Νάουσα (Naoussa)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The main body of the Naoussa viticultural zone sits at elevations ranging from 80 m to 350 m, with a pronounced and complex relief.
• The soils of the zone derive from various geological formations, including serpentines, dolerites, marbles, schists, and ancient conglomerate deposits, depending on the sub-zone.
• The soils of the area are mainly of medium to heavy mechanical composition with high water-holding capacity, and belong to the Alfisols, Entisols, and Inceptisols soil orders.
• The soils of the zone are predominantly neutral to alkaline in reaction, with the exception of certain areas of Pollon Neron, where soils are acidic down to 60 cm.
• The climate of the area is classified on the Köppen scale as temperate Mediterranean with continental tendencies, with rainfall reaching 650 mm, falling mainly in autumn and winter.

• Phylloxera and the two World Wars devastated the Naoussa vineyard, which was only reconstituted in the early 1970s thanks to the initiative of the Boutari company.
• By a government decree signed in 1971, the Appellation of Origin Naoussa was granted to a dry red wine made from the Xinomavro grape variety, aged in oak barrels for a minimum of one year.

• In the Gastra area, when vine growth and water supply are in balance, the wines are high in alcohol and deep in colour, with a rich body and pronounced, good tannins.
• In the Fyteia area, the wines consistently show pronounced fruity characters such as red forest fruits, while under less favourable conditions herbaceous, unripe characters tend to dominate.

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 PDO-GR-A1610
• Official trade body site — VAENI Naoussa — Cooperative Winery of Naoussa