Greece

Wines of Greece says Greek vineyards are among the oldest in the world and that Greeks protected their most famous wines in antiquity, forerunners of modern wine law. On Santorini, archaeological finds show viticulture for at least 3,500 years; the prehistoric vineyard was destroyed by the eruption of the 17th century BC, which wiped out life on the island for almost three centuries. The modern origin system dates from 1971. Royal Decree 539/1971 delimited the Nemea zone, a government decree of 1971 gave the name Naoussa to dry red Xinomavro wine aged at least a year in oak, and the Santorini zone was also set up in 1971. Greek PDOs carry an EU protection date of 11 June 1981, the year Greece joined the European Communities, and Wines of Greece calls Greece one of the first EU countries to introduce wine laws.

Wines of Greece says almost 80% of Greece is covered by mountains, on the mainland and on the islands, so most vineyards lie on hill and mountain slopes. The Pindos range forms an arc from the north to the south-east of the Peloponnese; PDO Zitsa lies in its highlands, Rapsani on the slopes of Olympus, and the Robola vineyard on Mount Ainos in Cephalonia. Altitude often matters more than latitude: the Mantinia plateau in the central Peloponnese lies at 660 m. Vineyards run from sea level to often more than 1,000 m. On islands such as Santorini, vineyards are shaped by wind, water scarcity and sandy or volcanic soils. In northern Greece the Naoussa file divides its zone into six climatic areas, the coolest above 350 m. Nemea lies in the north-east Peloponnese, in Korinthia and Argolida.

Wines of Greece says the mountains give high, cool sites that escape much of the summer heat, so growers can make wines with freshness and moderate alcohol. At Mantinia, despite the southern latitude, the 660 m plateau lets Moschofilero give low-alcohol, fresh wines that it calls closer to central European than Mediterranean in style. On the islands and in old dry-farmed mainland vineyards, it credits old bush vines and naturally low yields with balance and concentration. The Nemea file calls Agiorgitiko the noblest variety of southern Greece, with fresh red fruit when young; the Naoussa file describes Xinomavro as aromatic and complex, with fine tannins and acidity that support long ageing.

Greece has 33 registered PDOs and 114 PGIs for wine. Wines of Greece names PDO Santorini, PDO Nemea, PDO Naoussa, PGI Drama and PGI Slopes of Aigialia as examples, and the mountain PDOs of Zitsa, Rapsani and Mantinia. Some PDOs are tied to one grape: Naoussa is dry red from Xinomavro, Nemea is based on Agiorgitiko, Mantinia is associated with Moschofilero, and dry Santorini on at least 85% Assyrtiko. The national body counts more than 300 native varieties. Exact permitted varieties and rules belong to each designation's specification.