The SOMM Journal

August/September 2014

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{ SOMMjournal.com }  83 On the other hand, Crete's foray into the modern fine-wine market couldn't be more nascent. Notwithstanding the presence of a host of native grape varieties, a favorable Mediterranean climate with maritime influences and poor soils that encourage low-volume production of high-quality wine grapes, Cretans spent most of the 20th century turning out simple bulk wines for domestic consumption. "Younger" wine regions such as France and Italy have long established which grapes fare best in which areas; Crete has yet to do the same despite its early start. Whether it can finally capitalize on the ancient promise of its terroir may now be up to a handful of young winemakers who are experimenting with international varieties and reaching out to increasingly quality-oriented export markets. odern Winemaking History Crete is the largest and most southerly of Greece's islands; its strategic position in the Aegean Sea made it a prime target for invasion. Minoan, Roman and Venetian rulers had varying impacts on a generally healthy wine industry, but the Ottoman conquest in 1669 marked the beginning of a long period of decline. Crete was annexed to Greece in 1913, and its wine exports had scarcely begun to rebuild before a series of wars involving the new mother country disrupted production yet again. Cretan winemaking traditions were kept alive by a few landowning families until 1974, when the outbreak of phylloxera forced the replanting of most vineyards. High-volume bulk-wine production then became the norm, and resources were shifted from agriculture to tourism—both at the expense of the island's reputation for fine wines. Crete now faces a triple threat in clawing its way back to glory. Domestic wine consumption, long the local industry's main means of support, is on the wane; what's more, Greece's well-publicized economic woes have driven prices down. At the same time, Crete faces a significant uphill battle in reconquer - ing the export markets that once made its wines famous. Global consumers may be savvier than ever, but they are still reluctant to shell out for wines made from unfamiliar grape varieties. In response to these challenges, two winemakers' associations have been established—for Heraklion in 2006 and for Chania and Rethymnon in 2008—to promote exports and encourage enotourism; their 30 members account for more than 90% of the island's production. retan Terroir Crete's hilly terrain provides numerous opportunities for winegrowers to exploit such quality-enhancing features as vineyard aspect and slope. While the elevation of some older plantings can exceed 3,280 feet, grapes today are rarely grown above 1,640 feet. The Ida, Dikti and Thripti mountain ranges do play an important part in Cretan viticulture, however, by shield - ing the vineyards from heat-bearing African winds. Thanks to the inescapable proximity of the Mediterranean Sea, the entire island enjoys a temperate climate. Soils are rocky and volcanic; the better sites tend to have relatively high levels of calcium in the underlying clay, with consequently high pH levels. Fine-wine production is concentrated around the island's center, near the coastal resort town of Heraklion, where the asbestos-like calcareous soils are good for growing cattails, wine grapes and little else. The Heraklion district contains three of the island's official Protected Designations of Origin—Dafnes, Archanes, and Peza; the fourth, Sitia, is located in the Lasithi district on Crete's northeastern edge, and a few producers are working in the western regions of Chania and Rethymnon. PDO classification is intended primarily to maintain quality standards and production traditions for the major indigenous varieties: the white Vilana and Thrapsathiri and the red Liatiko, Kotsifali and Mandilari. Emmanelle Paterianaki is co-proprietor of the largest female-owned winery on Crete, Domaine Paterianakis. Zacharias Diamantakis at a site overlooking the family's vineyards.

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