Ancient Grape Varietals
Modern Winemaking
In the North, the focus is on red wines, with the best vineyards found at higher elevations (over 250 m / 1,000 ft).
For example, on the slopes of Mount Olympus, the region Rapsani is where you’ll find bush vines of Xinomavro, Krasato, and Stavroto growing on schist soils. Wines from here are usually blends, with a dominance of Xinomavro and spicy flavors of raspberry, anise, fennel, cherry, and occasionally olive or tomato with tannins that build slowly (but surely!) on the palate. This area is kind of like the mountainous Rhône of Greece, which means the wines from here are ideal for Rhône blend lovers.