The Ionian Islands are in the Ionian Sea, off the west coast of Greece. While not as famous viticulturally as the islands of the Aegean Sea – where Santorini and Samos make some of Greece's most famous wines – the Ionian Islands have a rich winegrowing history. Most wines are made from native and local grape varieties such as Robola, Vertzami and Kakotrygis.
The archipelago stretches for 170 miles (275km), with the northernmost island, Corfu, running parallel to Albania and the southernmost, Zakynthos, sitting off the coast of the Peloponnese Peninsula. Lefkas is the closest to the mainland, separated by only a thin canal. Only 65 miles (105km) separates Corfu from Puglia, Italy, to the north-east.
© Wikimedia/Danel Solabarrieta
The Ionian island of Ithaki is thought to have been the home of Odysseus in Homer's epic Odyssey and wine from both Cephalonia and Corfu is mentioned in the story. This would suggest that viticulture here dates back at least 2500 years. However, the most important period in the viticultural history of the region is the Middle Ages, when the Ionian islands were ruled by the Venetians. The widely planted Robola grape variety is the same as the Italian Ribolla, and the Vertzami grape planted extensively on Lefkas shares its parentage with the Marzemino variety of northern Italy.
Along with planting vineyards, the Venetians also introduced currants and olive trees to the islands, and both of these crops now far surpass wine as the chief agricultural output of the region. In the 20th Century, a major earthquake, an outbreak of phylloxera, a rise in immigration and the development of a bustling tourism industry led to a significant reduction in the size of the Ionian vineyard.
The islands enjoy a Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and mild, rainy winters. They lie on the windward side of the Pindus Mountains, which run down the western coast of mainland Greece and as a result get far more rain than their Aegean counterparts, hence the greener landscapes and greater biodiversity. Vineyard locations on south-facing mountain slopes provide ample sunshine during the day and cooler nights that help the grapes to retain acidity as they ripen. Free-draining limestone soils on many of the islands add to the terroir, promoting strength in the vines and concentration in the resultant grapes.
There are only three PDO-level appellations in the Ionian Islands, all of them on the central island of Cephalonia: Robola of Cephalonia, Muscat of Cephalonia and Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia. These appellations all produce single-varietal wines, and the dry whites of Robola of Cephalonia are by far the most famous wines of the Ionian Islands. There are a handful of PGI appellations across the islands and these have a variety of different requirements for production: PGI Corfu wines call for a minimum of 60% Kakotrygis, while the PGI Verdea wines of Zakynthos have very specific vinification techniques.
The small viticultural output of the Ionian Islands – combined with the thriving tourism industry – means that production rarely exceeds local demand. As a result, very few Ionian wines are found on sale in mainland Greece, let alone internationally.
