Greek white wines in our tours
In our Trigiro tours we bike and hike through incredible vineyard landscapes stopping in different wineries. In these stops we taste different red, rose and white wines mainly of greek grapes varieties.
The Greek vineyard is rich with a multitude of varieties and a limitless spectrum of choices. Greece has a lot of excellent and unknown grape varieties to produce high quality wines.
Book a tour with Trigiro and get to know the greek wine varieties.
We present you some of the best greek white wine varieties.
GREEK WHITE WINES
Assyrtiko (ah-sir-tee-ko)
Assyrtiko is one of Greece’s finest multi-purpose white grape varieties. Top quality grape variety that produces wines with crisp acidity and a distinctive mineral profile. It is widely grown in Greece and particularly in its Santorinian homeland, where it is responsible for a wide range of types and styles, either as a single varietal or in blends with other grape varieties. It has a good affinity to oak and ability to age beautifully, gaining more depth and aromatic complexity.
It was first cultivated on the island of Santorini, where it has developed a unique character producing excellent AOC wines.
In the last 25 years Assyrtiko has been planted throughout Greece including Macedonia and Attica where it expresses a milder and more fruity character. Assyrtiko can also be used together with the aromatic Aidani and Athiri grapes for the production of the unique, naturally sweet wines called Vinsanto, well known since Byzantine times.
Athiri (ah-thee-ree)
Athiri is one of the most ancient Greek grape varieties. The name of the grape indicates its origin from the Island of Santorini, also known as Thira, where it is used together with Assyrtiko and Aidani for the production of AOC Santorini wines.
The Aegean Sea grape variety, producing elegant, soft textured wines. It is often used for blending with the more angular Assyrtiko. Good examples can be found on the island of Rhodes, which has a long, bottle-fermented sparkling wine tradition.
Athiri is found in other regions in Greece including Macedonia and Attica. Athiri grapes have a thin skin and give sweet and fruity juice. It produces wines slightly aromatic, having medium alcoholic content with low acidity.
Aidani (Ah-ee-tha-nee)
Aidani is another ancient Greek grape variety and is mainly found in the Cyclades Islands. It produces wines pleasantly aromatic with medium alcoholic content and acidity.
It can be successfully mixed with grapes having a high alcoholic content and acidity such as Assyrtiko.
Malagousia (mah-la-goo-see-ah)
Malagousia originated in the region of Nafpaktos in western Greece. The winemaker Gerovassiliou, was the first to begin experimenting with the nearly extinct Malagousia grape, realizing its vast potential for producing high quality wines.
Malagousia wines are full of character, with moderate acidity and solid structure. Having a rich aromatic spectrum of primary fruit, floral notes and green spices, make it a successful blending partner with Assyrtiko. Often, it is aged in oak barrels.
It is found mainly in Macedonia and is now cultivated in some vineyards in Attica and the Peloponnese.
Roditis (ro-dee-tis)
As the name implies, Roditis is a rosé colored grape that is very popular in Attica, Macedonia, Thessaly and Peloponnese where it is cultivated for the production of AOC Patra wines.
It is a slightly pink-skinned grape variety producing wines with a refreshing acidity and broad palate with intense fruity and floral aromas reminiscent of ripe melon, citrus fruit and blossoms.
It produces the best results when cultivated with low yields on mountainous slopes. Often, it is used together with Savatiano in the production of the traditional wine “Retsina”.
