Πλαγιές Μελίτωνα (Playies Melitona)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The viticultural zone lies on the western side of the Sithonia peninsula of Chalkidiki, extending from 100 metres to 350 metres in altitude.
• In the coastal vineyard sites, the influence of the sea moderates daily temperature swings, particularly during the warmest hours of the day, improving light distribution and promoting ripening.
• In the semi-mountainous vineyard sites, the gain in altitude ensures a reduction in mean daily temperature of approximately 0.5 to 0.9°C per 100 metres, favouring a wider range of grape varieties.
• The climate of the region is typically Mediterranean, generally sunny with limited rainfall, sunny winters and cool summers with abundant sunshine, while weather patterns become more variable from south to north.

• Evidence of vine cultivation and winemaking in Macedonia dates from the Archaic and Classical periods, attested through written sources, coins from the 6th century BC and depictions on vessels of the Classical period.
• Vineyards existed in Chalkidiki, Thasos, Pella and Stageira, where Aristotle himself maintained a vineyard, while wines bearing the place names Toroni, Akanthos and Olympus enjoyed fame throughout the then-known world.

• The predominance of the dry Mediterranean climate is balanced by the humidity carried by maritime air masses, by the cool microclimate of the pine-covered ridges, and by the calcareous-schist soils with their high water-retention capacity.

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-A1096
• Official trade body site — Domaine Porto Carras