New Wines Of Greece

The vineyards of Achaia in the northern Peloponnese include those of Egialia, one of Greece’s most beautiful vine growing areas, stretching along gentle slopes with a northerly orientation and protected by the cool sea breezes of the Gulf of Korinthos (Corinth) in the summer. The vineyards of Egialia lie at altitudes ranging from 250 to 850 meters, and their soil varies from white calcareous to fertile sandy loam with good drainage. The temperate climate, which is partly due to the presence of plenty of lush ravines and rivulets that flow to the sea, make for the gentle ripening of the blush variety of Roditis, yielding the most aromatic white wines from this varietal. The vineyards of Patras are situated at lower altitudes to the west (450-500 m), in similar climatic conditions. Roditis here ripens earlier, yielding wines of a fuller body. At even lower altitudes in the Patras area thrives the red varietal Mavrodaphne, which yields the well-known desert wine, while the coastal flatlands between Patras and Rio to the east are dominated by the white Muscat.