Grape
 

Limniona

Limniona is the rising star of the Greek red varieties according to Wines of Greece and will be a driving force for the development of numerous top wines all around Greece - not just at its home in Thessaly - in the years to come. Several years of research and microvinifications, bringing together numerous scientists, growers and producers, started yielding some impressive results.

It produces wines of  deep and vivid purple colour, rich and expressive on the nose with a palette of red fruit, cooking spices, herbal notes and mineral undertones. It produces firm and textured wines but never an aggressive tannic envelope. Alcohol can be relatively high, although rarely above 13.5%, yet always balanced by bright acidity. It is thought to be originating from Thessalia (Thessaly) and specifically from the areas of Karditsa and Tyrnavos but it is cultivated in a number of areas almost all around Greece. 

In a nutshell, Limniona (Lemniona) is one of these rare red varieties that manage to pack concentration, acidity and flavour without leaning towards an overpowered wine with excessive volume. It is for people looking for the next generation of ambitious yet graceful reds. It pairs perfectly with beef and other bold red meats. Although most commercially available examples are ready to drink they can also transform pleasantly through a few years of bottle ageing.

Producer
 
Kontozisis
Kontozisis Vineyards are located at the foothills of Mount Agrafa, one of the most steep mountain ranges of the country near Karditsa, a rural town in the region of Thessaly. They are a family-owned winery, run by young generation partners Andreas Kontozisis and Aphrodite Tousia and working on 11 hectares of vineyards. The winery has been designed to handle the fruits of a perfectly sustainable viticultural practice. They have achieved organic certification in 1991, being one of the first wine producers in Greece to obtain such certification and they are committed to sustainability, both in the vineyards and the cellar. They are passionate about working with indigenous grape varieties, such as Roditis, Malagousia and Limniona. For Limniona, they have developed a proprietary vine-tending technique, in order to get as much concentration as possible from the variety’s large grapes. All grapes are hand harvested and yields are kept very low to maximize quality. No presses and no commercial yeasts are used during winemaking.