Greece is famous for its wine, and the vineyards of the Ionian Sea as well as the Aegean Sea produce wine of unique quality and taste. In addition to the superb climate, the close proximity of the Aegean Islands to each other has helped producers exchange wine-making know-how, leading thus to the creation of numerous different types of wine, with many of them made from rare grape varieties. Many Aegean Islands can be classified as classic wine-producing spots, while the terroir of the Ionian Islands is also a renowned wine-producing area.
At the top of the list of the Aegean islands, is Santorini, where wine has a long history since the antiquity. Thanks to the volcanic soil, the wine of Santorini has a characteristic taste. The most famous variety of Santorini wine is Vinsanto, which is named as Protected Designation of Origin. Other varieties of Santorini wine are Assyrtiko, Athiri, Nykteri and Mavrotragano.
Paros offers also many wine types, such as Monemvasia white and reds, Mandilaria wines as well as the extraordinary Malvasia sweet white wine. In Samos, Moscato wine is sweet, while the specialty of Limnos is sweet and dry Moscato wine as well as Limnio red wine. Rhodes is famous for its Moscato variety, for which Rhodes is the place of origin (PDO), but the island is famous also for its rose and white sparkling wine, made from Athiri and Mandilaria grapes.
Other wine-producing Aegean Islands are Lesvos, which produces the red Chidiriotiko wine, and Ikaria with its red Fokiano and its white Begleri.
Grapes in winery
Kefalonia, the most famous wine-producing area of the Ionian Islands, features all the protected designation of origin (PDO) grape varieties to be found in the Ionian Islands. The most significant is the PDO Robola grape variety, which produces white wines with mineral character and lemon blossom aromas. The PDO Mavrodaphne variety renders the well-known sweet reds, but also dry wines, and the Moscato variety is the third native PDO variety of Kefalonia that renders sweet and aromatic white wines.
Zakynthos, the second wine-producing island in the Ionian Sea, is home to Avgoustiatis and Goustolidi grape varieties, both of which are indigenous. The quality of the wines from these grape varieties has convinced even the most demanding of wine enthusiasts. Avgoustiatis delivers dense reds, while Goustolidi produces rich whites. Another grape variety is Verdea, which has its own unique character.