BACK TO GREEK WINE
Table of Contents:
GRAPES
P.D.O. and P.G.I. WINES
RETSINA
OTHER THESSALY 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 the region of Thessaly and its wine.
The region has three distinct climates, including the Mediterranian of the east and the hot continental of the central valleys. Here the grapes ripen quickly, producing sweet and medium wines. In the colder mountain climate, ripening takes longer, retaining the acidity in the grapes and making excellent dry wines.
Where do we start with Thessaly Wines?
How about with the Greek god of wine, Dionysus? He is the son of Zeus, and his mother was the Theban princess Semele. He was the only god with a mortal parent.
And what does this have to do with Thessaly? Some say his birthplace is Thebes, just to the south.
We do know they have been producing wine in the region for thousands of years.
After WWII, Greece, along with several European countries, race to replace the vineyards and wine destroyed in the war.
Thessaly covers approximately 5500 square miles of sea level, valley, and mountainous territory. Unfortunately, it is part of Greece’s mass production of table wine for many years. The good news, many vintners in the area, began experimenting with different styles of grapes sooner, making better wines.
Today, many of the Thessaly wines are award-winning.
The Thessaly Wine Grapes.
The most popular grapes from the Thessaly wine region are:
Thessaly Reds.
Thessaly shares a border with Central Greece to the south. Its northern edge has a colder, mountainous terrain perfect for red wine grapes.
- Xinomavro – is a grape you will find in Thessaly and Macedonia to the north. It produces firm tannins, a nice acidity, and an elegant feel.
- 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.
- Krasato – is a grape they grow exclusively in Thessaly. They use it for blending as it gives high alcohol content and color to wines.
- Stavroto – is similar to Krasato in that it grows exclusively in Thessaly and is a blending wine. It adds ruby color and softens the mouthfeel.
- Vradiano – is a rare grape growing in Thessaly and Evia. It produces a medium-bodied wine with firm tannins and dark fruit flavors. They may also use it for blending.
- Limnioa – is an ancient grape variety indigenous to Lemnos. It produces a full-bodied red high in alcohol with a herbaceous taste similar to bay leaves.
Thessaly Whites.
You will find these grapes growing in the lower elevations of the south, closer to the border with Central Greece
- Savatiano – is a Greek white wine grape they use primarily in the wine Retsina. It is most prevalent throughout central Greece due to its high tolerance to drought.
- Malagousia – now grows all over Greece. They use the white wine grape in blends and as a single varietal. The grape produces medium alcohol content, and a heady nose of flowers, fresh herbs, and citrus fruits. You will find it in dry wines, and also sweet wines.
- Assyrtiko – while indigenous to Santorini, now grows many places throughout Greece. High in acidic levels, they use it in Central Greece for blending with Savatiano.
- Athiri – comes from the island of Rhodes, but you can also find small patches of it in Central Greece. They combine Athiri (or Athiri Aspro) with Assyrtiko to make Retsina.
Thessaly has been able to get more of their wines into international competitions. Not only do they come back award-winning, but they inspire the reintroduction of other indigenous grapes. Local wines complement local cuisine.
You need to sample Thessaly wines now and go back in ten years to see the difference.
P.D.O. Wines of Thessaly.
Unlike the other regions of Central Greece, Thessaly has three P.D.O. Regions.
Anchialos P.D.O. – is famous for its white wines. The vineyards are near the shores of the Pagasitic Gulf, a short drive south of Volos. Their wines are semi-sweet to dry and predominantly products from the Roditis and Savatiano grapes.
Rapsani P.D.O. – specializes in red wines. Their vineyards sit on the south-facing slopes of Mount Olympus northeast of Larissa. The vines must be between 600ft to 2500ft above sea level. The vintners blend Xynomavro, Stavroto, and Krasato to make their award-winning wines.
Messenikola P.D.O. – is also famous for red wines. South, and a little west of Trikala, the region sits near the shores of Lake Plastira. It benefits from the high altitude of the nearby mountains. Vintners blend the Messenikola Black with small portions of either Syrah or Carignan to reach the final product.
Local wine with local food creates a meal good enough for Dionysus.
P.G. I. Wines of Thessaly.
The P.G.I. (Protected Geographical Indication) wines are a little more complicated. In Thessaly, 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.
Thessaly has two P.G.I. Districts:
Karditsa – is in the western valley, south of Trikala
Magnissia – is in the east, near the Pagasitic Gulf.
Area P.G.I.s.
These are smaller areas and have additional rules to follow. Many are a result of revisions in 2009-10.
- Elassona P.G.I. – is north of Larissa and at an elevation of 600 or more feet on Mount Olympus. They produce red, rose, and white wines ranging from dry to sweet.
- Krania P.G.I. – is above the Elassona area on Mount Olympus. Starting at an elevation of 1100 feet, they produce both dry red and white wines.
- Krannonas P.G.I. – is south of Mount Olympus, but has some lower mountains of its own. Vineyards are at an elevation between 950 – 1300 feet. They produce dry reds and whites.
- Meteora P.G.I. – is at the northwest end of the valley, near the religious site of the same name. Vineyards are at an elevation of 150 to over 2000 feet. They produce dry to semi-sweet whites and rose. They also have a dry red wine.
- Tyrnavos P.G.I. – is between Krannonas and Mount Olympus. The altitude lends itself to both red and white grapes. They can produce reds, roses, and white wines from dry to medium-sweet.
Try local Greek wine with local olives.
Is this a menu of all the wineries in Thessaly? Hardly. The list changes weekly. Are these the best wineries? That depends on what you think.
In short, try many of the wines of Thessaly 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 Thessaly Wines.
Limniona
This red wine is Greece’s response to Pinot Noir. A silky texture with aromas of roses and red berries.
Chardonnay.
Is this a misprint? They do not grow Chardonnay in Greece. This statement is not a misprint. If you would like to taste the Greek spin on this popular white, Thessaly is the place to do so.
Thessaly 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.
This is an area of two-lane roads and small signs if there is 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 Thessaly wineries are not open for random visiting.
What does that mean? I don’t get to taste the wine?
Do You Have a Reservation?
They go to the vineyard to work, not pour wine for a continuous line of tourists, yet.
So to get them to open for you, you need to make a reservation at most wineries through their website.
You may get to ask questions and not feel like you are on a conveyor line, for now.
Check the winery websites (orange link.) Make a reservation.
Visit Meteora, but get to the Thessaly wineries before the mobs descend.