Grade Varieties
KOTSIFALI: This is a red grape variety which is mainly cultivated in the prefecture of Heraklion. It commands significant interest because it gives red wines with pleasant aroma and flavour. However, the aromatic palate varies depending on the level of ageing. The fresh kotsifali grape has a distinctive colour and a specific fruity bouquet (which makes it ideal for rose wines). On the other hand, the kotsifali wine which has aged in barrels takes on the aroma of dried fig or plum.
The kotsifali grape variety offers wines of moderate acidity and a rather pale red hue which is rather unstable. To improve its colour, the kotsifali is blended with Mantilaria and other red varieties.
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SYRAH: this is one of the most aristocratic, dark-skinned grape which produces excellent wines that can age magnificently for decades.
The Syrah wine enjoys extensive popularity throughout the world, while more and more hectares are dedicated to this grape variety. Its organoleptic qualities, in relation to the Cabernet and the Merlot, are more distinctive. The Syrah grape offers a maximum yield when planted in warm climates; but this does not mean that it is unsuccessful in moderately cold climates. The Syrah grapes from rather chilly areas offer wines whose colour is not so deep red in relation to other grapes vinified in warmer areas. Also their bouquet is reminiscent of red berries, pepper and mint. Their acidity is good and the tannins are rather dry. When grown in warm climates this grape variety offers full-bodied wines with solid colour and a bouquet of black berries. They have a profusely "sweet" flavour with fruity tannins.
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GRENACH ROUGE: This is a red Mediterranean variety of Spanish origin. It is cultivated in warm and dry areas around the world. In Greece it is planted in 18 prefectures, in the Dodecanese archipelago, in Thrace, Thessaly, Macedonia, Crete, Peloponnese and Sterea and is used to improve other red wines. It ripens late, in September.
When planted in the proper soil and the yield is moderate, the wine it gives has an excellent red colour, moderate body, high alcohol content and moderate acidity. This wine ages fast and oxidizes easily.
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LIATIKO: This is an early-ripening grape with a rather pale red colour. The variety is one of the oldest in the Mediterranean and used to be the basis of the sweet Byzantine Malvazia.
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MOURVEDRE: This is a Spanish red grape variety, quite lively but of moderate yield. It ripens in the first two weeks of September and gives red wine of good colour and not so intense a bouquet of morello cherries with a tinge of eucalyptus or laurel.
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MANDILARIA: this is a red wine, usually low in alcohol, rich in colour and tannins, and susceptible to long aging.
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CABERNET SAUVIGNON: this variety is associated with high biological flexibility, which gives it the privilege of being planted in almost all wine producing areas of the world. It is easy to cultivate and vinify. Both the grape variety and the wine are favourite among vine growers and wine lovers. The wine is very much appreciated for its flavour of blackberry with nuances of green peppers and tannic edge. The Cabernet Sauvignon wines can take any kind of form, ranging from simple to fresh to absolutely aristocratic of deep aging. This wine is vinified in all parts of the world giving exceptional wines from just single grape varieties. It is also blended, more often with Merlot, in the area of Bordeaux and elsewhere. The grapes are small with thick skin and rich in tannin, colour and acid. These acute characteristics often "compensate" for certain vinification mistakes in comparison to other varieties, e.g. the Pinot, whose vinification is a demanding process and "mistakes" show in the wine.
The relation of Cabernet Sauvignon with oak wood is more than harmonious, given that all good wines find their way to oak wood barrels even for a few months. So, when oak meets the specific wine variety the result is magic as the wine ages and the complex aromas of the variety begin to unfold in your glass in tandem with the mellow, multifaceted and deep flavour.
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MERLOT: this is a red wine grape of French origin which gives soft wines. Its aromas are sweeter than those of Cabernet Sauvignon and evocative of plums, cherries and strawberries. The wines of this grape variety offer soft tannins, low acidity, and are high in alcohol and moderate in body.
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SAUVIGNON BLANC: two things are characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc, acidity and aroma. Its aroma ranges from grassy to citrus, lemons and lime, even to asparagus. Reference to this wine include such descriptive terms as "fresh", "virile", "intensity", and "spicy". This grape variety is representative of freshness, especially when it originates from fairly cool climates.
Its cultivation in Greece started in the early 1960's. It ripens by the end of August. On conditions of proper soil, climate, harvesting and ripening level, this grape variety can give dry wines that are rich in the aroma of exotic fruits, also a vibrant, balanced and rich flavour.
The Sauvignon Blanc can ferment and age in oak barrels.
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CHARDONNAY: meet the queen of white wines.
This is the most famous white grape variety and is believed to have originated from Burgundy of France. You can find it in every region of the world where vineyards are cultivated. This is due to its flexibility which allows the grape to grow successfully from France to Australia and from India to Peru. Chardonnay is an important component of many white wines and sparkling wines around the world, including Champagne. Its ageing capacity is superior to all white wines and second only to Riesling.
In contrast to Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, the Chardonnay's aromas and flavours are not easily detectable. While the style of Sauvignon Blanc, for example, speaks loudly of grass, with a spicy structure and high acidity, the Chardonnay is rather apprehensive of such a bold style, as it has adopted a low and somewhat neutral profile. These qualities of Chardonnay have made it easy on winemakers to experiment with it, often with success.
The relation of Chardonnay with oak wood is solid and indisputable, in view of the fact that oak takes over the perfectly ageing wine, occasionally imparting Chardonnay characteristics that can hardly be matched by other wines. Despite its relation with oak barrels, the Chardonnay variety is capable of giving fresh wines that win you over with their authenticity. If they manage to survive the "heavy" oak influence, also the aromas of vanilla and of roasted dried fruit, these wines can be expressive of the eco system from which they originate.
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VILANA: this is white grape variety which is easily vinified with good results.
MUSCAT, White: This variety is widely cultivated in many parts around the world. The Muscat wines range from dry with rich and typical aromas, also high in alcohol with moderate acidity, to mostly sweet floral aromas. The grapes can also be dried under the sun or processed into full-bodied dessert-wines with a distinctive aroma.
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MUSCAT of Spina: this variety is a variant-clone of the Muscat White wine. It is cultivated in the community of Spina, province of Selino, Crete. The differences with Muscat White are mainly in terms of structure, the most important of which is the thinner skin of the Spina grapes.
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DAFNI: this variety is one of the rarest and oldest in Crete. To save it from extinction a few years ago, it was planted in the Lyrarakis Estate located at the village of Alagni.
This variety is characterized by excellent original aromas which are found concentrated mainly in the skin of the grape.
The variety takes its name after a plant by the same name - Daphne - due to the similarity of their aromas.
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MALVAZIA: this is a white grape variety which gives sweet wine of excellent flavor, floral aroma with tones of Muscat. It is a famous Cretan wine which dominated the markets of the mid-Byzantine period and those in the beginning of the 19th century, when ships from most European countries came to Crete to purchase the famous Malvasia wine.
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VIDIANO & PLYTO: two ladies from Crete
Vidiano or Avidiano: this is one of the most notable indigenous Cretan white grape varieties whose cultivation revived lately on the island owing to the efforts of new winemakers. The cultivation of Vidiano takes place mainly in the prefectures of Rethymnon and Heraklion. This variety is allowed in the prefecture of Chania and recommended for the prefectures of Lasithi and Heraklion, where the corresponding local wine varietals are produced. The plant is lively, productive and resistive to mildew. However, it manifests moderate sensitivity to grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana), gray mold, and is completely sensitive to powdery mildew (Uncinula necator). It is a grape variety which has an aversion to dry soil and can be pruned goblet as well as single/double Royat style very close to vine shoots.
It prefers calcareous, moderately fertile soil of good drainage. Because it is a lively variety and quite sensitive to high temperatures, the farmers must comply with set cultivation techniques with respect to the pruning and picking of leaves, especially during the summer. Failure to comply will certainly affect the yield.
Plyto: this is another white grape variety whose cultivation revived during the last few years. There are claims which have identified the same variety, albeit with the name Ploto, on the island of Cythera. However, most vineyards are found in the prefecture of Lasithi, in the area of Sitia, and now in the prefecture of Heraklion. This variety is recommended for Heraklion and allowed in the prefecture of Lasithi. The plant is lively, very productive and sensitive to powdery mildew and to dry soil. It can be pruned goblet as well as single/double Royat style very close to vine shoots.
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