MONEMVASIA
Extremely rare grape from the Greek Cyclades, Monemvasia almost went out of existence in the 20th Century. Nowadays, it is experiencing a second birth, making round mouth-coating whites with ripe stone fruit aromas.
Overview
Monemvasia is an ancient indigenous Greek grape with a glorious history. It is believed that Monemvasia, among many other varieties, was used for the production of sweet Malvasia wine (‘Malvasias oenos’), famous in the Medieval times. This wine was shipped to Europe from the historic Greek port of Monemvasia as early as in the 13th century. Supposedly, Monemvasia grape got its name from the name of the port. Interestingly, despite the name similarities, Monemvasia and Malvasia grapes are not related and have very distinctive personalities.
Monemvasia grape originates from the Cyclades. Nowadays, it is a very rare grape, with small plantings found on the islands of Paros, Syros and Peloponnese, thus Monemvasia wine is a rare find.
Aromas And Styles
For a winemaker, Monemvasia is not an easy grape to handle. It is prone to oxidation and therefore needs to be protected from oxygen at all stages of the winemaking process. Partially for this reason, Monemvasia wine almost went out of existence in the 20th century. However, as winemakers are gradually learning how to work with this ‘fussy’ variety, the quality of Monemvasia wine skyrocketed in recent years.
The best expressions of this grape show luscious aromas of citruses, as well as apricots, peaches and other stone fruits, often with some mineral and spicy undertones. With medium body and moderate acidity, Monemvasia wine is well-balanced, mouth-coating and easy-drinking. It makes a wonderful aperitif and a great match for fish, salads and cheeses.
