New Wines Of Greece

Though Patras may have the lion’s share of overall Mavrodaphne plantings, Cephalonia is an equally important albeit smaller hub of the variety’s cultivation. Despite the fact that on this island of the Ionian Sea the greatest part of the Mavrodaphne production finds its way to dry vinifications that manifest some interesting results, a small portion of the grapes harvested goes toward the sweet and rarest-of-the-rare Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia wine.

It has not been long since the all but forgotten PDO Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia zone of sweet red wines acquired its own advocates, and it remains too early to tell with any certainty how it will fare. Still, the clone planted on the island point toward the fact that the sweet wines bearing the “Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia” appellation seem to have more body and a deeper color than those under the “Mavrodaphne of Patras” appellation. The character exhibited is further highlighted in this case by the exclusion of Mavri Korinthiaki with the end result that the bitter sweetness of Mavrodaphne appears in its unmitigated, accentuated form.

Until the moment when Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia can prove time can be its ally, restless wine lovers can explore the noteworthy field of this rare wine’s relatively fresh versions.