Old Greek grape varieties making strong comeback
A silent wine revolution has been taking place in Greece in recent years as old native grape varieties, which for decades were supplanted by the fashion and convenience of French varieties, are now being cultivated again.
These varieties are finding their way back to the market in Greece and abroad, with the islands being at the forefront of the effort where viticulture had declined due to tourism.
Planting new, “old” vines is also being emulated in many other parts of the country.
The new Greek wines that are seeing a surge in global popularity include the tounge-twisting Tahtas, Serfiotiko, Monemvasia and Agripiotis.
Tahtas producer Nikos Douloufakis says the cultivation of Greek varieties took a hit when the European Union subsidized winemakers in the 1980s to uproot their vineyards and reduce production. But it seems that the Tahtas, as the other varieties, were “too hard to die.”
