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Moropoulos Vineyards
Mantinia has a long tradition in viticulture, dating back to the ancient times as evidenced by numerous archaeological finds, linking the region with wine production and the worship of the god Dionysus. Homer had named Mantinia “land of many vines”. Moreover, Mount Mainalo was home to Pan and Ancient Arcadians worshipped him to the same degree they worshipped Dionysus.
Vineyards cover much of the plateau, which stands around 700m above sea level, and rise to even higher elevations in the foothills of the surrounding Parnon and Mainalo mountains. As a result of these high elevations, the climate is rather continental than Mediterranean, despite the close proximity to the Aegean Sea. In fact, this is one of the coldest wine-growing regions in Greece, despite its relatively low latitude. Cool temperatures during summer slow ripening for the grapes sufficiently so as to retain their characteristic acidity. Harvest can sometimes come as late as October. It is normally the latest harvest of the country.
The winery’s first vintage wine was produced in 2015. It was an experimental one and since then there has been a small-scale production. There are 12ha of cultivated vines at a high altitude (680-700m) upon well-drained rocky clay and loamy soils and a big part is under an organic certification. Our intention is to craft small batches of each vintage after careful selection based on quality criteria in order to create a solid base and estimate the potential of each parcel. Thus, we have not only invested in vineyard and facilities, but also in human resources. From the 2018 vintage and on, our wines have been created with the advice of Lefteris Anagnostou, a talented young viticulturist/winemaker with a great background on Santorini island.

Moschofilero is an indigenous variety of the region and one of the most interesting Greek varieties. It has a special aromatic profile, with freshness and high acidity. It is considered to be a grey variety and some clones have a more reddish hue. The winery produces two different wines based on 100% Moschofilero.

The first is a PDO Mantinia, a blend from our parcel selection that is vinified on stainless steel. We have made an attempt to bring out a different dimension of this variety, as our intention is to keep long contact with the lees and produce a more gastronomical version gaining on balance, aromatic intensity and longer potential, rather than the usual easy drinking version of Moschofilero. For this reason, we invested in vineyard management.

The second wine is a pink version of Moschofilero. It takes this pale rose colour after a long skin contact maceration. This is a PGI Arcadia, as the PDO is reserved only for the classic white version. The rose expression of Moschofilero is a very interesting approach to this multidimensional variety.