grafting.
The philosophy behind the winery is evident in the most remarkable part of the vineyards – a small section that constitutes a local viticultural archive. Vourvoukelis originally planted about 100 vines from local but unidentified varieties that he found in old vineyards planted long before cuttings from other parts of Greece were introduced on a large scale.
Two brand names are used: the upmarket Lagara (meaning ‘pure liquid’) and Avdiros, which is simpler in style. Both ranges are blends, with the reds being juicy, soft and charming. However, the two varietal labels are the best Vourvoukelis wines: a medium bodied Assyrtiko and an excellent, American-oak-aged Limnio.
Other notable producer
Evritika Kellaria
trigono, 680 07 Evros
tel.: 2552 085501
website: www.evritko.gr
Classifications
PDO Naoussa – still red: dry; semi-dry; semi-sweet. red variety: Xinomavro.
Communes of note: Gastra, Yianakohori, Fitia, Pola nera, ramnista, strantza, trilofos.
PGI Imathia – still white, rosé and red
Naoussa overlooks the plain of central Macedonia, at altitudes ranging from 150 to 400 metres (492 to 1,312 feet). There are nine villages in the appellation, including Naoussa, and the soils are a patchwork of limestone, loam, sand and clay. The climate is cooler than the lower areas of Imathia, but not as cold as Florina. Northern winds can be an inhibiting factor, not because of their severity but because of their chilling effect, sometimes resulting in spring frosts. The prefecture of Thessaloniki has stronger winds in comparison, but in Naoussa the highest winds occur during April and May, when vine growth is young, while further east the most intense winds are during the summer months. Growers try to select sheltered sites, usually with a southeasterly aspect.
Naoussa is a mono-varietal appellation, dedicated entirely to Xinomavro. This is the region where the variety excels, producing some of its best wines. Clonal selection is important, with most Naoussa stock delivering more tannin and fruit than, for example, the early maturing clone of Velvendos. In Naoussa, harvest starts at the end of September, but the complete harvest across all parts of the region spans around three weeks. October has three times as much rain as September, causing problems for late-ripening vintages.
Vintage variations aside, Xinomavro responds badly to high yields, producing a very low level of anthocyanins and aggressive tannins. The legal limit of the appellation is 70 hectolitres per hectare, but qualityoriented producers wishing to make styles with good extract have to opt for no more than half that. Xinomavro in Naoussa is often compared with Pinot Noir in Burgundy, but the occasionally fierce tannic structure of this PDO makes Nebbiolo and Barolo far better comparisons. There is a lack of colour, which browns quickly, a lack of sweet primary fruit
aromas and flavours, a firm structure, with high acidity, often angular tannins, and a lack of fatness and softness on the palate.
If made well, Naoussa is one of the great Greek wines, offering an amazing depth, breathtaking complexity, and possibly the longest ageing potential of any dry Greek wine. The Boutari winery has preserved some significant stocks from vintages going back to the early 1970s, which illustrate how Naoussa can not only survive but also improve over at least two decades. However, this style of Xinomavro is not so easy to sell. Naoussa needs food, but a lot of, usually younger, drinkers demand softer, more accessible wines that can be drunk on their own, such as the more approachable Agiorgitiko wines from Nemea. Naoussa producers should thank the hipster sommeliers around the world who understand what treasure Xinomavro can be.
At the moment, Naoussa wines come in a variety of styles. The first is the traditional Naoussa: moderately pale in colour, turning to tawny after a few years; low in primary fruit, but intense, spicy and animallike on the nose; medium in body, with firm tannins and high acidity. The second style is a more ambitious version of the first with longer extractions and higher tannins, but is not necessarily deeper in colour or higher in alcohol.
Another type is an attempt to present a more modern Xinomavro by muting the most aggressive elements of the variety. Winemakers opt for an easy style that is slightly fuller in body and slightly reduced in acidity, while cool soaking prior to fermentation or whole-berry fermentation are used to give ruby-red colour and softer tannins. Small amounts of Merlot round off the palate and add sweetness and fruit on the nose. This Merlot addition downgrades the wine to Imathia PGI status, but it would be interesting to discuss if a small proportion of international grapes, in the Chianti Classico manner, could be beneficial to the quality of wine. Currently, any discussion of the subject is a casus belli for most people in Naoussa wine.
A milestone of the soft approach was the basic Naoussa from Boutari in the 2000 vintage, an electrifying wine that made many wonder how was it possible for Xinomavro to be so sexy. The last style of Xinomavro is dense, extracted, tannic and oaky, but a lot more commercial than a typical Xinomavro. All these approaches, and several others that are hybrids, offer successful, serious wines for their respective target markets
have demonstrated that different pine forests, different altitudes, even resins taken from the same tree but from cuts facing different directions, or cuts made during different phases of the moon, will result in different wines. In 2016 Kechris, in an unprecedented move, arranged a vertical tasting of Tear of the Pine for journalists and trade that spanned every single vintage. All the wines were balanced, complex and still youthful. They were not top quality retsinas but top quality wines that happen to be retsinas. If people have since then been clearing cellar space for stocking retsinas it is down to this family.
Other notable producer
Ampelou Chora
57001 neo risio, thessaloniki tel.: +30 23923 06797 www.ampelouchora.gr; info@ampelouchora.gr
cenTrAL MAceDoniA – hALKiDiKi
The capital of Halkidiki prefecture is Poligiros in the heart of the region. Apart from its northern borders with the prefecture of Thessaloniki, the rest of the region is surrounded by sea. Halkidiki is one of Greece’s most distinguished landshapes: a ‘hand’ of three peninsulas extending into the Aegean Sea. These are, from west to east, Kassandra, Sithonia and Athos, otherwise known as Aghion Oros, or Holy Mountain. The land that joins Halkidiki to the rest of the mainland is dominated by Mount Holomondas (1,166 metres/3,825 feet). Kassandra is fairly flat but the middle peninsula of Sithonia has its eponymous 817-metre (2,680-foot) mountain, and Athos has the imposing presence of Mount Athos, with the 2,030 metre (6,660 foot) peak at its southernmost tip.
A unique institution, the Aghion Oros, or ‘Holy Mountain’ has been the heart of the Eastern Orthodox Church for over one thousand years. The peninsula comprises twenty large monasteries and is scattered with skites, religious cottages where the monks live. The Greek state practically considers Aghion Oros to be a separate country, and monks are subject to religious laws rather than those passed by the Greek parliament. Aghion Oros is considered sacred and only men – and male animals – are allowed to enter the area. It is a place of stunning natural
beauty and visiting it, for those who can (a special permit is required), is an unsurpassed experience.
Climate and history
The climate of Halkidiki is ideal for viticulture – it is essentially maritime, escaping the hot spells found further south or inland. Very few areas of Halkidiki do not have a view of the sea and, wherever one stands, the coast is only a few kilometres away. The combination of the area’s topography and the sea’s proximity means that there are plenty of sites benefiting from both the positive influence of the sea and a relatively high altitude. There is little threat of disease, and organic viticulture has always been practised here.
In ancient times Halkidiki probably made some of the most celebrated wines of Greece, with the historic towns of Mendi and Skioni in Kassandra having particularly notable histories. Viticulture has remained important over the years and vine-growing and winemaking owe a lot to the monks of Aghion Oros. In some ways, the monasteries of Athos have acted as an ark, preserving the culture, experience and know-how gathered over the centuries. Wine was particularly tightly woven into the monks’ lifestyle, winemaking would have been a major activity and the wine itself was possibly the only luxury they were allowed. Vine growing was kept to a high standard and wine was always treated with the utmost respect, being regarded as one of the most valuable assets the monks had. The inhabitants of Aghion Oros had a very special relationship with wine and it was used for sacramental, spiritual and even healing purposes – each monk had a certain daily allowance for wine, which was doubled whenever he fell ill.
Regions and classifications
Halkidiki is second only to Florina in Macedonia in terms of vineyard coverage, with 1,025 hectares. Porto Carras has almost half of these (475 hectares) and over half of the remaining vineyards are found in Aghion Oros. Kassandra is the least important area. As with many Macedonian regions, there are not many local varieties, with most land dedicated to Assyrtiko, Athiri, Limnio, Xinomavro and Grenache Rouge.
Halkidiki has one PDO, Slopes of Meliton, an appellation covering both red and white wine, tailor-made for the needs of the former Domaine Carras. Initially only the varieties were dictated by legislation,
found in many wines of the same genre, and they can age for more than a decade.
Ktima Papagiannakos
Pousi-Kalogeri, 19003 Markopoulo, attica
tel.: +30 22990 25206
www.papagiannakos.gr; info@papagiannakos.gr
vineyards owned: 11 hectares; annual production: c. 200,000 bottles; farming: conventional
The Papagiannakos family has been making wine since the early twentieth century, with the current owner, Vassilis Papagiannakos, involved for the last twenty years. It is Vassilis that brought this estate to the forefront of modern Greek wine; he is one of the very first people who believed in Savatiano’s potential. Vassilis also created one of Greece’s most beautiful wineries, its first bioclimatic one, very close to Athens airport. A must visit, even if you have to squeeze it in between flights.
Inside the modern, bioclimatic boutique winery Ktima Papagiannakos
It was a bottle of Savatiano 1999 presented blind to Papagiannakos by British wine merchant Mark Savage MW, in 2009, that made him think of the possibilities. The guess was youthful fine burgundy, even though this wine had never had any oak treatment. Papagiannakos
returned to his winery, cellared the last thousand bottles of the 2008 vintage and declared the wine sold out. Over the years, visitors to the estate were presented with occasional tastings of this wine, causing much surprise and delight. Vassilis became certain that he needed to take the winemaking up several notches.
Now Papagiannakos produces a line-up of majestic Savatianos. There is an Old Vine version, from vineyards that are more than half a century old, a very balanced oak-Fermented Vareli, a single vineyard Vientzi and a Natural Savatiano that is wild fermented but very well behaved. The retsina is very elegant and fresh. The varietal labels of Malagousia, Assyrtiko and even Greco are very reliable, while the reds are very juicy and soft. Melias is a sweet wine made in the traditional way of the region. Malagousia is harvested at full ripeness – but not overripe –about 40 per cent of the must is boiled and concentrated and then added back, little by little, to the fermenting must.
Sokos Wines
ag.Dimitriou, 19008 Erythres, attica tel.: +30 22630 62759 www.sokoswines.gr; sokoswns@sokoswines.gr vineyards owned: 30 hectares; annual production: 3 million bottles; farming: conventional This winery is one of the largest in Attica and a sizeable player in both exports and the local market. Argiris Sokos, the chief winemaker and the second generation member of the family, produces an honest, down-toearth range of wines that offer extreme value for money. Nevertheless, the investment in vineyards is extensive and shows commitment. The portfolio of the winery is vast, with Savatiano and Malagousia being the core labels, both showing varietal but cool-climate typicity. Although the Epilinios family of labels is excellent, it is the Ktima Lapotripi that excels: the white is an Assyrtiko–Chardonnay and the red is Agiorgitiko–Cabernet Sauvignon.
410 The wines of Greece
blends 132, 275
wines 85–6, 88, 275–6
Mavtrotragano grape 302
Mediterra Winery (Heraklio) 374
Megapanos Winery (Attica) 193–4
Melas, Kyros 214
Melissinos Winery (Cephalonia) 231
Meliton PDO 45, 46, 59, 135–6
Melitzani Ktima (Imathia) 117
Melitzanis family 117
Melnik grape 83
Mercouri Estate (Ilia) 279
Mercouri Ktima (Ilia) 281–2
Merlot grape 71–2, 184, 209, 369
blends 72, 105, 120, 143, 144, 149, 170, 172, 173, 188, 194, 203, 210, 212–13, 214, 257, 260, 264, 269, 292, 295, 332, 363, 370, 376
wines 130, 137, 148–9, 150, 168, 195, 202, 250, 253, 255, 278
Messenikolas PDO 73, 177
Messinia 276–9
Ktima Apostolopoulos 278
Ktima Dereskos 278 grape varieties and PGI classifications 277
Inomessiniaki 278
Nestor Winery 278
Tsolis Winery 279
Methymnaeos winery (Lesvos) 350
Michalakis Ktima (Heraklio) 377
Milea Ktima (Magnissia) 168
Minos-Miliarakis Wines (Heraklio) 374–5
Mitropoulos, Neratzis and Evanthia 140
Monemvasia grape 49–50, 64, 273–4, 299, 304–5
classificatons 274, 305 wine and blends 274–5, 302, 306, 367
Monemvasia Winery (Laconia) 274–5
monks of Aghios Efstathios 136–7 of Mega Spileo 292
Monsieur Nicolas Winery (Karditsa) 177
Montofoli Ktima (Evia) 207
Moraitico – Giorgos Moraitis Winery (Paros) 305–6
Moraitis family 305–6
Moraitis Winery (Paros) 306
Morris, Jasper 70
Moschatella grape 226
Moschofilero grape and clones 57–8, 188, 264–6
classifications 267
wines and blends 193, 242, 247, 249, 250, 251–2, 253, 257, 259, 260, 263, 267–71, 292
Moschomavro grape 99, 100–101 wines and blends 101, 103, 144 Mouhtaro 64
Mount Athos monastery 62
Mount Olympus 168–9 Mountrihas, Apostolos 317 Muscat grape 57, 224 of Alexandria 50, 88, 137, 346 of Hamburg 51, 169–70, 176 Muscat Blanc 50–51, 227, 228, 368, 378 Muscat of Spinas 359, 362, 363, 370, 375, 376 of Patra and of Rio of Patra 242, 283, 287, 288, 293 legislation 384
PDO and classifications 288, 340–41, 378 Cephalonia 227, 228 Rhodes 334, 335 Samos 340–43, 346 wines and blends 86, 88, 137, 144, 205, 231, 256, 283–4, 291, 293, 295, 343–6, 347–8, 363, 367, 370, 371
Muses Ktima (Viotia) 201–2
Mylonas Winery (Attica) 194
Mylopotamos Winery (Halkidiki) 136–7
Mytilinaios, Nikos 343
Naoussa 105–9
PDO 70, 106, 109–11
Nassiakos, Leonidas 258
National Interprofessional Organisation of Vine and Wine 26–7
Negoska grape 66–7, 125 classification 125 wine and blends 70, 109, 112, 126–7, 128, 162
Nemea PDO 60, 162, 191
Neratzi Ktima (Serres) 140–41
Neratzis wines 141
Nestor Winery (Messinia) 278
Nigrikiotiko grape 101
Nikos Gavalas Winery (Heraklio) 372
Nopera Wines (Samos) 343
Northern Aegean Islands 339–40
Chios 350–52
Ikaria 352–4
Lesvos 348–50
see also Limnos; Samos Noulas Wines (Attica) 195
oak 38–9, 45, 56, 285, 315
Oenogenesis Winery (Drama) 150–51
Oinotria Land Costa Lazaridi Domaine (Attica) 195–6
organic viticulture 89, 129, 132, 213, 229, 249, 269, 343, 347
Orkopoulos, Theodoros 228–9
Ouzo 349
Oxizidis, Yiannis 148
Palivos Ktima (Corinth) 254
Pamidi grape and wines, 83, 87, 89
Pantos, Andreas 129
Papadopoulos, Yiannis 152
Papaeconomou, Yiannis 325
Papagiannakos Ktima (Attica) 196–7
Papagiannopoulos, Panagiotis 295
Papaioannou Vineyards (Corinth) 254–5
Papantonis Winery (Argolida) 263
Paraskevopoulos, Yiannis 248, 312, 319
Paris Sigalas 66
Paros 303–6 grapes and PDO classifications 50, 304–5 producers
Cooperative Union of Winemakers of Paros 306
Moraitico - Giorgos Moraitis Winery 305–6
Moraitis Winery 306
topography, climate and viticulture 303–4
Parparoussis Winery (Achaia) 24, 293
Paterianakis Domaine (Heraklio) 375
Patra PDO 59, 242, 287, 293 sweet wines 283–5
Patraiki Wines (Achaia) 295
Pavlidis Ktima (Drama) 151–2
Pella (Central Macedonia) 120–22
Peloponnese 239–95 classifications 47, 49, 242–3 geography and climate 239–40 history 240–41
Patra PDO 59, 242, 287, 293 sweet wines 283–5 regions see Achaia; Arcadia; Argolida; Corinth; Ilia; Laconia; Messinia
Peppas, Christos 230
Petrakopoulos, Nikos 231
Peza PDO 64
phylloxera 129, 297, 311, 358–9
Picard, Elsa 214
Pieria (Central Macedonia) 122–4
Pieria Eratini 122–3
Pirgakis Ktima (Corinth) 256–7
Platani grape 312
Pneumatikakis Winery (Chania) 364
Pontiglio Winery (Corfu) 237
Porto Carras Ktima (Halkidiki) 137–8
Potamisi grape 300, 301
Prekniariko grape and wine 111–12, 113
producers see cooperatives and individual regions’ names
Protopapas Winery (Kavala) 146
Pyrgos Vassilisis Ktima (Attica) 199
raisin production 18, 219, 233
Ramnista 114, 116 Rapsani 169, 170–73
Raptis Ktima (Corinth) 257
Refosco 130 regulations see legislation Repanis Ktima (Corinth) 257
Rethymno 54, 364
Rethymno, see also Crete retsina
classifications 183 history of production 16, 19, 53, 59, 194, 300 rise and fall 181–3
OKP Retsina 384–5
wines 133–4, 189, 194, 197, 199, 206, 223, 249, 295
Rhodes 332–37 history and climate 332–3 PDOs 46, 49, 64, 334–5 classifications 335 producers
Alexandris Family Winery 337
CAIR 335–6
Emery 336–7
Kounaki Wines 337 vineyards and viticulture 333–5
Rhous Tamiolakis Winery (Heraklio) 375–6
Robinson, Jancis 83
Robola classification 228 grape 51–3, 220, 222, 224–5, 230
Robola of Cephalonia 42, 255 wines and blends 228, 229–30, 231–3, 237, 282
Robola of Cephalonia Cooperative (Cephalonia) 231–2
Roditis blends 105, 112, 162, 167, 168, 173, 198, 249, 251, 263, 269
