Κως (Kos)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Vineyard yield up to 1,000 kg per stremma (10,000 kg/ha) on soils suitable for viticulture.

• Viticulture on Kos is documented for more than 4,000 years; Hippocrates explicitly recommended the 'Koian wine, austere and very dark.'.
• In 1949 the Cooperative for the Vinification and Sale of Kos Grapes was founded, operating until 1996.

• Hippocrates described Koan wine as 'austere' (dry), 'very dark' (deep red), and 'slightly astringent' (tannic/brusque).
• Ancient Kos also produced white wines: Strabo mentions the 'leukokoon' or 'thalattomenon wine,' a pale-coloured white.

• The Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and significant diurnal temperature variation during the summer months, is directly linked to the character of PGI Kos wines.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• National product specification (PDF) — eambrosia
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PGI-GR-A0981
• Official trade body site — Wines of Greece (EDOAO)