CROSS-BORDER NETWORK FOR THE PROMOTION OF WINE PRODUCTS

DELIVERABLE 6.1.1

Development Plan of a Cross Border Body for wine promotion

July 2013

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 7

2. CURRENT SITUATION OF WINE PROMOTION IN GREECE AND ITALY ............. 9

2.1 Progress of wine promotion in Greece ........................................................ 9

2.2 Progress of wine promotion in Italy .......................................................... 15

2.3 Comparison of good practices for wine promotion in Greece and in Italy 18

2.4 Good practices for wine promotion internationally .................................. 19

2.5 Assessment of wine industry in the economies of Greece and Italy ......... 21

3. REGISTRATION OF WINES OF PROTECTED ORIGIN IN GREECE .................... 27

4. RECORDING OF CHARACTERISTIC WINE VARIETIES OF GREECE .................. 33

4.1 White wine varieties ................................................................................. 33

4.2 Varieties of red grapes .............................................................................. 41

4.3 Wine description of the Prefecture of Epirus ............................................ 52

5. WINES OF ITALY ............................................................................................. 56

5.1 Wine description of the Region of Apulia ................................................. 69

5.2 Wine Products Marketing ...................................................................... 73

5.3 Contribution of the wine sector to the economy ...................................... 76

6. SWOT ANALYSIS FOR WINE AND WINE PRODUCTS ....................................... 78

7. ESTABLISHMENT OF A CROSS-BORDER BODY FOR THE PROMOTION OF WINE 86

7.1 Vision ......................................................................................................... 86

7.2 Objectives .................................................................................................. 86

7.3 Structure .................................................................................................... 86

7.4 Bodys legal form ....................................................................................... 87

7.5 Cooperation Agreement ............................................................................ 87

8. NETWORKING WITH RELEVANT BODIES ........................................................ 88

8.1 Bodies in Greece ....................................................................................... 88

8.2 Bodies in Italy ........................................................................................... 90

9. PLAN OF EVENTS OF THE BODY IN GREECE AND ITALY ................................. 92

9.1 Events in Greece ........................................................................................ 92

9.2 Events in Italy............................................................................................ 93

10. ACTION PLAN OF THE CROSS-BORDER WINE BODY WINE-NET .................... 98

11. MARKETING PLAN OF THE CROSS-BORDER WINE BODY WINE-NET ........... 100

11.1 Communication Strategy and Communication Plan .............................. 100

11.2 Actions and Communication tools ......................................................... 102

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12. PROMOTION PLAN OF WINE- BODY IN GREECE AND ITALY .................. 105

13. REFERENCES .................................................................................................. 108

APPENDIX ............................................................................................................. 113

Cooperation Agreement ................................................................................ 113

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INDEX OF TABLES

Table 1: Progress of advertising expenditure for wine champagne (2001 - 2009) (Sector study on winemaking, ICAP, 2010) ................................................................................... 11 Table 2: Distribution of advertising expenditure for wine in each media (2001 - 2009) (Sector study on winemaking, ICAP, 2010) ................................................................................... 11 Table 3. LEADER II Programme Wine Roads of Northern Greece (Wines of Northern Greece, 2012) ................................................................................................................. 12 Table 4. Key stages of the evolution of wine tourism promotion in Greece (Wine Roads of Northern Greece 2013 & Georgiades, 2008) ...................................................................... 14 Table 5. Wine tourism networks in Greece (Unions WebPages, see References) ................. 15 Table 6. Comparative presentation of good practices in Greece & Italy ............................... 18 Table 7. Number of productive enterprises by legal form (.S.., 2005) ........................... 21 Table 8. Number of wine producing enterprises by County (.S.., 2005) ......................... 22 Table 9. Greek Wine Production, Period 1990-2012 (Min. of Agricultural Development, 2013)...................................................................................................................................... 24 Table 10. Italian wine production per region and per year (2007 - 2011) ............................ 26 Table 11. Quality wines produced in specified regions (V.Q.P.R.D.) .................................... 27 Table 12. Greek Wines of Designation of Origin of Superior Quality (A.O.Q.S.).................... 29 Table 13. Greek Wines of Protected Designation of Origin (.O.C.) .................................... 30 Table 14. Greek and international cultivated varieties ........................................................ 31 Table 15. Cultivated areas in Greece (Min. Rur. Dev. & Food) ............................................ 31 Table 16. Actually cultivated area by wine category and prefecture (Min. Rur. Dev. & Food) 32 Table 17. Inventory of main wine making varieties for wine year 2011 2012 (Min. Rur. Dev. & Food) .......................................................................................................................... 51 Table 18. Geographical distribution of wine production in Greece* (2001-2007) .................. 52 Table 19. Produced wines of the Prefecture of Epirus ........................................................ 53 20. Wine grape varieties within the viticultural unit of Epirus ................................. 55 Table 21. Wines of Puglia ................................................................................................ 57 Table 22. Wines of Basilicata ........................................................................................... 57 Table 23. Wines of Calabria ............................................................................................. 57 Table 24. Wines of Sicilia ................................................................................................. 57 Table 25. Wines of Sardegna ........................................................................................... 58 Table 26. Wines of Campania .......................................................................................... 59 Table 27. Wines of Molise ................................................................................................ 59 Table 28. Wines of Lazio ................................................................................................. 60 Table 29. Wines of Abruzzo ............................................................................................. 60 Table 30. Wines of Marche .............................................................................................. 60 Table 31. Wines of Umbria .............................................................................................. 60 Table 32: Wines of Toscana ............................................................................................. 61 Table 33. Wines of Emilia Romagna ................................................................................. 62 Table 34. Wines of Liguria ............................................................................................... 62 Table 35. Wines of Piemonte ........................................................................................... 63 Table 36. Wines of Valle d Aosta ..................................................................................... 64 Table 37. Wines of Lombardia ......................................................................................... 64 Table 38. Wines of Trentino Alto-Adige ............................................................................ 65 Table 39. Wines of Veneto ............................................................................................... 67 Table 40. Wines of Friuli Venezia-Giulia ............................................................................ 68

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Table 41. vineyards ......................................................................................................... 69 Table 42: Wine production per province ........................................................................... 74 Table 43. Key dimensions of SWOT analysis (Richards, 2001) ............................................ 78 Table 44. Combination of categories of factors of SWOT analysis (Richards, 2001) ............. 79 Table 45. S.W.O.T. analysis for wine ................................................................................ 83 Table 46. Use of the SWOT method for the formation of policy choices .............................. 84 Table 47. Strategic orientations ....................................................................................... 85 Table 48. Proposed Partners ............................................................................................ 90 Table 49. Wine fairs in Greece and Italy ........................................................................... 95 Table 50. International wine fairs (Wine Explorations, April 2013) ...................................... 96 Table 51. International wine competitions (Wine Explorations, April 2013) ......................... 97 Table 52. Sets of actions of the body for the promotion of wine WINE-NET ........................ 99

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INDEX OF PICTURES

Picture 1. Athiri ............................................................................................................... 33 Picture 2. Aidani .............................................................................................................. 33 Picture 3. Assyrtiko ......................................................................................................... 34 Picture 4. Vilana .............................................................................................................. 34 Picture 5. Malagouzia ...................................................................................................... 34 Picture 6. Monemvasia .................................................................................................... 35 Picture 7. Muscat of Samos .............................................................................................. 35 Picture 8. Muscat of lexandreia ...................................................................................... 36 Picture 9. Batiki............................................................................................................... 36 Picture 10. Debina .......................................................................................................... 37 Picture 11. Rhoditis ......................................................................................................... 37 Picture 12. Robola ........................................................................................................... 38 Picture 13. Savatiano ...................................................................................................... 38 Picture 14. Chardonnay ................................................................................................... 39 Picture 15. Sauvignon Blanc ............................................................................................. 40 Picture 16. Viognier ......................................................................................................... 41 Picture 17. Agiorgitiko ..................................................................................................... 41 Picture 18. Vertzami ........................................................................................................ 42 Picture 19. Kotsifali ......................................................................................................... 42 Picture 20. Krasato .......................................................................................................... 42 Picture 21. Liatiko ........................................................................................................... 43 Picture 22. Limnio ........................................................................................................... 43 Picture 23. Mantilaria ...................................................................................................... 43 Picture 24. Mavrodaphne ................................................................................................. 44 Picture 25. Black Messenikola .......................................................................................... 44 Picture 26. Mavrotragano ................................................................................................ 45 Picture 27. Mavroudi ....................................................................................................... 45 Picture 28. Muscat of Hamburg ........................................................................................ 45 Picture 29. Moschofilero .................................................................................................. 45 Picture 30. Negoska ........................................................................................................ 46 Picture 31. Xinomavro ..................................................................................................... 46 Picture 32. Stavroto ........................................................................................................ 47 Picture 33. Cabernet franc ............................................................................................... 47 Picture 34. Cabernet Sauvignon ....................................................................................... 48 Picture 35. Grenache ....................................................................................................... 49 Picture 36. Merlot............................................................................................................ 50 Picture 37. Syrah ............................................................................................................ 51

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1. INTRODUCTION

The introduction of alternative developmental standards in tourism industry since the 1980s as well as their differentiation from the model of mass tourism started to emerge from the new trends of tourism demand. The development and advertisement of alternative and thematic forms create new tourism products and new destinations, while their promotion and preservation requires organised action and proper administration.

Taking into account the need to adapt to these conditions, the project entitled Cross-border Network for the Promotion of Wine Products is intended to the establishment of joint actions aiming at the promotion of cultural and natural heritage on one hand, and the development of tourism at the cross border region between Greece and Italy on the other, with wine and vine as the main axis. The corporate structure for this specific project, which bears the acronym WINENET, consists of the following five bodies: Development Agency of Epirus S.A. (Coordinating Partner), Regional Unit of Ioannina, Municipality of Konitsa, Municipality of Cellino San Marco (Brindisi, Apulia) and Municipality of Guagnano (Lecce, Apulia).

The present study-project is part of the Work Package 6 Networks activities for the promotion of wine production and wine tourism project and aims at the integrated management and promotion of wine tourism and wine tourism resources of the areas of interest.

More specifically, the individual activities of this particular Work Package are the following:

6.1: Cross-border Forum 6.2: Educational activities

Apart from the present first chapter, this study consists of twelve additional chapters. The second chapter includes a description of the progress of wine promotion as a tourism product in Greece and Italy, a presentation of good practices for the promotion of wine internationally, and the participation of wine industry in the economies of the two countries. The data concerning the Italian partners are gathered through a structured questionnaire. Furthermore, a comparative depiction of both countries' actions relating to the promotional activities is presented.

Chapter three presents the wines of Protected Designation of Origin of Greece together with the regions, names and vine varieties. In addition to this, this section presents Greek and international varieties of white and red grapes cultivated in Greece, as well as an overview of cultivated vineyards by region, in the period 2006-2009.

In the fourth chapter the characteristic Greek and international vine varieties cultivated in Greece are presented in detail. The varieties of white and red grapes are distinguished and their characteristics and properties are described, as well as historical data regarding their origin. In the fifth chapter are presented the Italian wines by region.

The sixth chapter presents the S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis for wine, which is a general planning and organisation strategy of a comprehensive decision-making framework.

The seventh chapter includes the vision, goals, structure and legal form of the cross-border body for wine. In the eighth chapter partnerships with relevant tourism bodies are recommended, while the nine chapter includes a detailed presentation of wine events and suggests the participation of the body in these events. In chapter ten the action plan of the body for wine is formed, in which sets of actions with indicative timetables are included. Chapter eleven and twelve present the bodys marketing and promotion plans, respectively. The last part includes the References and the Appendix, in which the model cooperation agreement is presented.

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The data relating to Italy drawn from a questionnaire that completed by the Italian partners.

The working group

Ioanna Papaioannou, Project Manager, External Partner, NOISIS Development Consultants S.A.

Vasilios Tsekeridis, Assistant Project Manager, External Partner, NOISIS Development Consultants S.A.

Christina Garoufalia, External Partner, NOISIS Development Consultants S.A.

Argyropoulou Kyriaki, External Partner, NOISIS Development Consultants S.A.

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2. CURRENT SITUATION OF WINE PROMOTION IN GREECE AND ITALY

The present chapter includes a description of the progress of wine promotion in Greece and Italy as well as the means, tools and actions developed to achieve its promotion. Promotional actions of the two countries are presented in parallel,while good practices of wine promotion used by other countries are briefly mentioned.

2.1 Progress of wine promotion in Greece

Modern Greek wine production history and the growth of bottled wine in Greece started in the last fifty years, in the 1960s. At that time the first heavy investment in infrastructure and machinery was made, resulting in a dramatic improvement of Greek wines in relation to technology. In parallel, there was a partial reconstitution of vineyards through the planting of fine quality vine varieties on the basis of the assessments made by the Wine Institute, while, even from the first decade, regions that produce wine of designated origin are institutionalised by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Of course human factor was also crucial, including both Greek oenologists, who transferred their scientific knowledge on production, and wine producers, who were becoming more aware towards the new emerging realities. The fact that the said rejuvenation was completed within so few years demonstrates the potential of wine industry as a sector of the agricultural economy.

One of the main characteristics of the activity under study is the long-standing tradition of viticulture - wine making in Greece, as already presented in detail above. Nevertheless, the modernisation and development of the sector in its current form started in the 1960s, when large companies have made significant investments and aimed at the production of bottled wine.

The contemporary image of national wine making sector is composed by a small number of big wine industries, many small and medium wine industries, agricultural cooperatives and import companies. Large companies control significant shares of the domestic market of bottled wines, serving the entire country through extensive distribution networks. As far as smaller enterprises are concerned, some of them produce both bulk and bottled wine, which is made available in the local market, while others produce bottled wine of limited production with special characteristics, the distribution of which is carried out by specialised companies. Many times, this activity is undertaken by certain import companies, which also have an extended distribution network. They mainly import wines from countries of the European Union, while they are also importing spirits, in contrast to production companies, where both wine production and trading constitute, for the majority of them, the sole activity. Finally, agricultural cooperatives constitute another important part of domestic production.

The orientation of (especially large) companies of this sector on exports is intense. The major markets of Greek wines include Germany, USA, Canada, France, and Belgium; the first 3 have strong expatriate communities, which, according to certain factors of the market, absorb a large part of exports. Besides, wine industry is closely associated with inbound tourism, in terms of domestic consumption during the summertime, and as a means to promote Greek wines in foreign markets, through the visitors of the country.

Wine market can be distinguished in cold, including catering, entertainment venues and restaurants, as well as warm, which concerns domestic consumption. Product distribution is mainly carried out via wholesalers and dealers, while supermarkets and liquor stores are the main retail selling points.

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The major distribution channel of the industrys products includes wholesalers / dealers, especially for small and medium enterprises and regions outside big urban centres. At the same time, large companies have their own networks, through which they supply major supermarket chains and major points of the cold market.

In recent years, the network with the greatest development is super markets, given the current trend of increased home consumption.

Wine distribution network

Intense competition in wine sector, due to the large number of enterprises and brands, makes the distribution network a significant factor for the acquisition of comparative advantages. Enterprises try to expand their network, aiming at making their presence stronger in new points of sale, thus covering the market to a greater extent.

The distribution networks structure changes depending on the enterprises size. Large enterprises of the industry have developed their own networks, supplying directly the most important market points as well as major supermarket chains. Wholesalers - dealers are considered as the most important distribution channel, especially for small and medium enterprises, since they serve a bigger part of the market in areas outside major urban centres, and the islands, in particular. Moreover, some of the import companies of the industry have an extended distribution network and deal with the distribution of Greek companies wines. Finally, there are some enterprises in this sector specialised in the distribution of quality Greek wines of small producers, which helps in the promotion of this product category. Wholesalers with selling points distribute the biggest part of wines in restaurants, hotels, etc, especially in areas outside major urban centres.

Nevertheless, super markets constitute the network showing the greatest development in recent years. The expanded range of available products, together with lower prices and offers and the existing promotional activities, in conjunction with the trend for increased home consumption, lead to the increasing accumulation of market share in supermarket industry. The image of selling points is completed by agricultural cooperatives, which also sell other agricultural products and hold a small portion of total market share. Furthermore, visitable wineries are considered a point of sale, especially for enterprises operating in tourism areas. Many enterprises have visitable facilities. Nevertheless, despite intense interest, in most cases this activity serves as a means for promotion and the overall image of the enterprise.

Advertising expenses for wine

Money spent on wine advertising through the mass media is less as compared to other spirits. More specifically, in 2009 the total advertising expenditure for spirits was 48.2 million, while for wine and champagne it reached 4.7 million. (ICAP, 2010). As far as wine is concerned, in 2009 advertising expenditure reached 4.5 million approximately, of which 82.2% was paid to magazines, 5.9% to newspapers, 7.6% to the TV, and 4.2% to the radio.

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Year Wine Champagne Total 2001 1,617,487 82,132 1,698,619

2002 1,589,826 157,919 1,747,745

2003 1,928,706 220,996 2,149,702

2004 2,479,295 205,570 2,684,865

2005 3,074,616 431,996 3,506,612

2006 3,770,417 563,976 4,334,393

2007 3,199,013 411,022 3,610,035

2008 3,027,694 634,700 3,662,394

2009 3,650,694 468,864 4,119,558

Table 1: Progress of advertising expenditure for wine champagne (2001 - 2009) (Sector study on winemaking, ICAP, 2010)

Year Television Magazines Radio Newspapers Total 2001 104,353 1,191,623 79,089 242,422 1,617,487

2002 255,721 919,113 109,689 305,303 1,587,826

2003 247,406 1,136,460 168,395 376,445 1,928,706

2004 312,349 1,411,480 366,885 388,581 2,479,295

2005 272,816 2,180,580 182,133 439,087 3,074,616

2006 347,368 2,481,531 652,302 289,216 3,770,417

2007 57,653 2,521,621 213,255 406,485 3,199,013

2008 14,512 2,878,150 18,198 116,833 3,027,694

2009 279,030 3,001,120 154,441 216,104 3,650,694

Table 2: Distribution of advertising expenditure for wine in each media (2001 - 2009) (Sector study on winemaking, ICAP, 2010)

The number of wine brands advertised in 2004 was 33, in 2005 was 96, in 2008 was 115 and in 2009 was 100 brands. An indicative fact for advertisement in wine sector is that in 2009 the first 5 brands held the 45% of the total advertising expenditure, while in 2008 the respective percentage was 29% (ICAP, 2010).

The following section presents the initiatives, which formed the basis for the development and promotion of wine tourism in Greece.

Wine Producers Association of the Northern Greece Vineyard

In Greece, the development of wine tourism in its current form begins in the Northern part of Greece, and it is mainly due to the initiatives of certain leaders (champions, Hall, 2003; Presenza et al., 2010), which encouraged the organisation of collective actions. More specifically, in 1993, two wine producers of the region initiated the process of planning the first Wine Road. In November of the same year, thirteen wine producers established the Wine Producers Association of the Macedonian Vineyard1 (....), a civil, non-profit company under the distinctive title Wine Roads of Macedonia (Wine Roads of Northern Greece, 2013).

During the first two years the enterprise was in operation, between 1993-1995, a series of events are organised in Thessaloniki to define the goals and structure of the initiative Wine Roads of Macedonia, while at the same time the available human and material resources are

1 According to the Greek history of viticulture, the Vineyard of Macedonia is considered as the greater geographical area of Northern Greece, which, apart from the homonymous administrativve region, includes the wine producing region of Rapsani in the South, and the region of the Counties of Xanthi and Rodopi in the East.

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recorded from all wineries of the region, in order to identify the specifications and characterise them as visitable (dining room, tasting room, hospitality facilities, catering infrastructure to the surroundings, etc.). The recording was carried out by some members of the network with relevant experience. In parallel, a series of events is organised, to inform wine makers regarding the goals of the Union (Georgiades, 2008).

The five-year period of 1996-2001 is the period of financing. More specifically, the enterprise has financial benefits due to the utilisation of two programmes:

1. The special programme Wine Roads Gastronomy, through the Organization Cultural Capital of Europe (Thessaloniki) 1997, with a total budget of 528,247 (Karafolas, 2006), which is established following the initiative of individual wine makers. ..... utilises leverages the greatest part of this budget to cover operating expenses, to connect the Wine Roads and wine as a product with culture and to cover the promotion expenses for the programme Thessaloniki Cultural Capital 1997. More specifically, eight complete roads are designed, which pass through the vineyard of northern Greece, leading to both the wineries and other points of historical, archaeological or cultural interest (EN.O.A.V.E., 2013). This is how the promotion of wine is formed, which constitutes an integrated suggestion for visitors and tourists.

2. The programme Advertising and Promotion of Greek Wine of the community initiative Liaisons Entre Actions pour la Dveloppement des Economies Rurales2 (LEADER II), which was approved in 1996 by the (former) Ministry of Agriculture, of 3,587,702 final budget. This specific action concerns the funding of mild rural and tourist development activities of wine regions (Karafolas, 2006; ...V.., 2013). Within the framework of LEADER II initiative and together with funding from its own resources, EN.O.A.M. implements actions with a total cost in excess of six million Euros (Georgiades, 2008), including the following measures (Table 3):

Measures Actions

Measure 1. Technical Support

Operation of the network, information & awareness actions for the population

Measure 2. Vocational Training

Training of wine producers and other stakeholders involved in Wine Roads operation of 7 associated members

Measure 3. Strengthening of Agrotourism

Development of infrastructure for the reception of visitors to wineries, photographic archive and creation of a database, promotional and advertising activities in the Mass Media & exhibitions

Measure 4. Exploitation of Agricultural Production Network signage, promotion of attractions, monuments & footpaths

Measure 5. Preservation of Cultural Heritage

Organisation of international symposia (INF 1999 & 2000) and the International Wine Competition

Table 3. LEADER II Programme Wine Roads of Northern Greece (Wines of Northern Greece, 2012)

In 2001, almost 8 years after the birth of the idea formation of the initiative Wine Roads, the internal regulation was approved in a plenary session of the Union, including both the obligations of wine producers and the requirements for the inclusion in this particular network

2 The LEADER Initiative relies on the active participation of local people, businesses, associations and communities in mountainous and disadvantaged areas. Its aim is to promote local development through the creation of a Local Action Group (LAG).

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(Georgiades, 2008). In August 2003, following the expansion of the network's activities in Epirus and Thrace, its renaming was decided to Wine Producers Association of the Northern Greece Vineyard (EN.O.A.V.E.) under the distinctive title Wine Roads of Northern Greece (Wines of Northern Greece, 2013). As a result, up until 2001, Wine Roads of Northern Greece emerged as the most significant body for the development and promotion of wine tourism in Greece.

The third period that is distinct in the evolution of the initiative is between 2002-2008, which is characterised as the period of self-funding. More specifically, Georgiades (2008) suggests that Many people expected that, when programme funding was over, the declining of the company would begin since there is no funding from abroad However, operating costs are covered by the members own contribution, a regular budget. The next stage of the development was evident through the realisation that in order for the initiative to be a complete tourism package of services, apart from visitable wineries, it should also include tourism services, such as restaurants, hotels, local products and alternative activities, i.e. groups of professionals, who have interest in the development of wine tourism in selected areas. Indeed, in 2008, the expansion of the network takes place officially, through the Wine Roads of Northern Greece programme, implemented under the LEADER + Community Initiative by sixteen development companies of Northern Greece and EN.O.A.V... The total budget amounts to 800,000, with 20% own contribution and 80% funding (Georgiades, 2008). Table 4 summarises the development and evolution of Wine Roads.

Periods Actions

Beginning of 1993 Planning procedures of the 1st Wine Road by 2 winemakers November 1993 Establishment of civil NGO Wine Producers Association of the Macedonian

Vineyard (ENOAM), under the distinctive title Wine Roads of Macedonia 1993-1995 Briefings & events to set the targets of the initiative Wine Roads of Macedonia

Logging of available human and material resources of the wineries in order to set the specifications and to qualify them as visitable

1996-2001 Funding period with important programmes:

Wine Roads Gastronomy, 1997, with a total budget of 528,247, and the following main outcomes: cover operating costs interconnection of Wine Roads, wine & culture through the planning of 8

routes Promotion & Advertisement of Greek Wine, European initiative LEADER II,

1996, with a final budget of 3,587,702, and the following main outcomes: funding of mild rural and tourist development activities of wine regions

2001 Approval of the internal regulation, wine producers obligations & requirements for the inclusion in the network

2002-2008 Self-funding period: End of funding & covering of operating costs by the members own contribution, a regular budget.

August 2003: Expansion of the network's activities in Epirus and Thrace, and renaming to Wine Producers Association of the Northern Greece Vineyard (ENOAVE), under the distinctive title Wine Roads of Northern Greece

2008 Further expansion of the network through the Wine Roads of Northern Greece programme, implemented under the LEADER + Community Initiative by 16 development companies of Northern Greece and EN.O.A.V.., with a total budget of 800,000 (80% funding, 20% own contribution 20%)

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2013 Network members: 112, of which 38 visitable wineries 38 dining facilities 23 accommodation facilities 1 provider of alternative activities and 12 unions of local products

Table 4. Key stages of the evolution of wine tourism promotion in Greece (Wine Roads of Northern Greece 2013 & Georgiades, 2008)

As far as the evolution of members inclusion in the network is concerned, the first affiliate member enters the network in 1997, while in 1998 a small number of affiliate members are included in the network. These are enterprises operating in the tourism and gastronomy sectors dining and accommodation facilities, alternative tourism activities providers and local products workshops (...V.., personal communication). In 2010, there are already 37 wine producers and 128 affiliate members (...V.., 2013). During the same year, in an attempt to renew its image, the company is renamed to Wines of Northern Greece, administered by a Board with a two year term (Wines of Northern Greece, 2013). It is also worth noting that today, while the number of wineries - members participating in Wines of Northern Greece remains constant, the number of enterprises affiliate members that renewed their participation is limited. According to the views of the companys managers, sparse participation is partly due to the end of the funding through the LEADER+ programme and, partly, due to the beginning of the economic crisis characterising the country, which resulted in the underperformance, or even the closure of some of the previously associated enterprises.

Other wine tourism networks

The Wine Roads of Northern Greece initiative marked the beginning of a new era for the wine product as a tourism proposal and encouraged the respective activation of wine producers in other areas of the country, too. In particular, the initiative was followed by wine producers of Peloponnese, Attica, Crete, Aegean Islands and Central Greece, who also established similar networks. The following table includes information regarding the above mentioned networks (Table 5). The following data were collected from WebPages of the Wine producers Unions.

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Network Year of Establishment

Number of founding members

Number of members

Routes

Wine Producers Association of the Northern Greece Vineyard (...V..)

1993 13 38 wineries 74 affiliate members

8 (The Wine Route of the Olympian Gods, Epirus, Naoussa, Pella, Goumenissa, the Lakes, Thessaloniki, Dionysus, Halkidiki)

Wine Producers Association of the Peloponnesian Vineyard of Greece (...P.)

1998 25 44

Title of route: Wine - From the Peloponnesian Archanthropus till the Genesis of Wine it includes 5 routes

Wine Producers Association of Attica Vineyard (EN.O.A.A.)

1999 15 22 under establishment

Network of Wine Producers of Crete (Wines of Crete)

2006: Network of Wine Producers of the County of Heraclion (DH)

DH: 24 DH: 20

DH: One route connecting the regions wineries & consists of 5 sub routes (Dafnes, Peza, Plouti, Kasteliana, Dafnes-Peza)

2008: Network of Wine Producers of the County of Chania (DCR)

DCR: 11 DCR: 12

DCR: A route starting from Rethymno and ending at the west side of Chania

Wine Producers Association of the Central Greece Vineyard (...K..)

2008 24 19 7 (Meteora, Thessaly, Atalanti Valley, Elikona, Kitherona, Ritsona, Dirfi)

Wine producers and Wine growers Association of the Aegean Islands (Wineries of the Aegean)

2009 21 25 under planning

Table 5. Wine tourism networks in Greece (Unions WebPages, see References)

2.2 Progress of wine promotion in Italy

Different wine regions have realized the importance of marketing strategies aimed at promoting integrated vines, wines and territories, all of which, in their interaction, evoke memories of places.

On a global scale, the demand for quality wines makes essential the continuous updating of marketing strategies: currently tradition and innovation are the cornerstones of quality improvement.

Among the innovations introduced by the regional viticulture and practices related to it, the role of undisputed value is to be paid to wine tourism. In the composite tourism scenario is interesting to observe the evolutionary trend that involves the food and wine sector, which

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will be recorded as one of the most promising segments. Millions of tourists travel in search of quality wines and typical products, appreciating - along with these - the cultural and natural heritage of the area. Grows exponentially the ranks of fans who choose to travel through the "territories of wine" to learn about the different quality wine, local products and gastronomy, local producers. The probable reasons for these, for Italy, are to be found, firstly in the recognized value of the cultural heritage and secondly, in the agri-food production and wine and finally in the landscape.

In Italy, food and wine tourism appeared in the early nineties, taking the scenarios offered by France at the end of the eighties, where the paths of taste and the wine roads have been developped.

During post-war, Italy has experienced a phase in which food was good if was abundant. The quality was not decisive. The sixties, certainly the richest period of hope that the country has experienced in recent decades have marked an important moment in the evolution of food culture.

The wine obtained by known international varieties until a few years ago was a "strong" product. This condition has created - inevitably - some discomfort, especially in the European territories traditionally suited to viticulture, which had to face and solve various problems, including the renewal of the high average age of vines, the inadequate production and the disadvantage caused by the difference in purchasing power of the euro against the dollar. In such a context there had been an obvious risk of homogenization of the international wine market, with particular attention to the phenomenon of the dominance of the grape varieties cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay, syrah. Fortunately, there was an unexpected contrast that has radically altered the reference scenario.

International varieties, were joined by native vines. Emblematic, in this sense, the case of Italy, where the ancient fragmentation of agricultural land has given way to new forms of aggregation (such as the cooperative system), the adoption of production techniques and the development of marketing strategies technologies which have facilitated the development of niche products. Important to consider is that the extension of the production areas has also affected historical places not intended for viticulture. This has confused the market, especially that of the "local wines". In this regard, in the process of production and marketing of wine, the concept of terroir, with all that it implies, plays a key role. The terroir originally represented the element of distinction for vines and wines. Items such as a slope, proximity to rivers or lakes, in a hilly area more or less protected, may confer different characteristics to vines and wines, determining the typicality and uniqueness.

The demand for quality wines, influence the techniques of grape growing and wine production, make essential the continuous updating of marketing strategies: currently tradition and innovation are the cornerstones of quality improvement.

Consider, also, that in recent years the wine industry has embarked on major business transformations along two lines:

- Generational change, which has affected not only this area, but most of the local farms and which has led to a new type of farmer;

- Reduction of the Utilized Agricultural Area, in some cases with the removal of vineyards, in favor of quality improvement.

Still referring to production quality oriented and enhancement of the product, companies have decided to reduce the yields per hectare, have adopted special techniques of refining and aging, have adapted to the qualities of the wines you like to a broader customer base. Many companies have been able to operate the leap, gaining significant market shares.

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Moreover, anyone who intends to do today its entry into the market should plan on a global scale and engage in new challenges: the introduction of modern business techniques, intensive use of technology, respect for the environment and sustainable development and innovation culture.

Before 1993, in Italy there were only 25 wineries open to the public, with a total turnover of 200,000 (City of Wine Observatory, 2005). Nor wine experts, nor the producers had any idea that in a few years the cellars would become tourist destinations (VIDE Survey, 2006).

Of 27 July 1999, the National Law on "Wine Road" n 268 was voted

The first "Roads" created in 1999 and the demand for wine tourism showed positive trends. Currently thanks to the "Wine Road" about 12,000 cellars are open to the public.

In 1999, the Italian wineries had approximately 2.5 million visits. The support for wine sales was just as important: 18% of the turnover of the wine cellars which are open to the public regards sales to wine lovers (City of Wine, 2005).

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2.3 Comparison of good practices for wine promotion in Greece and in Italy

This section presents a comparison of good practices for the promotion of wine and wine tourism in Greece and in Italy.

Greece Italy

Individual wine producers initiatives Connecting the wine with the production area

Establishment of a civil NGO for the promotion of wine

Combination international varieties with local

Informative and awareness raising events Development of wine tourism

Logging of available resources for the classification of the existing wineries

Development of territorial marketing

Utilisation of national and European funding Enactment of the National Law n 268 for the "Wine Road"

Approval of the networks operation regulation Focus on development of quality products

Expansion of activities in other regions Promotion of a whole area

Network self-funding Using innovative processes and technology

Network expansion through the participation of catering and accommodation facilities, alternative activities providers and unions of local products

Open cellars

Table 6. Comparative presentation of good practices in Greece & Italy

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2.4 Good practices for wine promotion internationally

This section presents the good practices for wine promotion of other countries at global level. At European level, France and Italy are presented indicatively, and at international level, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America. Wine tourism belongs among the industries of great development in many other countries, such as Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Chile, and South Africa, while Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary are among the emerging countries in this field.

France

In the 1980s, given the unfavourable conditions in Frances rural economy- ('crise viticole')-, wine tourism begins to gain ground, as perceived as an opportunity for diversification of rural incomes of winemakers through the direct sale of products to visitors (Cambourne et al., 2000: 66). Among the successful examples of wine tourism development are the wine routes in the regions of Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Ctes-du-Rhne and Provence, while lately Corsica, Jura, Pyrennes and Savoie are also becoming popular. Gradually, these efforts are framed by a form of government assistance through the Ministry of Rural Development (Dubrule, 2007), while, in 2008 the National Council of Wine Tourism was established (Charters & Menival, 2011).

In 2004, wine tourism attracts 7.5 million visitors in France, of which 2.5 are foreign tourists (Official Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Valladolid, 2005, in: Marzo-Navvaro & Pedraja-Iglesias, 2010).

Italy

In Italy, under the initiative of both Wine Tourism Movement (Movimento Turismo del Vino), which was established in 1993, and the Association of Wine Cities (Associazione delle Citt del Vino), wine routes are planned in the areas of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Marche, Tuscany and Umbria, which are legally recognised in 1999 (27/07/1999, L. 269) (Agriturismo in Italia, 2012, Movimento Turismo del Vino, 2012, Presenza et al., 2010).

According to the official data presented in the official website Wine Tourism Movement (Movimento Turismo del Vino, 2012), in Italy this form of tourism yields 2.5 million euro annually, while there is a potential for its further development. Wine constitutes the third most important attraction for foreign tourists of Italy, something that is reflected in the number of wineries visitors, who are estimated to be 3.5 million annually. Of them, one million is attracted by the event Open Doors (Cantine Aperte) only.

Australia and New Zealand

Since the mid 1990s, the development of wine tourism spreads also in many regions of the New World. It is worth noting that, among them, Australia plays a leading role, setting tourist development of wine regions as its national priority. Thus, in 1998 one of the first local strategies for wine tourism is prepared, which is presented in a relevant conference in Melbourne during the same year(Brown, & Getz, 2005). The last decade is marked by the remarkable progress of wine tourism industry in Australia. In 2009, the total number of visitors in the 1,647 visitable wineries of Australia reaches almost five million (Pratt, 2011), while, during the same year, wine tourists expenditure reaches 7.1 million dollars (AUD$) (Quadri-Felitti & Fiore, 2012). At the same time, the rapid tourism growth of certain wine

19

regions, such as Margaret River and Swan Valley, increases the interest as well as scientific research (Alonso & Liu, 2010).

In New Zealand, the biggest part of wine tourists visit the regions of Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, and Wellington. In 2008, the number of visits to the 585 wineries of the country reaches 475,200 (Tourism Strategy Group Research, 2009).

U.S.A.

Among the United States of America, California is the one holding a prominent position globally, both in terms of production (fourth) and wine consumption (fourth), as well as in terms of wine tourism development (Simeon & Sayeed, 2011). According to recent data, the number of wineries visitors in this particular state exceeds 20 million (Quadri-Felitti & Fiore, 2012), with the majority of them in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Thach & Olsen (2006, in: Carlsen, 2011) state that the value of direct sales constitutes 64% of total sales in California.

The famous Napa Valley, which is located at the west coast of the United States, just 50 miles north of San Francisco, is among the cathedrals of wine (Getz & Brown, 2006a). Despite the fact that wine tourism promotion has already began at the regions wineries since the end of the 1940s, from 1970 onwards, the wine is starting to become an integral part of lifestyle, resulting in an increase of the interest in tourism (Skinner, 2000: 293).

Nowadays, Napa is probably the most developed wine tourism destination worldwide (Poitras & Getz, 2006), including 400 wineries approximately (TripAdvisor, 2008). It is characteristic that, till 1988, in a region of 100.000 inhabitants approximately, the annual number of tourists reaches 4 million (Skinner, 2000 293), while, according to recent data, the current levels of visiting are comparable (Marzo-Navarro & Pedraja-Iglesias, 2010)3. In particular, it has been mentioned that tourism in that region is so successful that wine production has become a secondary activity (Skinner, 2000: 284). Skinner (2000: 294-5) Carlsen draws attention to the stakeholders in order to ensure the sustainability of the Valley, while Carlsen & Ali-Knight (2004) suggest strategies for the elimination of uncontrolled development and the establishment of a luxurious wine tourism product.

Other developed regions of the U.S.A. in terms of wine tourism -in a greater or lesser extent- are the following: Washington (O Neill & Palmer, 2004), Texas (Kolyesnikova et al., 2007; Rasch & Gretzel, 2008), Virginia (Geide et al., 2009), New York, Missouri, Ohio (Foltz et al., 2007), North Carolina (rown & Smith, 2010; Evans et al., 2008), Idaho (Foltz et al., 2007), Michigan (Wargenau & Che, 2006) and Pennsylvania (Var et al., 2006). Indicatively, it is mentioned that in 2004, wine tourism contribution in Michigans economy was 75 million dollars (Wargenau & Che, 2006), in 2005 it attracted 800,000 visitors in North Carolina (Evans et al., 2008), and in 2007 it was associated with 40% of total revenues for hotels in Walla Walla of Washington (Storchmann, 2008).

3 According to Rombauer (2003, in: O Neill & Palmer, 2004), and Aoki & Takizawa (2002, in: Lagos et al., 2008), the number of wine tourists visiting Napa Valley reaches 5 million annualy.

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2.5 Assessment of wine industry in the economies of Greece and Italy

The present section includes a description of wine industry in Greece and Italy, while information regarding sales of productive enterprises are presented, along with information on wine production progress.

Greece

Structure and organisation of wine industry

Wine industry consists primarily of productive enterprises, which are characterised by relative heterogeneity both in terms of size and in terms of the wines produced (ICAP, 2010). According to Business Register of the National Statistical Authority of Greece (.S...) for 2005 (Table 7), registered wine making enterprises reached 484, with a total turnover of 352 million Euros for that year.

LEGAL FORM NUMBER OF ENTERPRISES

Percentage (%)

Personal 288 59.50

G.P. 77 15.91

S.A. 64 13.22

L.T.D. 18 3.72

L.P. 14 2.89

Society 3 0.62

Other 20 4.13

Total 484 100 Table 7. Number of productive enterprises by legal form (.S.., 2005)

The majority of enterprises, with a percentage of 60% of total approximately, are personal, while a significant share is held by G.P. (15.9%). Winemaking enterprises in the form of a Societe Anonyme constitute 13.2% of the total. The greatest number of wine producing enterprises is located in the county of Corinth (percentage 16.7% of total), while the County of Attica is slightly behind (16.32%), followed by the Counties of Achaia (5.6%), Viotia (4.5%), Evia (4.3%), Messinia (3.9%) and Heraclion (3.9%) with greater differences (Table 8).

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COUNTY NUMBER OF ENTERPRISES PERCENTAGE (%)

CORINTH 81 16.74 ATTICA 79 16.32 ACHAIA 27 5.58 VIOTIA 22 4.55 EVIA 21 4.34 MESSINIA 19 3.93 HERACLION 19 3.93 ARGOLIDA 16 3.31 CYCLADES 15 3.10 THESSALONIKI 13 2.69 ARKADIA 12 2.48 LARISSA 11 2.27 ILIA 10 2.07 LAKONIA 9 1.86 KAVALA 9 1.86 FTHIOTIDA 8 1.65 CORFU 8 1.65 KARDITSA 8 1.65 IMATHIA 8 1.65 HALKIDIKI 8 1.65 CHANIA 8 1.65 AITOLOAKARNANIA 6 1.24 IOANNINA 6 1.24 KOZANI 6 1.24 FLORINA 6 1.24 LESVOS 6 1.24 SERRES 5 1.03 KEFALONIA 4 0.83 KILKIS 4 0.83 SAMOS 4 0.83 LEFKADA 3 0.62 DRAMA 3 0.62 DODEKANESE 3 0.62 FOKIDA 2 0.41 MAGNISIA 2 0.41 KASTORIA 2 0.41 PELLA 2 0.41 EVRITANIA 1 0.21 ZAKYNTHOS 1 0.21 TRIKALA 1 0.21 GREVENA 1 0.21 PIERIA 1 0.21 EVROS 1 1 0.21 RODOPI 1 0.21 CHIOS 1 0.21 RETHIMNO 1 0.21 TOTAL 484 100 Table 8. Number of wine producing enterprises by County (.S.., 2005)

As far as import companies of this particular industry are concerned, they are relatively few and they are also involved in the imports of other spirits. They have mainly products from

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European Unions countries, such as champagne and other sparkling wines, and they are mostly operating in wholesale trade. At the domestic production level, the number of active large wine industries having a systematic and organised production system, as well as extended distribution networks is limited. The said enterprises have long-term presence in the industry, modern wine producing facilities, and strong brands. However, the presence of medium sized enterprises in bottled wine market is also remarkable, having introduced high quality products and special varieties. In general, Greek bottled wines quality level is considered as high, both in domestic and in European market, something that is demonstrated by the large number of distinctions awarded to Greek wines in international competitions.

Sales of Productive Enterprises

Following the analysis of the total turnover of wine producing enterprises obliged to publish financial data (ICAP, 2010), it can be concluded that, between 2004-2008, the evolution of turnover showed an upward trend, with annual growth rate of 3.24%. In 2008, total sales of enterprises amounted to 319.7 million approximately, a decrease of 1.1% compared to 2007. It is estimated that sales generated from wines only amounted to 287 million in 2008, accounting for 90% of total sales. As far as 2009 is concerned, taking into account only those enterprises with available data on sales for both years (2008-2009), an annual drop is evident (in 2009) by 3.3% as compared to the previous year.

Greek wine production

According to the data of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food (edited by the Central Cooperative Union of Wine Products), during the last decade, Greek wine production showed an increasing trend between 2002 and 2004, when the maximum production for the decade was achieved. From 2004 onwards production has been declining, with transitions between increases-declines; however, the decades highest wine quantity of 4,295 (in 1000 HL) has never been exceeded. The highest wine production between 2008-2012 is observed in 2008, when the production is 3,868 (in 1000 HL), while the lowest is observed in 2011, when the production is 2,750 (in 1000 HL). A small increase of 3.36% is observed between 2011-2012. Below a diagrammatic illustration of Greek wine for the period between 1990-2012 is presented.

Source: Ministry of Rural Development and ...S.., self editing, (May 2013)

0

1.000

2.000

3.000

4.000

5.000

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Wine Production (in 1000 HL)

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The following table (Table 9) presents in detail information regarding the production of wines characterised as P.G.I. and/or P.D.O. or not, varietal wines, and other wines, not included in the previously mentioned categories, their total, as well as the change in terms of production per year.

YEARS

WINES WITHOUT PDO/ PGI (1000 HL)

PDO (1000 HL)

PGI (1000 HL)

VARIETAL WINES

(1000 HL)

OTHER (1000 HL)

TOTAL (1000 HL)

CHANGE / YEAR (%)

1990 2,766 259 - - 501 3,526 -

1991 3,381 199 - - 436 4,016 +13.90

1992 3,543 236 - - 271 4,050 +0.85

1993 3,184 203 - - 5 3,392 -16.25

1994 2,795 223 - - 33 3,051 -10.05

1995 3,554 266 - - 30 3,850 +26.19

1996 3,738 313 - - 58 4,109 +6.73

1997 3,602 342 - - 43 3,987 -2.97

1998 3,466 358 - - 2 3,826 -4.04

1999 3,343 337 - - 0 3,680 -3.82

2000 3,224 327 - - 7 3,558 -3.32

2001 3,037 338 - - 2 3,477 -2.28

2002 2,836 249 - - 13 3,098 -10.90

2003 3,491 372 - - 1 3,864 +24.73

2004 3,929 366 - - - 4,295 +11.15

2005 3,755 338 - - - 4,093 -4.70

2006 3,530 370 - - - 3,900 -4.72

2007 3,150 350 - - - 3,511 -9.97

2008 3,510 345 - - 12 3,868 +10.17

2009 2,254 340 485 - 285 3,365 -13.00

2010 2,270 280 550 - - 3,100 -7.88

2011 1,716 280 470 - 284 2,750 -11.29

2012 2,099 310 571 70 65 3,115 -14.55 Table 9. Greek Wine Production, Period 1990-2012 (Min. of Agricultural Development, 2013)

Italy

The winemaking is recognized, full-fledged, as the economic activity that fully expresses a close relationship with the land, it is able to create a secondary economic activity that goes beyond the limits of production, to involve other sectors, such as food and wine tourism.

The cultivation of the vine and wine production has always been a key driving force of the national economy. The Italian viticulture has reached the highest level in the world thanks to the wealth of experience and traditions accumulated over time and that, together with modern winemaking technology, have brought the product "Italian wine" to stabilize at high levels of marketing.

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The Italian production of wine follows the world trend, there is a progressive reduction of processing grapes into wine due to lower product demand. The decline in production is not to be considered a negative symptom. In many cases has meant the abandonment of unprofitable vineyards, the improvement of cultivation and vinification techniques and finally conveying interest in the search for quality products.

The production of wine is increasingly spreading. At the present time, several areas of cultivation and cultural traditions have been turned into real business districts, particularly noticed the respect and appreciation of the traditions.

The grape varieties, contribute in no small way to the determination of agrarian cultural landscape, offering an interesting starting point for research on the geography of wine, as well as an important promotional tool in the service of territorial marketing and wine.

The changes which have occurred in viticulture produce substantive changes to the area. The acquisition of land for viticulture and the new varieties results in a mixing of components that produces unexpected effects to geography and landscape.

In economic terms, it is possible to identify areas affected by micro-and macro-regional excellent productions. Examples are the Chianti and Brunello, whose territories are living wealthy, because of the fame of their wines. A wine production of high-profile seems to be linked to the future of agricultural tourism, farm, walking and wine and of all those events that lead to new ways of perceiving and experiencing the country.

Italy, with 52.6 million hectoliters, is currently the second largest wine producer in the world after France.

Italy also holds the international record for the production of table grapes, which in 2000 have amounted around to 1.4 million tons, an increase of 4.6% over the previous year.

The Italian viticulture is currently going through a period of change, where in fact converting the production choosing quality wines (DOC and DOCG). This process is the result of increasingly constant demands for quality products.

Regione 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Piemonte 2.724.000 2.480.000 2.858.000 2.996.000 2.683.000

Lombardia 1.099.000 1.250.000 1.277.000 1.349.000 1.313.000

Trentino A.A. 1.221.000 1.140.000 1.254.000 1.161.000 1.113.000

Veneto 7.799.000 8.119.000 8.174.000 8.351.000 8.710.000

Friuli V.G. 1.029.000 1.014.000 1.130.000 1.334.000 1.267.000

Emilia Romagna 6.253.000 6.340.000 6.952.000 6.601.000 6.455.000

Toscana 2.824.000 2.800.000 2.772.000 2.857.000 2.495.000

Marche 757.000 871.000 782.000 927.000 741.000

Lazio 1.838.000 1.797.000 1.527.000 1.259.000 1.205.000

Abruzzo 2.162.000 3.054.000 2.652.000 3.028.000 2.283.000

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Campania 1.652.000 1.768.000 1.830.000 1.869.000 1.726.000

Puglia 5.668.000 6.949.000 5.920.000 7.169.000 5.777.000

Sicilia 4.574.000 6.180.000 6.175.000 5.676.000 4.823.000

Sardegna 862.000 582.000 550.000 475.000 486.000

Altre* 2.052.000 1.901.000 1.947.000 1.685.000 1.628.000

Totale 42.514.000 46.245.000 45.800.000 46.737.000 42.705.000

Table 10. Italian wine production per region and per year (2007 - 2011)

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3. REGISTRATION OF WINES OF PROTECTED ORIGIN IN GREECE

The present chapter includes the complete recording of wines of protected origin in Greece, based on strict scientific criteria. In the following section reference is made to the sectors products as well as the key production procedures. The winegrowing zone of wine as well as its quality characteristics arising from it constitute a key criterion for wines categorisation.

Grapes are the raw material for the production of wine, which are rich in sugars, organic acids and water. The must is collected from them using various methods, in all of which machinery and specialised equipment is used, instead of the traditional wine press. Alcohol contained in the wine is produced from musts sugars in combination with the process of alcoholic fermentation. Fermentation and ripening procedures are different among wine varieties and depend on various factors. After the completion of these procedures, the aging process starts in the bottle.

Quality wines produced in specified regions (VQPRD)

Wines of Designation of Origin are from a strictly defined and recognised wine-growing zone, while their variety, location, cultivation technique and the yield per hectare of vineyard are strictly determined. In Greece they are divided in two categories: .O.C. Wines, i.e. Protected Designation of Origin and A.O.Q.S., i.e. Designation of Origin of Superior Quality. Table 11, presents the Quality wines produced in specified regions (Vin de Qualit Produit Dans Une Rgion Dtermine VQPRD).

V.Q.P.R.D.

Anchialos Muscat of Rio Patras

Amynteo Muscat of Rhodes

Archanes Naoussa

Goumenissa Nemea

Dafnes Paros

Zitsa Patras

Lemnos Slopes of Meliton

Mantinia Peza

Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia Rapsani

Mavrodaphne of Patras Rhodes

Muscat of Cephalonia Robola of Cephalonia

Messenikola Samos

Muscat of Lemnos Santorini

Muscat of Patras Sitia

Table 11. Quality wines produced in specified regions (V.Q.P.R.D.)

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The new Common Market Organisation (C.M.O.) for Wine of the European Union, which is in place since August 2009, leads to variations in the standardisation and labelling parameters for wine. The interconnection of pre-existing wine categories with the new categories is carried out in accordance to the new regulation of C.M.O. for Wine (E.C.) 479/08 of the Council and the applicable regulation (EC) 607/0 of the Committee. More specifically, European Union's wines are distinguished in the following categories:

1) Wines of Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.) This category includes the pre-existing categories A.O.Q.S. (Designation of Origin of Superior Quality) and AOC (Protected Designation of Origin) as well as sweet wines Vin Doux Naturel and Sun-dried Vin Doux Naturel.

The following table (Table 12) presents Greek wines included n this category, based on their previous labelling as A.O.Q.S. These include historic wine-growing and wine-producing areas of the country, in which viticulture zones are clearly demarcated. With the exception of two regions, varietal compositions are defined by Greek varieties only. Nevertheless, demarcation based on the communities and not on vineyards raises issues in relation to the presence of unsuitable grapes in distinct A.O.Q.S. zones. A.O.Q.S. wines are necessarily produced in wineries within the zone, while the possibilities of including other varieties (indigenous but mainly imported) as enhancers, as well as the establishment of sub-zones within the existing A.O.Q.S. zones are also discussed. A.O.Q.S. wines carry a mandatory characteristic pink band on the neck of their bottles.

S/N Name Type of Wine Vine Varieties

MACEDONIA

1 Amynteo Red Dry Rose Sparkling Rose Dry

Xinomavro Xinomavro

2 Goumenissa Red Dry Xinomavro 80%, Negoska 20%

3 Naoussa Red Dry Xinomavro

4 Slopes of Meliton White Dry Red Dry

Athiri 50%, Rhoditis 35%, Assyrtiko 15% Limnio 70%, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet franc 30%

5 Anchialos White Dry Rhoditis 50%, Savatiano 50%

6 Rapsani Red Dry Xinomavro, Krasato, Stavroto

7 Messenikola Red Dry Black Messenikola, Carignion, Syrah

EPIRUS

8 Zitsa White Sparkling White Dry

Debina

PELOPONNESE

9 Mantinia White Dry Moschofilero

10 Nemea Red Dry - Sweet Agiorgitiko

11 Patras White Dry Rhoditis

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IONIAN ISLANDS

12 Robola of Cephalonia White Dry Robola

CRETE

13 Archanes Red Dry Kotsifali, Mandilaria

14 Dafnes Red Sweet White Dry Red Dry Red Liatiko Sweet

Liatiko Vilana 70%, Thrapsa 30% Athiri Liatiko 80%, Mantilaria 20%

15 Peza Red Dry White Dry

Kotsifali, Mandilaria, Vilana

16 Sitia Red Dry - Sweet Liatiko

CCLADES

17 Paros Red Dry White Dry

Monemvasia, Mandilaria

18 Santorini White Dry White Sweet

Assyrtiko, Aidani, Athiri Assyrtiko, Aidani

NORTH AEGEAN

19 Lemnos White Dry Muscat of Alexandreia

DODECANESE

20 Rhodes White Dry Red Dry

Athiri Mandilaria

Table 12. Greek Wines of Designation of Origin of Superior Quality (A.O.Q.S.)

The following table (Table 13) lists the Greek wines included in the P.D.O. category, based on their former labelling as A.O.C. They are historic wine producing and geographically demarcated areas, in which, as with A.O.Q.S wines, A.O.C. wines are produced by wineries within the defined areas. Their main difference with A.O.Q.S. wines is that they only concern sweet wines with a small range of varieties. These particular wines are produced in two ways: by addition of alcohol originating in wine (previously fortified wines) and by concentration of the grape contents through various natural techniques (over-ripening, exposure to the sun - sun-drying, air-drying and it is characterised as vin doux naturel. In the second case, if sun-drying of the grapes is performed, it may be called liastos (sun-dried). A.O.C. varieties include only Muscat for white wines and mavrodaphne (together with the Corinthian raisin) for red ones. Similarly, in this case, a characteristic blue band is also placed on the bottle.

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S/N Name Type of Wine Vine Varieties

PELOPONNESE

1 Mavrodaphne of Patras Red Sweet Mavrodaphne, Corinthian

2 Muscat of Patras White Sweet Muscat White

3 Muscat of Rio - Patras White Sweet Muscat White

IONIAN ISLANDS

4 Mavrodaphne of Cephalonia Red Sweet Mavrodaphne, Corinthian

5 Muscat of Cephalonia White Sweet Muscat White

ISLANDS OF THE EAST AEGEAN

6 Muscat of Lemnos White Sweet Muscat of Alexandreia

7 Samos White Sweet Muscat White

DODECANESE

8 Muscat of Rhodes White Sweet Muscat White, Muscat (Trani)

Table 13. Greek Wines of Protected Designation of Origin (.O.C.)

2) Wines of Protected Geographical Indication (P.G.I.) This category includes Local Wines and wines of Traditional Appellation. The production of P.G.I. wines follows slightly reduced requirements than P.D.O.. Nevertheless, specific requirements apply regarding the geographical region of production, the origin of the grapes and the grape varieties used. Wines of Traditional Appellation include two wines produced exclusively in the geographical territory of Greece, Retsina and Verdea of Zakynthos.

3) Varietal Wines It is a new category of wines established by the European Union, so that to face competition from increasing imports from Third Countries. In particular, it allows for wines not characterised as P.D.O. or P.G.I. to bear indications of their vintage year and the wine grape varieties from which they are produced. However, regulations for wine certification in this category are extremely strict, too. Unfortunately, till today there is no established national legislation adopting the communitys legislation, and, as a result, there are varietal Greek wine that are not included in this specific category.

4) Wines without P.D.O. or P.G.I indication This category includes the rest of table wines produced in areas and using varieties that do not meet the strict requirements specified by the relevant legislation for the previously mentioned categories, which does not necessarily suggest qualitative differentiation. The major Greek and international varieties grown today in Greece are as follows (Table 14):

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Greek Varieties International Varieties

With white grapes

Athiri, Aidani, Assyrtiko, Vilana, Malagouzia, Monemvasia, Muscat White, Muscat of Alexandreia, Batiki, Debina, Rhoditis, Robola Savatiano

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Vignier

With red grapes

Agiorgitiko, Vertzami, Kotsifali, Krasato, Liatiko, Limnio, Mantilaria, Mavrodaphne, Black Messenikola, Mavrotragano, Mavroudi, Muscat of Hamburg, Moschofilero (note: it produces white wines), Negoska, Xinomavro, Stavroto

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Grenache, Merlt, Syrah

Table 14. Greek and international cultivated varieties

Cultivated land

The development of vine is particularly interesting, as it is directly related to the magnitude of wine production. According to the data of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Table 15 presents vineyards, for wine periods 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09. It should also be noted that the entire area includes varieties of dual-use that are routinely vinified.

Table 15. Cultivated areas in Greece (Min. Rur. Dev. & Food)

The entire cultivated area of vine during 2008/09 showed a slight decrease as compared to the previous period, by 1.3%, being 70,089 hectares. In general, during the period under investigation the areas of wine grape varieties show relatively small variations. In 2008/2009, Peloponnese was the prefecture with the largest area of wine grape varieties, covering 17.1% of the entire land, similarly to the previous period. West part of Greece was next, with 13.4%. Central Greece covered 11.6% of the entire land, which is slightly reduced compared to the previous period, while Crete increased its share, reaching 11.5%. Finally, Attica also holds a significant share, with its areas corresponding to 10.3% of the entire land.

The following table presents the actual cultivated areas.

Prefecture 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009

Eastern Macedonia - Thrace 2,456.53 2,502.51 2,176.76

Central Macedonia 4,567.81 5,009.43 4,945.20

West Macedonia 2,557.14 2,639.59 2,653.09

Thessaly 3,320.44 4,308.05 4,396.50

Epirus 748.25 666.62 696.09

Ionian Islands 3,039.93 2,935.15 2,993.40

West part of Greece 11,093.27 9,503.09 9,380.11

Central Greece 8,161.45 8,441.28 8,104.40

Peloponnese 12,152,02 12,161.79 12,012.20

Attica 6,216.00 7,257.67 7,207.80

North Aegean 3,140,80 3,135,74 3,155.95

South Aegean 4,330.34 4,406.44 4,397.50

Crete 8,123.50 8,042.78 8,030.45

TOTAL 69,907.48 71,010.14 70,089.45

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Prefecture

Actually cultivated area (ha)

Wine with protected designation of origin

Wine with protected geographical

indication

Subtotal for wines with PDO/PGI

Wines without protected designation of

origin/geographical indication

Total

2010-11 2011-12 2010-11 2011-12 2010-11 2011-12 2010-11 2011-12 2010-11 2011-12

EAST MACEDONIA THRACE 0.00 0.00 929.00 1.111.80 929.00 1,111.80 1,047.66 872.65 1,976.66 1,984.45

C. MACEDONIA 1,050.00 950.00 1,267.80 1,287.80 2,317.80 2,237.80 2,471.46 2,532.22 4,789.26 4,770.02

W. MACEDONIA 520.00 510.00 500.00 525.00 1,020.00 1,035.00 1,633.40 1,568.00 2,653.40 2,603.00

THESSALY 650.00 600.00 850.00 860.00 1,500.00 1,460.00 2,871.02 2,872.50 4,371.02 4,332.50

EPIRUS 150.00 150.00 185.00 185.00 335.00 335.00 362.36 371.10 697.36 706.10

IONIAN ISLANDS 370.00 350.00 395.00 352.00 765.00 702.00 1,880.90 1,968.42 2,645.90 2,670.42

WEST GREECE 750.00 750.00 1,250.00 1,250.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 7,110.67 7,015.60 9,110.67 9,015.60

CENTRAL GREECE 0.00 0.00 2,505.00 2,455.00 2,505.00 2,455.00 5,045.70 4,932.05 7,550.70 7,387.05

PELOPONNESE 3,675.50 2,957.00 3,420.00 3,170.00 7,095.50 6,127.00 4,626.80 5,360.10 11,722.30 11,487.10

ATTICA 0.00 0.00 2,143.00 2,143.00 2,143.00 2,143.00 4,827.20 4,670.28 6,970.20 6,813.28

NORTH AEGEAN 2,250.00 2,200.00 215.00 215.00 2,465.00 2,415.00 577.15 627.15 3,042.15 3,042.15

SOUTH AEGEAN 2,150.00 2,100.00 250.00 230.00 2,400.00 2,330.00 1,631.27 1,571.72 4,031.27 3,901.72

CRETE 1,520.00 1,480.00 1,830.00 1,750.00 3,350.00 3,230.00 4,422.10 4,530.43 7,772.10 7,760.43

Total 13,085.50 12,047.00 15,739.80 15,534.60 28,825.30 27,581.60 38,507.69 38,892.22 67,332.99 66,473.82

Table 16. Actually cultivated area by wine category and prefecture (Min. Rur. Dev. & Food)

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4. RECORDING OF CHARACTERISTIC WINE VARIETIES OF GREECE

In this chapter the characteristic Greek and international vine varieties cultivated in Greece are presented. In addition to this, the origin, their geographical distribution and potential, as well as the basic characteristics by variety in terms of taste, properties, capabilities, use and gastronomy are presented.

4.1 White wine varieties

Greek Varieties

Athiri is a variety of the Aegean Sea, cultivated mainly in Cyclades, Dodecanese, Crete and almost all other parts of Greece (Central Greece, Evia, and Halkidiki). It is a variety of early ripening, with medium size and density grapes, which have a lime-green thin skin, juicy flesh and a slight but characteristic aroma. Today, Athiri is considered one of the best white Greek varieties (House of Wine, April 2013). Special attention should be paid on the date of harvest, as if the ripeness of the grapes is exceeded, their acids are significantly reduced. Athiri mainly gives white dry wines, with a relatively high alcohol content, yellowish colour with greenish glints, distinctive pleasant subtle fruity aroma, and a soft, full, fresh and balanced taste. It also gives white, as well as sparkling wines, while it is also used in combination with Assyrtiko and white Aidani. It is also used in many A.O.Q.S. and table wines. It can be combined with shellfish, seafood, grilled fish, light cheeses and fruits. Served at 10-12 C.

Aidani is an ancient white as well as red variety of Ionia (derived from edani vine, which is mentioned by Hesychius in the 5th century AD). Today it is cultivated in Cyclades, Paros, Naxos, as well as Santorini and Crete. Sometimes it is also cultivated in small areas in other areas of Greece. It is used a lot for the improvement of other wines (Athiri, Assyrtiko). It a mediocre, vigorous and productive variety, highly resistant to disease and drought. Its grapes are big, on a big, dense berried bunch with dark red skin berries. It usually grows in areas with relative altitude. The wine that is usually produced from this variety has moderate alcohol content, moderate acidity and it is characterised by its floral aromas (House of Wine, April 2013).

Picture 1. Athiri

Picture 2. Aidani

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Assyrtiko is considered by many specialists as the best Greek grape. It is a vivid grape variety, particularly resistant to drought and disease, which is cultivated in a large area of Santorini, as well as other islands (Paros, Naxos), Peloponnese,

Central Greece, Halkidiki, Macedonia. The Cycladic islands are considered its place of origin, Santorini mainly; however, today its the second most widespread wine of Greece, after Rhoditis. Assyrtiko from Santorini is different from the ones of mainland Greece due to the significant contribution of the terroir on the aromas of the former, while in the latter the aromas are more fruitful. The size of grapes is medium and large, with white-green or golden-green, medium thickness skin and dense berries, with a well-formed and rather soft flesh. The variety gives pale to white wines, with citrus and sour flavours, as well as aromas of apple and pear, as their dominant aromas, while the varieties grown in Santorini have the aromas of honey, raisins, incense, as the light volcanic soil of Santorini gives to Assyrtiko distinctive characteristics that are transferred to wine (House of Wine, April 2013). Their taste is fruitful with moderate to high acidity and high alcohol quality, making it one of the rare wines with this combination worldwide. The variety can give both sweet and dry wines, exquisite single varietal wines, and can be easily combined to make interesting blends, the most usual of which is Assyrtiko and Sauvignon Blanc in Greece. It is usually combined with seafood, grilled fish and cheeses.

Vilana is a white domestic variety, cultivated in Crete, in the Counties of Heraclion and Lasithi mainly, followed by the Counties of Chania and Rethymno. It is a vigorous variety, resistant to drought, round to conical berries, thin skin, yellowish white colour with spots and delicious taste. Vilana gives medium to high alcohol content wines, of moderate acidity and a rich presence of floral aromas from yellow and white fruits; nevertheless they are prone to oxidation.

Malagouzia is a white variety, mainly cultivated in Halkidiki and Thessaloniki, as well as in Aitoloakarnania (from where it originates), Attica, Fthiotida and Peloponnese. It is a really vigorous and productive variety, resistant to drought. It gives big grapes with dense, large berries of thin golden yellow skin and sweet, soft flesh, tasting like Muscat. The wines produced by this variety have high alcohol content, moderate acidity and relatively intense aroma of exotic fruits (House of Wine, April 2013). It usually accompanies grilled and baked fish, seafood, white meats, poultry and cheeses with moderate flavour.

Picture 3. Assyrtiko

Picture 4. Vilana

Picture 5. Malagouzia

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The white variety named Monemvasia was already cultivated in Greece during 13th -14th and 16th century AD. The origin of its name, according to one scenario, comes from the castle of Monemvasia and, according to another, from the area of Malevizio, which is close to Heraclion, Crete, the Venetian Candia. It was one of the three varieties constituting the largest part of Greeces exports during the Middle Ages. The wine produced from it, known as Malmsey in English and Malvasia in Italian, was being distributed through the trading routes from Istanbul to England and from Italy to France. According to the legend, George, Duke of Clarence, brother of King Edward IV of England, was drowned in a barrel of Malmsey in the Tower of London in 1478 (House of Wine, April 2013). Today, the variety is mainly cultivated in Cyclades islands, Paros in particular, at an area of 5,000 acres, while it is also reintroduced in the area of Monemvasia. There are also smaller cultivation areas in Evia mainly. It is resistant to all diseases of vine and prefers soft mountainous terrain. Its bunches are large with big, oval shaped berries, sweet and juicy, with a golden colour. It gives simple, soft wines of low intensity and low acidity and yellow fruits aromas.

The first reference to the wine from Samos is made by Theodoros Ptochoprodromos (1143-1180) who writes in his poem Sweet wine from Ioannina and Crete and Samos releasing its juices ( ' , ), but doesnt mention whether the wine was Muscat, as sweet wines are also produced by other vine varieties. The first reference to Muscat from Samos is made in a rule by Kaisarios Daponte (1714-1784), which states: Wine from Scopelos, comandaria from Cyprus, Muscat from Samos Rosolio from Corfu, excellent things ( , , , , , , ). In Lord Byrons poem The Greek Islands a relevant reference is made at the verse Fill high the bowl with Samian wine! As mentioned by a various writes, the variety Muscat of Samos originates from Asia Minor and is the result of a mutation. It has been brought to Samos in the end of the 16th century, where due to climate has developed successfully. Its the same variety as the famous French variety Muscat de Frontignan that is cultivated in meridian France. From the mid-19th century Samian wine began to be widely known in Europe and from there to the rest of the world, when phylloxera destroyed many European vineyards. The Europeans, mainly the French and Italians in order to secure wine and other vine products, such as raisins (from which wine was produced), turned to the eastern parts that were not affected, among which was Samos. The great demand for these products brought a significant price increase and for that reason Samos was very soon a huge vineyard; even the roughest terrain was levelled and planted with vines. According to contemporary sources of that time, the land they occupied was almost 4,700 hectares. Today, Muscat of Samos is systematically cultivated, mainly in Samos and North-west Peloponnese. It is also cultivated in Cycladic islands as well as the Dodecanese. It is a quite productive variety, with medium size, conical grapes and dense round berries with green-yellowish, medium thickness, soft, juicy almost colourless flesh, with the characteristic

Picture 6. Monemvasia

Picture 7. Muscat of Samos

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aroma of Muscat wine (House of Wine, April 2013). It gives naturally sweet and medium sweet A.O.Q.S. wines, in which, depending on vinification, with inherent aromas of flowers, honey, spices and dried fruits, as well as dry table wines with the characteristic aroma of Muscat. Sweet wines produced by this variety are famous worldwide, and have received many awards in international exhibitions.

Muscat of Alexandreia, whose destination of origin is North Africa most probably, was firstly planted in Greece in the beginning of the 20th century. Its love for warmness helped it to get used to the countrys climate, producing delicious sweet wines. However, in recent years, it is used more and more for the production of dry, aromatic wines, as well as for some sparkling wines. It is characterised by its light and discrete aroma. Despite its expansion in the Northern part of Greece, the volcanic soils of Lemnos are the top place for enhancing the varietys significant advantages (New wines of Greece, April 2013). Apart from Lemnos, it is also cultivated in small vineyards in Aegean islands as well as in the Counties of Thessaloniki, Drama and Kavala. Both sweet wines bearing the geographical indication Muscat of Lemnos and dry wines reflect the typical traits of the variety. discrete aroma, notes of apricot and mint and a relatively rich body. The relatively rich in clay soils are considered suitable for the production of red wine, while light soils are better for the cultivation of early table grape varieties. Nevertheless, soils of average composition provide the best cultivation conditions. It is a medium vigorous variety, productive and resistant to drought, with big grapes of pale yellow colour skin. It gives white wine with a relatively high alcohol content, good acidity, characteristic taste and complex aroma of Muscat, while it is ideal for sweet aromatic wines. It is used for an A.O.Q.S. wine (Lemnos) as well as for Local and .O.C. wines (Rural Union, April 2013).

Batiki is a white variety, which was probably brought to our country from the region of Izmir-Smyrna. It is mainly cultivated in Thessaly (Tirnavos area) and less often in the North part of Evia and Macedonia. It is a vigorous and productive variety, very sensitive to downy mildew, powdery mildew, and low temperatures, but quite resistant to drought. Its grapes are big, conical in shape, on a dense berried bunch with big, oval shaped berries with green-yellowish, medium thickness skin and soft, colourless and juicy flesh. Batiki used to be cultivated a lo