CentralGreece is a large geographical region in the heart of mainland Greece. Home to around 4. 5 million Greeks and the capital city, Athens, the region is also the birthplace of one of the country's most famous wines, Retsina.
ALong with this idiosyncratic wine (which is mostly made from the local Savatiano grape), many Dry red and white wines are produced in Central Greece, from varieties as far-ranging as Assyrtico, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Athiri.
Central Greece has long been associated with mass production, producing around 200 million liters (52. 8 million US gallons) of wine each year. In recent years, producers in the region have been making a push toward quality and experimenting with different styles of wine.
Retsina, long the pariah of European wine culture, has become a blank canvas for winemakers, who are experimenting with grape varieties such as Roditis and Assyrtico and with lower quantities of resin.
The region covers the Southern Part of continental Greece, just North of the Peloponnese Peninsula and south of Thessalia and Epirus. The Aegean Sea makes up the eastern coast of Central Greece, and the Ionian Sea is to the west. While there are no PDO-level appellations in this part of Greece, more than 20 separate PGI wine zones are spread across the region.
Many of these appellations are found in the eastern part of Central Greece, on the low-lying plains of Attica.
This is a very old grape variety grown in Greece, particularly in the southern Cyclades Islands in the Aegean Sea, and more specifically in the Santorini archipelago. It is related to gaidouria and platani. In this country, it is quite often "associated" with other grape varieties such as aïdani, athiri, malagousia, ... . Assyrtiko can be found in Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, the United States, Mexico, South Africa, etc. Little known in France, it is nevertheless registered in the Official Catalogue of wine grape varieties, list A.
wines from the region of Continental Greece go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, game (deer, venison) or pasta such as recipes of celine's version of moussaka (5th meeting), aiguillette of duck with honey or tagliatelle with foie gras.
On the nose in the region of Continental Greece often reveals types of flavors of citrus, green apple or pear and sometimes also flavors of non oak, earth or oak. In the mouth in the region of Continental Greece is a powerful with a nice freshness.
