Central Greece is a large geographical region in the heart of mainland Greece. Home to around 4.5 million Greeks and the capital city, Athens, the region is also the birthplace of one of the country's most famous wines, Retsina. Along with this idiosyncratic wine (which is mostly made from the local Savatiano grape), many dry red and white wines are produced in Central Greece, from varieties as far-ranging as Assyrtico, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Athiri.
The region covers the southern part of continental Greece, just north of the Peloponnese Peninsula and south of Thessalia and Epirus. The Aegean Sea makes up the eastern coast of Central Greece, and the Ionian Sea is to the west. While there are no PDO-level appellations in this part of Greece, more than 20 separate PGI wine zones are spread across the region.
Many of these appellations are found in the eastern part of Central Greece, on the low-lying plains of Attica. Here, Savatiano dominates vineyard plantings, although the hot sun and warm temperatures of the area mean that grapes ripen quickly, and acidity can be lost as a result. Most of this Savatiano is used in the production of Retsina, during which pine resin is added to the grape must prior to fermentation, creating a white wine with a strong flavor of resin. This much-maligned style was born of necessity: in ancient times, the resin created an airtight seal in the clay amphorae used as fermentation vessels, and locals developed a taste for the resultant wine.
In the mountains at the western end of Central Greece, the climate is more continental, and hot temperatures in the summer have sent most viticultural pursuits into the surrounding mountains. Here, in areas such as Parnassos, Martino and the Slopes of Knimida, higher altitudes provide cooler mesoclimates for wine-growing, allowing for slower ripening and thus the retention of acidity in the grapes. Dry red and white wines are made in these appellations.
According to some accounts, Thebes in Central Greece is the birthplace of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. According to myth, Dionysus bestowed the gift of winemaking to the Attican mortal Icarius. Icarius passed this gift on to his countrymen, and was promptly stoned to death by the locals, who mistook their drunkenness for having been poisoned.
Central Greece has long been associated with mass production, producing around two million hL of wine each year. In recent years, producers in the region have been making a push toward quality and experimenting with different styles of wine. Retsina, long the pariah of European wine culture, has become a blank canvas for winemakers, who are experimenting with grape varieties such as Roditis and Assyrtico and with lower quantities of resin.
