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PELOPONNESE

Administrative Region

The Peloponnese, which is the southernmost tip of the Balkan Peninsula, is characterized by a pronounced mountainous relief and its viticulture is formed in two main zones, which are defined by the mountain ranges that cross it. The first zone concerns the central and eastern part, with the main cores of Nemea and Mantineia, while the second extends to the western side of the peninsula. This starts from the north, at the foot of Mount Panachaikos, including the areas of Aigio and Patras, and follows the coastline of the Ionian Sea to Kefalonia, ending in Messinia, with the main viticultural cores of Achaia in the north and Ilia and Messinia further south. The wine-growing regions of the Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands are part of a mild Mediterranean climate framework, which is shaped both by the maritime influence of the Gulf of Corinth on the coastal zones, and by the natural protection and cooling winds offered by the mountain ranges of Central Greece and the central Peloponnese. The altitude, the slopes of the terrain, the orientation of the vineyards, as well as the presence or absence of the sea, contribute to the creation of many and varied mesoclimates. Primarily, the vineyards grow in semi-mountainous and mountainous locations, either in areas with a pronounced relief or in highlands and valleys that are interspersed between the mountain ranges, forming a mosaic of mountainous and semi-mountainous vineyards.