Λασίθι (Lasithi)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The winegrowing zone of PGI Lasithi lies within the administrative boundaries of the Prefecture of Lasithi, in the easternmost part of Crete, at an altitude of more than 30 metres above sea level.
• Three seas embrace the area: the Sea of Crete to the north, the Libyan Sea to the south, and the Carpathian Sea to the east, while the Dikti mountain range dominates to the west.
• The climate of the area is characterised as Mediterranean, with a fairly mild and wet winter, while snowfall is rare, particularly on the lowland expanses.
• The prevailing winds in the area are mainly northerly and north-westerly, strong during the months of July and August, bringing a cooling effect from the Sea of Crete.
• Mean annual rainfall is around 450 mm, distributed in a pattern typical of Mediterranean climates, with increased precipitation from October through April.

• Excavations on the island of Crete have uncovered vessels bearing wine residues dating to 2000 BC, and a complete grape-pressing and must-collection complex was subsequently identified.
• In the palace of Minos, king of Crete, which flourished around 1700 BC, large storage jars were used for the wine produced and traded at the time, and the Minoan civilisation and wine were inseparably linked, as evidenced by inscriptions dating to 1450 BC.
• Around 67 BC, when Crete was part of the Roman Empire, viticulture and wine production expanded rapidly and Cretan wine conquered Rome, with Crete lying along the maritime route between Rome, Egypt, and the East.

• The distinctiveness of PGI Lasithi wines stems from the particular characteristics of the area — namely its soils, climate, and the influence of summer winds — combined with the cultivated varieties and viticultural techniques.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Greece

Sources

• National product specification (PDF) — ypaat
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PGI-GR-A0830
• Official trade body site — Wines of Greece (EDOAO)