All About The Grapes

Wine has been an important part of the Greek culture for over 4000 years.  Over this time the Greeks have carefully cultivated, and introduced winemaking techniques and wine throughout the ancient world.  Even during the Turkish occupation when wine was discouraged and many farmers had to abandon their vineyards, winemaking persisted.   In recent years the Greek wine industry has undergone enormous improvement with investment in modern wine making techniques and technology.

What makes Greek wine so unique is that there are 300 indigenous grape varieties grown there.  The extensive variety of grapes together with the moderate climate, plentiful sunshine, low average rainfall and soils of moderate fertility combine to provide an excellent environment for the production of high quality wines.  Janavaras Enterprises is proud to import wine made from Greece’s indigenous grapes from wineries throughout Greece that make premium quality wines at affordable prices.

Greek Wines : Hard To Pronounce Easy To Drink

Agiorgitiko [Ah yor yee’ ti ko]

One of the most noble of the Greek red grapes, Agiorgitiko (meaning St George) is grown mainly in the AOC region Nemea in the Peloponnese. It produces wines that stand out for their deep red color and remarkable aromatic complexity. Agiorgitiko’s soft tannins, in combination with its balanced acidity  to the production of many different styles of wine, ranging from fresh aromatic reds to extraordinary aged reds. It also produces pleasant aromatic rosé wines.

Moschofilero [Mos ko fee’ le ro]

A distinct aromatic grape from within the AOC region of Mantinia, in the Peloponnese, Moschofilero grapes have a gray colored skin and therefore produce a wine that is a blanc de gris. Its crisp character and beautiful floral aroma of roses and violets with hints of spices can be drunk as an aperitif or with food.

Sabatiano [Sa va tya no’]

Sabatiano is the predominant grape in the region of Attica where it displays excellent resistance to the dry summer weather there. It leads to the production of elegant, well balanced white wines with an aroma of citrus fruits and flowers.

Roditis [Ro dee’ tees]

As the name implies, Roditis is a rosé colored grape that is very popular in Peloponnese where it is cultivated for the production of AOC Patra wines. It produces the best results when cultivated with low yields on mountainous slopes. Roditis produces elegant, light white wines with citrus flavors and a pleasant aftertaste.

Mavrodaphne (Mav rotha’f nee)

which is Greek for “black laurel”, is a dark-skinned wine grape variety from the Greek Peloponnese. It is used most often in the production of sweet, fortified wines, such as those from the coastal town of Patras.

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