The wine harvest at Nemea

September is the month of the wine harvest at Nemea, the primary wine making region of the Peloponnese. The Peloponnese is the southernmost part of the Greek mainland, home to Live-Bio and the no. 1 travel destination in Europe for 2016, according to the Lonely Planet travel guide.

Nemea – oldest wine making region in the world

Nemea boasts over 3000 years of wine making tradition, making it the oldest continuous wine making region in the world. It is home to the Agiorghitiko (St George’s) grape, one of the most versatile indigenous red varieties of Greece. Neighbouring Nemea is the region of Mantinia, one more area of protected origin, which is renown for its Moscofilero variety, a red grape that produces spectacularly floral white wines.

Agiorghitiko grape. Small, thick skin with deep cuts in the leaves.

The wine harvest at Nemea has been a time of celebration since the ancient times in Greece, with several festivals organised to honour Dionysos (Latin name: Bacchus), the god of wine.

September finds the small fruit, thick skin, cone shaped bunches of Agiorghitiko grapes ripen on the vine, before being hand picked and sent to the vinification process. The local wine makers have invested heavily in purchasing modern equipment, essential for controlling the process from the press to the bottle and for producing excellent wines.

Some of our carefully selected wine makers

Some of our favourite wine makers (at the risk of leaving out several other great ones) include Skouras, Papaioannou, Palyvos, Semeli and Repanis.

The wine harvest at Nemea is a millennia long tradition and marks the beginning of beautiful autumn. Having said that, Nemea makes a wonderful, year round day excursion from Live-Bio. The farms, the tasting lessons and the beauty of the landscape make for a memorable experience. Remember, this is where the Greek gods got their wine from 😉