I have, in this series, covered all of the Greek Muscat wines with the exception of the Muscats of Patras and Rio Patras. I address that shortcoming in this post.
Achaia is one of the largest wine producing regions in Greece, with vineyards stretching over 27,000 ha. As shown in the map below, the region includes four PDOs within its borders in addition to the Vineyards of Egialia. Most of Achaia's territory lie on the slopes of three steep mountains and these act as barriers to the hot winds blowing from the south.
Apart from some coastal areas, the only low lying part of the region is found in the western part of the prefecture and the vineyards here are influenced by the proximity to the sea. These vineyards are at the door-step of the mountain ranges and they are influenced by the cooler aromatic winds coming from the mountains as well as sea breezes during the summer. However, this is the parcel with the richest, most fertile, soils, as well as the warmest mesoclimates. The flat part of Achaia is the "work-horse" of Achaia's grape output, capable of producing everyday wines of good quality and great value, as well as some of the best sweet wines made in Greece (winesofwesterngreece.com).
The map below further zooms in on the Achaia PGI in order to provide more expansive views of the Muscat of Patras and Muscat of Rio Patras PDOs.
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| Muscat of Patras and Muscat of Rio Patras PDOs (Source: delongwine.com) |
The climate is Mediterranean, with long, dry summers and short rainy winters modified by the Gulf of Patras to the northwest and the Gulf of Corinth to the northeast.
The geography of Patras varies from the seaside in the north to high mountain peaks in the south, with a largely rugged mountainous interior. Vineyards are planted from the coastal areas to higher altitudes in the mountains to the south. Vineyards above 900 m enjoy a cooler growing season with higher diurnal temperature variation.
Muscat grapes (called Moschoudi in this PGI) prefer the warmer environments closer to the shores and are used in Patras in the production of sweet white wines from sun-dried grapes (vin naturellement doux) as well as through termination of fermentation using grape alcohol (vin deux naturel (vin de liqueur)).
The PDO of Rio Patras is a smaller overlapping appellation which covers the coastal areas to the east. The warmer environemnt allows for riper, sweeter grapes than in Patras and, as a result, wines that are more "fruit-forward."
Achea Claus, the oldest winery in the region (1861) produces both a sun-dried and a fortified wine. I will use their production processes as a proxy for the region's.
For the wine made from sun-dried grapes, the grapes are exposed to the sun for about 3 to 4 days. They become dehydrated and acquire additional sugar content and aromas. The grapes are then subjected to a white wine vinification.
For the fortified wine, grape alcohol is added to the must prior to the start of alcoholic fermentation. The wine thus preserves all of the grape sugars and the varietal aromas.
Achaia Claus describes its Muscat of Patras thusly: "Light golden color with green hues with honey and lemon scents composing a highly aromatic bouquet. Its lively acidity level binds the flavors and boosts the basic flavor and structures of this great sweet wine. The finish is long with a prevailing taste of honey."
The Muscat of Rio Patras is limited in its production and is lauded for its aromatic depth, persistence, acidity, and complexity. Aromas and flavors revolve around dried apricots, pears, and orange notes.
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