The diverse north
There are a large number of official designations of origin in the Greek province of Macedonia, which is divided into Western, Central and Eastern Macedonia and the respective prefectures in three parts. Macedonia forms Greece’s northern border with Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria, with Epirus and Thessaly to the southwest and Thrace to the east as neighbouring provinces. Viticulture finds very good conditions here in the north of the country, as the Mediterranean heat is less noticeable in the wines, and numerous rivers and lakes, combined with higher rainfall, ensure a good water supply.
Macedonia is basically a wine country characterised by red wine, the Xinomavro variety is its flagship. But in the cooler zones, in addition to rosé wines, fine white wines are also produced, which can bring much more freshness than those from other Greek growing zones. The coastal areas of Macedonia, especially Halkidiki, offer completely different conditions, which we will discuss in more detail later.
There are two important indications of protected origin on Greek wine labels. At the top these are the terms PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication). The four Macedonian PDO areas are Amyndeon, Naoussa, Goumenissa and Slopes of Meliton. The list of PGI origins currently names 24 regions, several of which – such as Drama, Kavala, Siatista and Epanomi – have long deserved to be upgraded to PDO status. Mount Athos is also counted among the Macedonian PGIs.
A special feature in every respect
Naoussa PDO has around 500 hectares and around 20 bottling plants, where 100 percent Xinomavro is the prescribed grape variety, as is also the case for Amyndeon PDO. Naoussa is the top red appellation, the Barolo of Greece, so to speak, and the density of top winemakers here is enormous. The Kir-Yianni winery is the pioneer; the best wines today come from Thymiopoulos, Talaras, Dalamaras and Foundi. For the red wines of the PDO Goumenissa in the province of Kilkis, in addition to Xinomavro, a minimum 20% share of the regional Negoksa variety is also prescribed.
The fourth PDO, Slopes of Meliton, is special in every respect. It is located in Sithonia on the middle finger of Halkidiki and was the first PDO to be approved for international grape varieties in 1982. The result is a white wine that consists of half Athiri, 35 percent Assyrtiko and 15 percent Roditis. The red wine consists of Limnio, an ancient variety also known as Kalambaki, plus Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc at a maximum of 30 percent.
Friends of rare varieties
The PDO Slopes of Meliton is produced by a single, legendary vineyard called Porto Carras. Northern Greece has two other PDO zones, the PDO Zitsa in Epirus and the PDO Rapsani at the foot of the Olympus Mountains in Thessaly.
And last but not least, the islands: of all the islands, the volcanic island of Santorini plays first fiddle with its great white wine variety Assyrtiko, with numerous top winemakers such as Paris Sigalas, the Hatzidakis family, Argyros Estate and Karamolegos producing world-class white wine here. On Tinos, T-Oinos Tiniaki and Volakus produce mineral wines, while Moraitis is the leading winery on Paros. On Samos in the northern Aegean, there is the large cooperative, while in Lemnos, the fine sweet wines from Limnos Organic Wines are a popular choice. There is a lively scene on Crete, in Chania Manousakis is recommended, in Dafnes the top restaurant is called Douloufakis. Fans of rare varieties are sure to find what they are looking for at Lyrarakis in Heraklion.