Contemporary
Greek Winemaking
with Yliana Stengou
of Domaine
Porto Carra
C
ontemporary thinking has it
that there are no longer rules
for pairing wines. Guidelines,
yes, rules no. The same can be
said for traveling to famous
destinations. What if I wanted to go
to Greece and concentrate on their
crisp white wines and juicy terroir
driven reds, rather than the ruins?
Would the travel gods scowl at my
choice? Maybe, but visiting lesser
known wine regions is my passion
and discovering the aromas and sips
that blend with distinctive terroir
and glamorous landscapes is a
lifelong passion that has never
served me wrong.
Move over traditionalists, Halkidiki,
Greece is a trending wine road every
wine lover should have on their
bucket list, and Domaine Porto
Carras Winery is the perfect
example of what Greek winemakers
have to offer.
The spirit of Domaine Porto Carras
is characterized by the values of
perseverance and commitment.
Situated just a short drive from
the Eagles Palace resort, this winery
tasting room features wines from
a project that was inspired in 1965
meant to bring radical change to
the wine industry in Greece. Twenty-
seven varieties were planted in
various locations, 13 of these were
French and 14 Greek. It is worth
noting that this was the first time
that a systematic evaluation
of French varieties suitable for
planting in Greece was carried
out, and that subsequently,
the first Cabernet Sauvignon
to be commercially vinified in
Greece came about.
From the beginning, the ecological
cultivation of the vines held
great importance to the concept.
The planting of the estate was
accomplished with focused respect
50
for the environment. Existing
forests remained, forming natural
barriers that retain the humidity
of the atmosphere at night and help
the vines to resist the high summer
temperatures. All the vin