heteroclito cave & bar a vin

118 119 [XINOMAVRO] Greece is not all islands. Some of the most interesting wines are made on the slopes of the north-western highlands, which in terms of geology belong to the same long mountain chain as the French Alps. Properly processed, the Xinomavro cultivar gives a robust red wine with overtones of ripe olive and dry tomato. Highland locations farther north, such as Naoussa and Amyntaio, produce wine with Xinomavro grapes alone, while winemakers in Goumenissa and Rapsani blend the Xinomavro grapes with other local varieties such as Stavroto. [ASYRTIKO] In Greece today, one of the most interesting wines is produced—in small quantities—on the flanks of the volcanic caldera called Santorini, a top sightseeing and holiday destination for visitors from the world over. At the root of that wine, figuratively and literally, is a grape variety called Asyrtiko. Every summer the northern wind blows very hard on the slopes of the caldera. The local viticulturists weave the branches of the grapevine into a wind-proof basket that protects the grapes. The terroir of Santorini is so special that the Asyrtiko cultivar was not affected by the Great Wine Blight (Phylloxera epidemic), which obliterated most vineyards in Europe from the late 19th to the mid- 20th century.