PDO Muscat of Cephalonia

The Muscat grape is one of the oldest and most widespread grape families in the world and I have periodically reported on instances of its implementation. Previous writings include Asti DOCG, Muscat of Samos, Muscat of Spina, Muscat of Lemnos, and Muscat of Bornova. I continue the work with this post on the Muscat of Cephalonia.

Cephalonia, largest of the Ionian Islands, is covered in mountain ranges, with the highest peaking out at 1600 m.

Cephalonia has a rich viticultural history "that dates back to ancient times, steeped in myth and legend ... but, after a lengthy down period, "it wasn't until the mid-1960s that interest was rekindled with the establishment of modern wineries. It was then that the island's excellent local wines ... became known internationally" (cephaloniawineclub.com).

PDO Muscat of Cephalonia was established in 1971and covers wines made from Muscat grapes grown in the western portion of the island on the Paliki Peninsula. As the below chart shows, Cephalonia is a sub-region of the Ionian Islands appellation. The Paliki Peninsula, home of the Muscat PDO, has distinct breccia and limestone and sandstone and conglomerate soil zones.

The climate is classic Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers moderated by sea breezes. Annual rainfall ranges between 800 and 1200 mm.

Vineyard plots on the island are relatively small, averaging 4.5 acres/grower. 

Muscat PDO wines can be either vin naturellement doux (from sun-dried grapes) or vin doux naturel -- vin de liquer (fortified). If the grapes are sourced from the producer's vineyard, and the yields are low, the wine can be labeled Grand Cru.

I have used the 2019 Petrakopoulos to illustrate the production elements of a PDO Muscat of Cephalonia. This estate's grapes are grown on terraces on clay and sandy soil in a semi-mountainous area in the western part of the island. 

The grapes were subjected to "strict" pruning during the growing season. The late-harvested fruit were carefully sorted. Further concentration of the sugars was achieved by short, indirect exposure of the grapes to the sun. The grapes were fermented naturally and the resulting wine was bottled with no clarification or filtration.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme