BACK TO GREEK WINE
Table of Contents:
GRAPES
P.D.O. and P.G.I. WINES.
RETSINA
OTHER ATTIKA WINES.
Wines of Greece Greek Beers. Greek Spirits.
“Officially,” the Central Greece Wine Region also consists of Attica (around Athens in the south) and Thessaly to the north.
As it covers such a large area, I am breaking it up into three regions.
This section will focus on Attica (Attiki) and its wine.
The region has two climates, the Mediterranian from the east and hillside climate to the north and west.
Where do we start with Attica Wines?
How about with the Greek god of wine, Dionysus?
The son of Zeus, and a mortal mother, the Theban princess Semele, many believe he is born in Thebes. (Central Greece.)
As the legend continues, he visits King Ikarios in Ikaria, now under a neighborhood of modern-day Athens.
For a thank you gift for the king’s hospitality, Dionysus teaches Ikarios how to cultivate and produce wine.
Wine and grapes become important products of Ancient Athens.
How do we know? Attican amphorae, (wine jugs from ancient Athens) are still turning up in excavations today. And not just in Greece, but from every corner of the ancient world.
After WWII, Greece, along with several European countries, race to replace the vineyards and wine destroyed in the war.
Attica has approximately 29,000 acres of vineyards and more than 30 wineries. And with mass production, you get table wine. The good news, many vintners in the area, are now experimenting with different styles of grapes, making better wines.
The Attica Wine Grapes.
The most popular grapes from the Attica wine region are:
Attica Whites.
- Savatiano – is a Greek white wine grape they use primarily in the wine Retsina. It is most prevalent throughout Attica/Central Greece due to its high tolerance to drought.
- Roditis – is a rose (rodon) grape in color that creates light white wines with citrus, almonds, and mineral notes. A popular grape in Greece as it retains acidity in the hot climate.
- Vilana – grows primarily on the island of Crete, creating light, varietal wines with delicate citrus and floral characters. In Attica, vintners often blend the wine’s deep yellow color to enhance other white wines.
- Muscat White – is a sun-loving small white wine grape. It usually ends up in sweet or dessert wines.
- Assyrtiko – while indigenous to Santorini, now grows many places throughout Greece. High in acidic levels, they use it in Attica for blending with Savatiano.
Attica Reds.
Attica, while it has some low mountains, is more of a white grape region due to the heat. You will find a few red wines from Attica.
- Mandilaria – is a red wine grape that grows well throughout the Greek Isles and produces a light-bodied red. In Attica, they use the grape as a blending component due to its deep red color.
- Agiorgitiko (Fruit-of-Dionysus) – is a prevalent red wine grape in Greece. They use it in everything from rosé to full reds. Quite often, they use it to obtain reds with full-body and tannins and medium acidity.
- Vradiano – is an old world red wine grape that survives the Phylloxera and falling from favor. A local vintner is responsible for almost single-handily saving it from extinction. Today they often mix it with Merlot or Syrah.
The good news, recent interest in Attica wines is helping to reintroduce other indigenous grapes to the local wines. Local wines complement local cuisine.
You need to sample the wines of Attica now then go back in ten years and compare.
P.D.O. Wines of Attica.
Currently, there are no P.D.O. Wines from the Attica area. But looking where they were, and where they are now, I do not think that will last forever.
Discover the wines of Attica now so you can say you remember when.
P.G. I. Wines of Attica.
The P.G.I. (Protected Geographical Indication) wines are a little more complicated. In Attica, you have the P.G.I. Central Greece, which is a regional label covering a large area.
Going one level deeper, you have P.G.I. District wines. These are when the wine district matches a geographical region.
Attica has one, P.G.I. Attiki.
Area P.G.I.s.
These are smaller areas and have additional rules to follow. Many are a result of revisions in 2009-10.
- Anavyssos P.G.I – grows close to the archaeological site of Cape Sounio, at the southern tip of Attica. , on the side of the Saronic Gulf. The sun and terrain create a dry white wine.
- Gerania P.G.I. – is west of Athens on the slopes of Mt.Gerania, at an elevation up to 600 feet. Local wineries produce dry red, rose and white wines.
- Ilion P.G.I. – is in western Attica in the area of Pyrgos Vassilissis. Most of the vineyards are on an estate once belonging to Greece’s former royal family. They produce a dry white wine.
- Koropi P.G.I. – lies between Athens and Mesogia, on the eastern foothills of Mt. Hymettus. Here they produce dry white wines.
- Markopoulo P.G.I. – is east of Athens and northeast of Mt. Hymettus. They produce predominantly dry white wines.
- Peanea P.G.I. – is also east of Athens near Mt Hymettus. They also specialize in dry white wines.
- Pallini P.G.I. – includes the area of Kantza, and replaces the Kantza white wine they used to make. Adjacent to several of the other P.G.I. areas, they also produce dry white wine.
- Boutari
- Lytras Winery
- Spata P.G.I. – Close to the new Athens Airport, this area has been producing wine for centuries. They are famous for their dry white wines.
A Little Higher Up
- Slopes of Pendeliko P.G.I. – is along the northeastern slopes of Mount Pentelicus, north of Athens. The Parthenon marble is from this same area. They also produce dry white wines.
- Kokotos Estate
- Augoustoino Wines
Is this a list of all the wineries in the Attica area? Hardly. The list changes weekly. Are these the best wineries? That depends on what you think.
Wines of Traditional Appellation.
But it’s still not confusing enough, so they add another category., Traditional Appellation.
All of the different types of Retsina are under Traditional Appellation designation.
It’s still not confusing enough, so they assign an additional designation to the Attiki, Viotia, and Evia Retsina. They are also under the P.G.I. District Wines of Greece designation.
There are more rules, but it would only lead to more confusion.
In short, try the wines of Attica Greece.
The Evil Retsina.
Retsina has a bad reputation, and for a good reason.
In ancient Greece, they would add pine resin to create an airtight seal in the clay wine jugs (amphorae.) They combine this during the fermentation and the locals like the taste in the resultant wine.
In World War II, the Nazis occupying Greece were drinking all the local wine. To slow them down, the Greeks up the resin amount in the wine. It was like drinking a floor cleaner. But it works, the Germans stopped drinking it.
However, so did other Europeans and Americans during the liberation of Greece. They come home with low opinions of Greek wine. How bad is it? It keeps Greece out of the European Wine Union for many years.
After the war, they continue to make it because it gives cheap wine some flavor. Along with fruit wines and sweet German wines, it began showing up at college parties. It was cheap. The upside is it would taste pretty much the same coming back up.
Not Your Father’s Bad Greek Wine.
In the last twenty years, something has been changing. Instead of making it as cheaply as possible, winemakers are giving it a complete overhaul.
They are experimenting with different grape varieties, including Roditis and Assyrtiko, and lowering the quantities of resin.
The result is a whole new wine with the same name.
However, beware! They still make the old stuff as well. Make sure your waiter or bartender understands this is not what you are here to taste.
Other Attica Wines.
Savatiano.
As they start using other wines to make Retsina, they also begin experimenting with Savatiano.
It turns out this grape, dating back to the times of Aristotle, can produce some pretty good wine.
Fruity, with the scents of green apple and citrus, it is a popular summer wine.
Vradiano
Following a stellar comeback in the Evia region of Central Greece, now this ancient grape is making impressive red wine. Many wineries use it as a blending wine with Merlot or Syrah. Its ruby color and aromas of cherry, give you little warning of the addicting taste that is coming.
Attica Wine Summary
The Greek wine world is centuries ahead of the United States in wine production. Well, for that matter, it is ahead of most of Europe and the Western Hemisphere.
But where they lead in production, the fail at tooting their own horn. So many people visit Greece without tasting the wine and much too little reaches the shores of America.
If you are old enough to remember the Napa Valley of the 1970s, you may have a time warp.
Not so much in Athens, but just outside you will find the two-lane roads. The signs are small or there isn’t a sign at all.
There are no tour buses lining up outside. There are no bus parking lots. Quite often, it is a family member pouring the wine.
HOWEVER, most Attica wineries are not open for random visiting?
What does that mean? Why are you winding me up to taste and then pulling the wine away?
I don’t get to taste the wine, or hear the band?
Life Is a Cabernet Old Chum
Actually, it means to blow a horn, and start celebrating. You have to make reservations.
In Greece, they go to the vineyard to work, not pour wine for an unending line of tourists, (yet.)
Most places you visit without a mob.
You may actually get to ask questions and not feel like you are on a conveyor line. (For now.)
Check the winery websites (orange links). Make a reservation. Get to the Attica wineries before the mobs descend.
Learn more about Central Greece Wines, Thessaly Wines