Agiorgitiko
Agiorgitiko is the most widely planted red wine grape in Greece. It originates from the PDO Nemea zone, which enjoys a typically warm Mediterranean climate. The variety produces supple and versatile red and rosé wines with sweet fruit/sweet spice aromas, a round palate and velvety tannins. Agiorgitiko is now widely cultivated in other places, notably in Kavala and Drama in northern Greece.
Altitude
In a warm country like Greece, high-altitude vineyards are essential in order to make fine and crisp wines with elegance, lower alcohol content and fine aromas. This is the reason why most quality Greek wine producers, both on the mainland and on the islands, seek grapes from higher-altitude vineyards (usually 300–1100m). Producers can also cultivate lower-altitude vineyards to produce different wine styles such as sweet wines or exuberant dry red wines.
Assyrtiko
Santorini’s signature white grape variety, Assyrtiko is rapidly gaining worldwide recognition. It produces wines of medium aromatic intensity but with strong minerality that is characteristic of the island’s wines, and has great ageing potential.