Agiorgitiko

Agiorgitiko
Grape (Vitis)
Color of berry skin	Noir
Also called	Aghiorghitiko, Mavro Nemeas, St. George, and other synonyms
Origin	Nemea
Notable regions	Greece

Agiorgitiko (Greek: Αγιωργίτικο; also known as Aghiorghitiko, Mavro Nemeas and St. George) is one of the two widely-grown heat-resistant Greek wine-making grape varieties, the other being Xynomavro. It is a red variety that has traditionally been grown in the Nemea region of the Peloponnese. It is one of the more commercially important indigenous Greek varieties, and it can take on a large range of characteristics, from soft to very tannic, depending on factors in the growing and winemaking processes.^[1]

Viticulture

The grape is generally planted in dry, infertile soil, in order to encourage the production of fewer but more concentrated grapes, and ripens after mid-September. It is frequently host to a number of viruses, which may actually be in part responsible for its typical characteristics.^[1]

Wine styles

The grape is typically made in a varietal style though it is notably blended with Cabernet Sauvignon in the area around Metsovo to make the table wine which is traditionally called Katoi. In the region of Nemea it is often made into rosés of oak-aged red wines. The wines are known for their high level of fruitiness but tend to lack some acidity and body. After Xynomavro, it is Greece's second most widely planted grape variety.^[2]

The red wine produced from the grape is characteristically spicy with notes of plum. It has low acidity but good fruitiness and coloring.^[3]

Synonyms

Agiorgitiko is also known under the synonyms Aghiorghitico, Mavro(black or dark), Mavro Nemeas, Mavronemeas, Mavrostaphylo Mavraki, Mavroudi Nemeas, Nemeas Mavro, and Nemeas Mavroudi.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Konstantinos Lazarakis (2005). The Wines of Greece. Sterling Publishing Company. pp. 69–70. ISBN 1-84000-897-0. 
2. ^ J. Robinson, ed (2006). The Oxford Companion to Wine (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 7. ISBN 0-19-860990-6. 
3. ^ Oz Clarke (2001). Encyclopedia of Grapes. Harcourt Books. p. 34. ISBN 0-15-100714-4. 
4. ^ Agiorgitiko, Vitis International Variety Catalogue, accessed on June 21, 2010

External links

• Chief Greek red grape varieties