The National Interprofessional Organization of Vine and Wine (EDOAO) established in 2000 and since 2001 it has been recognized as national by the Hellenic Agricultural Ministry since 2001 represents both vine and wine sectors in Greece.
Some of the basic aims of the Organization are to:
Improve knowledge and transparency of production and the market.
Help to coordinate better the way products are placed on the market, in particular by means of research and market studies.
Provide the information and carry out the research necessary to adjust production towards products more suited to market requirements and consumer tastes and expectations, in particular with regard to product quality and protection to the environment.
Greece boasts an unparalleled array of distinct soil types, microclimates, elevations, and expositions, and thus; terroir-driven wines are Greece’s greatest contribution to the winemaking world:
Volcanic Terroirs: Greek volcanic terroirs are found mostly in the vineyards of Santorini, where vines are planted on a white layer consisting of lava, Therean ash and pumice, whose depth varies from 30 to 50 meters and has been deposited there by the successive eruptions of the volcano through time immemorial.
Coastal Terroirs: Vineyards have been planted along the endless stretches of coastline in both continental and island regions of Greece since ancient times.
Continental terroirs: By and large, the climate of the Greek geographical area is typically Mediterranean.
Wine production in Greece is contemporary, yet maintains its human scale. It became modern without phasing out the advantages of tradition. Many ventures have been established recently, using up-to-date equipment while remaining mostly small- or medium-sized. However, it is worth bearing in mind that a medium-sized winery by Greek standards would be rather small if compared with the average winery of many other European or New World countries. On the other hand, there is a plethora of traditional wineries that have been revamped by their owners and can compete with the “newcomers”, meeting the challenges of the marketplace.
Wines from specific Greek regions and producers are becoming as iconic as the regions that birth them, as a renaissance of Greek wine consumption spreads around the globe. Many viticultural regions of Greece’s 34 PDOs and more than 100 PGIs have roots that run deep in their soils of antiquity and custom. In the European Wine Ambassador Campaign, the promotional activities will be specially focused in the following PDO and PGI:
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PGI Drama -
PDO Santorini -
PDO Naoussa -
PDO Zitsa -
PDO Samos
Agiorgitiko
Agiorgitiko is a captivating grape variety that caresses the senses with elegance, freshness and intensity of aromas and flavours. It is a red grape variety and is frequently referred to as “multidynamic”, since it is capable of producing a large range of styles, from refreshing rosés, delicious dry reds to concentrated sweet wines. However, the most common expressions are the young red wines, or as the red matured in oak for at least a year.
Assyrtiko
Assyrtiko is a classy white grape, possibly some of the greatest varieties found in the Mediterranean basin. It originated from Santorini (Assyrtiko-Santorini) but it spread all over Greece, becoming, in terms of quality, one of the most important native varietals. It produces mainly dry white wines, some of which are being aged in oak. However, a number of sweet wines are made, from sun dried grapes.
Malagousia
Malagousia is the quintessence of the modern renaissance of the New Wines of Greece witnessed in the last twenty years. It is the personification of the way Greek wine producers are rediscovering their potential. In the 1970s, Malagousia was a white variety known to very few and thought to be extinct. Today, after painstaking work from university professors and top growers, Malagousia is widely considered a world class grape, producing outstanding dry whites, as well as a few dazzling sweet examples.
Moschofilero
Anyone in pursuit of a Greek grape variety which promises refreshment and enlivenment, all the while offering exoticism unprecedented in a Mediterranean country, should look no further than Moschofilero: it automatically springs to mind. Just as “moscho”, the first part of its name, promises this charismatic grape is the most aromatic one of the fileri grape family. Despite the reddish or grayish hue of its berries it is mostly used for the production of dry whites and some sparkling wines. Nevertheless the varietal rose wines from Moschofilero are increasing year after year. It is also frequently blended with other wines (including many PGI ones) where its task is to give them a “boost” by means of its superb aroma.
Savatiano
The historical white grape variety of Savatiano is among the Greek vineyard’s most widely planted varieties. Whether on its own, as part of blends, or as part of many PGI wines, the variety is responsible for a considerable volume of the dry whites produced. Still, once oenophiles have secured a good Savatiano in their glass, they will certainly be won over by the wine’s singularity as well as by the fact that this varietal is ready to prove that quality does not come from showing off but by demonstrating its essence.
Xinomavro
Its name –Xinomavro- comes from the words xino (sour) and mavro (black). As matter of fact, the skin of its berries does not possess any particularly rich tint. Be that as it may, Xinomavro surprises with its performance and multi-faceted personality, yielding “vin de garde” reds, dynamic rosés, aromatic sparkling wines, and even idiosyncratic sweet wines.
