LATITUDE
LONGITUDE
subregions
Nestled in the northeastern corner of Greece, the Thrace wine region beckons wine enthusiasts to immerse themselves in a captivating terroir tapestry that weaves history, geography, and climate into every glass. Stretching across Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, this enchanting region shares borders with Bulgaria to the north, Turkey to the east, and embraces the Aegean Sea to the south.
As you venture through the Thrace wine region, let each sip transport you to a world where terroir reigns supreme. Experience the seamless blend of Mediterranean warmth and continental charm in every bottle, a testament to the passion and dedication of the winemakers who call this land their home. Embark on a journey of taste and discovery, where the captivating essence of Thrace awaits, ready to delight and enthrall your senses.
Vineyard Hectares
WINERIES
The Thrace wine region is situated in northeastern Greece, encompassing parts of the administrative regions of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Thrace shares borders with Bulgaria to the north and Turkey to the east, and it is bordered by the Aegean Sea to the south. The region covers a diverse landscape, featuring plains, river valleys, foothills, and mountains, which contribute to its varied terroir.
The climate of the Thrace wine region is influenced by both Mediterranean and continental factors. The proximity to the Aegean Sea provides a Mediterranean influence, resulting in mild winters and warm to hot summers. The sea's moderating effect helps to temper extreme temperature fluctuations in the coastal areas.
The region also experiences some continental climate characteristics. Inland areas may have colder winters, occasional frost, and temperature variations between day and night, especially during the summer. Summers can be relatively dry, typical of Mediterranean climates, while winters may see more significant precipitation, often in the form of rain.
In the Thrace wine region, an array of soil types forms the foundation for its wines. Along the coast and lowlands, alluvial soils reign supreme, offering fertility and nurturing the vines with life-giving nutrients. As you journey further, you'll encounter the finesse of silty soils, contributing elegance to the wines' character. Clay soils bring strength and structure to the vineyards, ensuring wines of substance and depth. In the embrace of the mountains, limestone and shale soils take center stage, infusing the grapes with a distinctive mineral essence. Thrace's winemaking landscape is a symphony of soil diversity, a testament to how this remarkable terroir influences the unique flavors that grace every bottle.
The DIONYSOS project, spanning from 2017 to 2020, united the Thrace region, Eastern Macedonia, and Bulgaria's producers in a mission to preserve traditional varieties and terroir. Over three years, DIONYSOS dedicated its efforts to encourage the cultivation of native grape varieties unique to each region, granting them a competitive edge. Central to the project was the careful stewardship of the local terroir, as this is what confers a unique typicity to the wines of each region. Some of the key actions carried out by DIONYSOS included:
Most Planted Red Grape Varieties: Mavroudi, Limnio, Cabernet Sauvignon
Most Planted White Grape Varieties: Assyrtiko, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc
Thrace is a wine region that, due to its great diversity of soils, offers a wide range of wines, each very distinctive and reflecting the particular terroir in which the grapes were grown. However, the 3 flagship wines of the region are, on the red wine side, Mavroudi and Limnio, while on the white wine side there is the Assyrtiko wine.
The Thrace wine region, boasts a rich and storied history of winemaking that stretches back thousands of years.
Winemaking in Thrace can be traced back to antiquity. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Thracians, an ancient Indo-European people, cultivated vineyards and produced wine as early as the 5th millennium BCE. The ancient Greeks, renowned for their wine culture, recognized the significance of Thrace's fertile land for grape cultivation and established vineyards throughout the region.
During the Roman Empire, between the 31st century BC and 180 AD, Thrace's wine trade flourished, with wines from the region gaining popularity across the empire. Thrace's strategic location facilitated trade routes, enabling the distribution of its wines to distant corners of the Roman world. Another key period for the wine history of Thrace was the Byzantine period, between 330 AD and 1453 AD. During this period, Thrace continued to strengthen its winemaking tradition, thanks in large part to the role of monks, monasteries and churches, which helped to preserve and register the region's viticultural knowledge.
However, between the 14th and the beginning of the 20th century the situation of viticulture in Thrace changed a lot. This was due to the fact that Thrace became part of the Ottoman Empire. Although the rules of the Ottomans did not prevent the production of wine for religious or medicinal purposes, they greatly limited its production for commercial purposes, which generated a progressive decline in wine production in the region.
After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, a period of revival of Thracian viticulture began. Greek refugees residing in Turkey returned to the country, bringing with them new winemaking techniques and knowledge that greatly helped the development of viticulture in the region.
Another key aspect of the region's viticultural renaissance was that growers not only cultivated international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, but also focused on reviving old grape varieties that had been forgotten until then, such as Mavroudi, Limnio and Muscat of Alexandria.
Finally, in recent decades, the Thrace wine region has emerged as one of Greece's prominent wine-producing areas. With its diverse terroirs, ranging from plains and river valleys to foothills and mountains, Thrace offers a range of microclimates that provide winemakers with ample opportunities for experimentation.
Copyright © 2024 Vinerra Corp.
