Cephalonia (Kefalonia) is an island in the Ionian Sea, just off the west coast of Greece. It is home to a rich wine-growing history and to three PDO-level appellations. Robola of Cephalonia is the most important of these, producing light, fresh, white wines with citrusy characteristics from the Robola grape variety.
Cephalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands, measuring about 30 miles (50km) from north to south. Like many of them, Cephalonia is covered in mountain ranges, and its highest point reaches some 5200ft (1600m) above sea level. Many of its vineyards can be found on the Palaki Peninsula in the south, where the slopes of Mount Enos provide a range of suitable mesoclimates for viticulture.
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The Robola of Cephalonia appellation covers the western side of the mountain, and vines are planted at altitudes reaching as high as 2500ft (750m) above sea level. While Cephalonia has a classic Mediterranean climate, the cooler environment on these high slopes is important for the development of the Robola grape, which has a tendency to lose acidity in hotter climates. The diurnal temperature variation at the higher altitude helps to slow ripening, which allows the berries to develop flavor while retaining vital acidity.
The dry limestone soils on the side of Mount Enos are well suited to the Robola vine, which is generally trained in a gobelet style. Thin and low in fertility, these soils cause the vine to grow deep roots into the fractured limestone bedrock, strengthening the plant and leading to the production of small, highly concentrated grapes.
Cephalonia is also home to two sweet-wine appellations, although both are eclipsed by Robola of Cephalonia in terms of both fame and production levels. Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia is a sweet red wine made from the Mavrodaphne grape variety, and the appellation covers vineyard land on the island's lower-lying areas, as well as allowing grapes from the neighboring island of Ithaca (Ithaki). Muscat of Cephalonia is a white vin doux naturel made from the Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains grape variety.
Homer refers to grapevines on Cephalonia in his epic story 'The Odyssey', which suggests that winemaking here goes back thousands of years. It was not until the 1960s that the area began to use modern winemaking techniques, although an outbreak of phylloxera on the island in the 1980s meant that many of the vineyards had to be replanted with new phylloxera-resistant rootstocks. Today, olive oil plays a more-important role in the local economy than wine.
