The modern era

Attiki, defined by the imposing presence of Athens, has always been a huge wine market and one with great opportunities for the growers. Attiki is not only blessed with ideal climatic conditions, perfect vineyard sites and distinctive soils, but has also a significant commercial advantage. The region’s proximity to Athens and the port of Pireus made life easy for local farmers and producers. The producers could consistently sell everything they grew and bottled, not only in Athens but throughout Greece. Early in the region’s history, this comparative advantage was recognized from the locals who established the first wineries in the 19th century. However, the quality potential of the region remained largely untapped, until quite recently.

The large, heavy wine drinking population naturally influenced the local wine industry, which was booming. In the 1880s the railways added extra wagons during harvest to transport grapes to the city. The advent of Phylloxera in the first half of the 20th century destroyed the local vineyard and brought an end to the days of prosperity for the local producers.

The ravages of Phylloxera brought about the replanting of the vineyard in the 1960s. However, Attiki’s producers only began offering better quality wines after the 2000. A new generation of ambitious winemakers and producers began to raise the standards of quality, bringing a “breath of fresh air” to the region. During these last years, their dedication to unique, native varieties, with Savatiano at its center, together with the appropriate mix of tradition and modern winemaking techniques, has led to the successful production of quality wines, which truly express their origins.

The great majority of the wines are labelled using the traditional PGI designations, of PGI Attiki (ΠΓΕ Αττική), PGI Slopes of Kithaironas (ΠΓΕ Πλαγιές Κιθαιρώνα), PGI Markopoulo (ΠΓΕ Μαρκόπουλο). The wines of these PGIs continue to be the most common quality designations and enjoy the appreciation of wine professionals and journalists from all over the world.