Travel
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- Win Two Nights For Two At A Wine Estate!
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- Wine Tasting For Beginners
One of the best things about travelling or going on vacation is that it’s a time to indulge in all kinds of unique food and drink. Seeing different parts of the world gives you the opportunity to try food you might otherwise never get to enjoy, or just...
- Making Friends On The Road. A Wine Tasting With A Twist
Just after we finished our boat trip up and down the Douro River, our ever surprising and resourceful guide, Luis from EcoTours Portugal asked us if we wanted to go for a wine tasting before saying goodbye to him. Hell yeah! He made some phone calls...
- Uruguayan Wine Country
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Travel
Following the Wine Routes of Greece
Wine is an important part of the culture of Greece, both in terms of social traditions and religious significance. Being a Mediterranean country, the climate is perfectly suited to growing a number of varieties of grapes, from which wine is produced.
In order to honor such an important part of Greek life, tourists can travel along special wine routes that allow them to visit the places where wine is made and fully understand the process. This can make for a cost effective holiday full of interesting places to explore.
Winemaking regions
The various micro-climates around the country allow for the cultivation of more than 300 different types of grapes. Here are some of the areas where particular varieties are grown.
Thessalia
Rapsani red wines come from the Thessalia region where the mountains including Mount Olympus form a protective defence with the Aegean Sea. This provides the perfect conditions for Xinomavro, Krassato and Stavroto grapes to all grow.
The Evangelos Tsantalis winery is a good example of how fantastic wine can be produced in the area. It is situated close to the sea, making the most of the iron schist enriched soil where the three native grape varieties thrive.
Peloponnese
There are a number of different types of terrain throughout the Peloponnese with each giving rise to its own variety of grape. In Nemea for example, the Agiorghitiko grape is found, creating a deep red wine with complex flavours and aromas.
Meanwhile in Mantinia with its altitude the white grape Moschofilero is cultivated, leading to aromatic wine that benefits from the area's poor but well drained soil.
Sterea Ellada
This wine-producing area is possibly one of the most significant, due to the fact that it is among the oldest in the country and said to be where Dionysus introduced wine to the people. So if it is good enough for the god of wine himself, then it should be on any aficionado's list.
Not far from Athens in Kantza is a vineyard which was originally planted in the 19th century called the Matsa Estate. To this day it is presided over by a dedicated viticulturist, Roxanne Matsa, who not only grows indigenous varieties of grape, but has branched out into international alternatives as well.
The islands
Much of Greece is made up of islands and it is not just the mainland that is producing wonderful wine, with many locations in the Aegean and Ionian islands also cultivating good grapes.
Rhodes is a prime example with its reputation for producing sparkling wine using the secondary fermentation process favoured in the Champagne region of France. The Athiri grape is fermented for 18 months at a low temperature to produce high quality bubbles.
Integrating the wine routes into a holiday
While wine is a pleasure for many, it is an obsession for only a few, therefore most holidaymakers will not want to spend their entire time away visiting wineries. The wine routes allow visitors to take well organised journeys through the picturesque grape-growing regions, while offering other highlights too.
Tourists will see traditional settlements along the way, encounter fascinating archaeological sites and visit pretty little tavernas and restaurants. All this while enjoying the beautiful countryside and learning about wine and the processes that go into making it too.
Photos via Flickr Creative Commons
- A Taste Of Spanish Wine
Spanish wines have always been a favourite with people travelling around Europe, and with good reason; they produce beautiful wines that are not only tasty and easily accessible, but are also much more affordable than similar wines from more-established...
- Win Two Nights For Two At A Wine Estate!
My One Ingredient Dinners are a unique dining experience for the foodies of Cape Town. One carefully chosen ingredient spreads itself over all four courses of the evening; showing just how much can be done with one ingredient! After a demonstration...
- Wine Tasting For Beginners
One of the best things about travelling or going on vacation is that it’s a time to indulge in all kinds of unique food and drink. Seeing different parts of the world gives you the opportunity to try food you might otherwise never get to enjoy, or just...
- Making Friends On The Road. A Wine Tasting With A Twist
Just after we finished our boat trip up and down the Douro River, our ever surprising and resourceful guide, Luis from EcoTours Portugal asked us if we wanted to go for a wine tasting before saying goodbye to him. Hell yeah! He made some phone calls...
- Uruguayan Wine Country
At the Stagnari winery, UruguayUruguay is a rather triangular-shaped little country squeezed between giants Brazil and Argentina. Luckily for its inhabitants, it is located on the Atlantic coast of South America, with miles and miles of beautiful beaches...