MACEDONIA: Goumenissa, Naoussa, Amynteo, Slopes of Melton.

EPIRUS: Zitsa

IONAN ISLAND: Robola of Cephalonia, Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia, Muscat of Cephalonia.

THESSALY: Rapsani, Anchialos, Messenikola.

WEST GREECE: Patras, Mavrodaphne od Patras, Muscat of Patras, Muscat of Rio Patras.

PELOPONNESSE: Nemea, Mantinela, monemvasia Malvassia.

CRETE: Malvasia Candia, Candia, Arcanes, Daphnes, Sitia Malavasia Sitia.

NORTH AEGEAN: Lemnos Muscat of Lemnos, Samos.

DODECANESE: Rodhes, Muscat de Rhodes.

CYCLADES: Paros Malvasia Paros, Santorini.

1- EVIA

2- SERRES

3- THESSALONIKI

4- HALKIDIKI

5- MOUNT ATHOS

6- PELLA

7- FLORINA

8- KASTORIA

9- KOZANI

10- IMANTHIA

11- PLERIA

12- GREVENA

13- IOANNINA

14- CORFU

15- LEFKADA

16- ZAKYNTHOS

17- KRADITZA

18- MAGNISIA

19- EVIA

20- THEBES

21-ATTIKI

22- ILLIA

23- ACHAIA

24- KORINTHOS

25- ARKADIA

26-ARGOLIDA

27- MESSINA

28- LAKONIA

29- CYCLADES

30-DODEKANESE

31- HERAKLION

32- LASITHI

GRAPES/UVAS NORTHEN GREECE: EPIRUS, MACEDONIA, THRACE

RED/ROJAS 

Xynomavro

Limnio

WHITE/BLANCAS

Malagousia

Assyrtiko

Sauvignon Blanc

ZITSA: 

WHITE: Debina 

RED: Vlahiko

Zitsa, Epirus is a cooler region with high altitude mountains covered with pine trees and where the Debina grape grown. This grape produces white and sparkling wines with soft floral and citrus notes.

Xinomavro (The Barolo of Greece) the most important grape in Macedonia, Northwest of Epirus. It is being grown in the regions of Naoussa and Amyndeo. This wine is reminiscent of the Nebbiolo grape, delivering flavors of red fruit like cherries, licorice, cinammon, and savory notes. Xinomavro brings high-tannins and medium plus acidity. In Naoussa wine makers produce fruity wines with high tannins. 

Malagousia, was saved from extinction by wine maker Vangelis Gerovassiliou owner of a winery with the same name, 25 km from Thessaloniki. Wines made with Malagousia brings a richer white wine style, reminiscent of Viognier and Chardonnay. It offers fruity flavors of peach, lime, and orange and lemon oil.  

More grapes of Northern Greece: Assyrtiko and Roditis, which are often blended with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Malagousia that produce rich, peppery white wines with gooseberry, and melon flavors. 

GRAPE VARIETIES

 WHITE: Savatiano, Retsina, Malagousia, Assyrtiko, Begleri and Chardonnay

RED: Xynomavro, Agiorgitiko, Krasato, Stavroto, Limniona, Vradino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah

CENTRAL GREECE FLAVOR PROFILE

This has similar to Napa Valley and Sonoma near Mount Olympus which is an area dedicated to create red wines. Best wines are found at higher elevations (over 250 m / 1,000 ft). made with Xinomavro, Krasato, and Stavroto. Also Limniona for rosé.

Wines from here are usually blends, with a dominance of Xinomavro and spicy flavors of raspberry, anise, fennel, cherry, and sometimes savory flavors of olive or tomato with well structured tannins. This wines are reminiscent of Rhone Valley wines in France.

Down south is hotter and arid, a white wine is produced: Savatiano. This wine has a good and bad reputation of over producing low quality wine with Savatiano and Retsina, a white wine that’s infused with sap of an Aleppo pine tree.

Today wine makers are taking Savatiano and Retsina seriously and good quality Savatiano wines are being produced with flavors of sweet melon, green apple, and lime with tingling acidity. This wine is reminiscent to Chablis. When is oak-aged, Savatiano offers more personality with flavors of lemon curd, wax, with lemon bread notes and a creamy mid-palate structure and finish similar to Burgundy.

Red wines made with Xinomavro and classic grapes offer more savory fruit. Vradiano brings flavors with tasty ripe strawberry, black pepper, and tropical fruit notes blended with a well balanced dry tannins.

GRAPE VARIETIES

WHITE GRAPES: Assyrtiko (Santorini), Muscat Blanc (Samos), Athiri, Malvasia (called Monemvasia)

RED GRAPES: Limnio (Límnos), Mandilaria (Paros), Mavrotragano

White Assyrtiko to its full expression of a classic in Santorini. Its wines bring fruity elements with passion fruit, flint, and citrus notes of lemon with a subtle bitterness and saltiness on the finish. Assytiko labeled as Nykteri are always oaked at different levels and it brings an intense  lemon, and orange peel, pineapple, fennel, cream, and apple baked pie notes. 

Also in SANTORINI Vinsanto is a classic seductive, sweet thick dessert/apperitif wine based on Assyrtiko, Aidani, and Athiri, its a sun-dried sweet wine with high acidity and pronounced tannins with notes of raspberry, raisin, dried apricots, and maraschino cherries.

In SAMOS the Muscat Blanc/Samos variety is one of the world’s most widely used and travelled grape. This grape makes dry to sweet with aromatic lychee and perfumed notes. 

Also the most popular style is Vin Doux, a blend of Muscat juice and Muscat grappa/spirit, which offers sweet tropical and jammy flavors of lychee, with light hay notes on the finish (classic flavor from the grappa).  Aged Muscats, get deeper in color as they age with more raisin and cocoa-like flavors. 

In Límnos is the home of Aristotle’s favorite grape, Limnio, with notes of raspberry fruit and herbs. This wine also grows in mainland where it’s blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, with flavor profile of a Bordeaux.

PELOPONNESE

WHITE: Moschofilero

RED: Agiorgitiko, Mavrodaphne

GRAPES/UVAS FROM CRETE

WHITE: Vidiano

RED: Kotsifali, Mandilaria, Liatiko, Syrah

GRAPES/UVAS FROM KEFALONIA

WHITE: Robola, Roditis

RED: Mavrodaphne

SOUTHERN GREECE WINES FLAVOR PROFILE 

Agiorgitiko, is the most used grape in Nemea up north in Peloponnese. Red wines bring full-bodied flavors of sweet raspberry, black berries, plums, cinnamon and herbs like oregano with spicy peppery tones. These wines are reminicent to Merlot.

The varietal Moschofilero is grown in central Mantineia,/Peloponnese. The flavor profile of this grape brings dry, aromatic white wines with notes of peach, potpourri, when age it develops sweet citrus tones of mandarin and apricot flavors with toasted almond notes. 

In the upper northern tip of the Peloponnese lies Kefalonia, known to produce sweet red wines with Mavrodaphne grapes, today wine makers are making white wines based on the Robola and Roditis (leaner) grapes. Roditis brings citrus, melon, saline and oil lime flavors. Robola, a rare grape, used in Kefalonia. Delivering richer flavors of sweet lemon, pineapple, and beeswax, with rich passion fruit flavors. 

Down south of  Greece lies Crete island and Vidiano, is the most popular grape that makes every day dry white wine with tones of mango, pear, and sweet apple pie flavors with subtle acidity. 

Crete red grapes: Kotsifali, and Mandilaria, is usually blended together to create wines with both sweet red and black fruit flavors, cinnamon, allspice, and savory elements, with soft sweet tannins. 

Another indigenous rare grape is Liatiko, that makes aromatic red wines with aromas of sweet cherries, roses, and cinamon, and mild  acidity.