Local Grape Varieties
Learn about all the studied grape varieties
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White varieties
White Theiako
It is considered a variant of the red Theiako.
It is found in the Ionian Islands and mainly in Ithaca.
It differs from the red Theiako in terms of maturation time (15 days earlier).
Kakotrighi
It is cultivated on the island of Corfu.
It is a lively and productive variety.
It is grown as an autoculture.
High quality wines are usually produced, such as the dry white Local Wines “Halikounas” and “Kerkyras“.
Muscat White
It is considered to be of Asia Minor origin.
It is cultivated in other countries of Europe, but also in the USA, Australia etc.
In Greece it is cultivated mainly in Samos.
It adapts to various soils even in poor, dry, calcareous soils.
It is characterized as a productive variety.
White wines, naturally sweet wines (liqueur wines) and liqueur wines (vins de liqueur) are produced, which are entitled to the designation PDO.P ‘Samos’, ‘Muscat of Patras’, ‘Muscat of Rio-Patra’, ‘Muscat of Kefallinia’, and ‘Muscat of Rhodes’, as well as the dry white local wine ‘Slopes of Vineyard’ (mountain of Samos) and the local wine ‘Cyclades’.
Tsaousi
Of Egyptian origin, cultivated in several Balkan and Mediterranean countries.
In Greece it is cultivated in Kefalonia and is scattered in various regions of Macedonia, Thrace, Imathia and Corfu.
Characterized by a lively, medium-production variety.
It may be cultivated in the Ionian Islands’ Vineyard District.
Robola
It is cultivated mainly in Kefalonia.
It thrives in the limestone soils of mountainous and semi-mountainous areas.
It is characterised as a variety of medium vigour and a variety of medium to low productivity (yield 400 to 600 kg/ha).
White, dry, very good quality white wines are produced, which rightfully hold the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) “Robola Kefalonias”.
Red varieties
Augoustiatis
It occurs scattered in Zakynthos and Kefalonia, but also in other prefectures of Greece.
It is cultivated in various types of soils: gravelly, sandy-clayey, clay-loam of medium composition and fertility, well drained.
The wines produced are deep coloured, with a variety of aromas and a soft taste.
It participates in the red and reddish dry Local Wines “Ilia” and “Cyclades”.
In the Merkouri estate it is vinified either alone or blended with the Mourvedre (or Monastrell) variety, giving the market deep red wines.
Verjami
It is cultivated mainly in Lefkada.
It adapts and performs even in stony, shallow, dry, high slope soils.
A lively and productive variety.
It is used to give colour to wines that are poor in pigments and tannins and are described as“blending wines“.
The combination of the verjami and merlot gives the red and reddish dry Local Wine “Lefkada”.
Black laurel
It is cultivated mainly in the prefecture of Achaia and secondarily in the prefecture of Ilia, as well as in the Ionian Islands of Kefalonia, Lefkada etc.
It is characterised by a variety of medium vigour and medium to high productivity depending on the soil and cultivation operations.
They are made directly from black laurel or with the addition of Corinthian must, and are natural sweet wines (vins de liqueur), which, after ageing, acquire excellent flavour and aromatic characters.
These wines, when aged for at least one year, bear the names “Mavrodaphne Patras” and “Mavrodaphne Kefalinias“, depending on their production area, and are classified in the PDO category.
Petrokoritho
It is referred to as a black-orange variant of the variety “Korithi white” cultivated in Corfu, Evia, Achaia, Messinia and Zakynthos.
Very lively and productive variety.
The must of Petrokoritho is of high quality, good acidity.
It is recommended to cultivate the variety in the Ionian Islands Vineyard District.
Red Theiako
It is cultivated in the Ionian Islands, mainly in Lefkada, Ithaca, Kefalonia and Aitoloakarnania.
A lively and productive variety.
There is also a white variety of Theiako, which is cultivated in the Ionian Islands, Kefalonia, Lefkada and Ithaca and which ripens about two weeks earlier than the red variety.