Winemaker Notes
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
A large southern region of Greece, the Peloponnese contains the famous appellations of Nemea and Mantineia. While connected to the mainland by a tiny strip of land, essentially the region is a large Mediterranean island and excels in the production of red wine from Agiorghitiko, white from Moscofilero and sweet wine from the Mavrodaphne grape.