The vineyard of Attiki (or Attica) has undergone an impressive renaissance and progress during the last few decades. Its moment has been a long time coming. Since the 90's the strong winds of change have been blowing in terms of viticulture and vinification, among the producers. All it took was for its best practitioners to believe that Attica wine could be more than what it was once considered to be - a simple quaffing wine for relatively immediate consumption. Based on their long-standing traditions, grape varieties and unique wine styles, and with the help of cutting-edge technology, expertise and serious effort, they managed to bring the wines of Attiki to the forefront of the seismic changes that have taken place in the Greek vineyard.
The region of Attica is characterized by the presence of Athens, the country's capital. The local vineyard is one of the largest vineyards in Greece and it has always been the principal source of wine for the city of Athens. Local consumption absorbed most of Attiki's wine-production. It is one of the few regions in the world that grows wine within the city limits. Many commercial vineyards, in regions such as Mesogaia, are found around and even within the residential areas.
Attiki is considered to be one of the hottest and driest grape-growing regions in Greece. However, the vineyard's proximity to large bodies of water (with the exception of the northwestern part of the region, Attiki is surrounded by the sea) as well as the mountains ranges, create ideal conditions for growing vines. The epicenter of Attiki's vineyard is Savatiano, a white grape variety. During the last decades, Savatiano's quality potential is highlighted through a series of modern vinifications. The wines are pleasantly charming with excellent depth and balance and the best of them will amaze you with their ageing potential. Top examples can surpass a decade or more of cellaring.
01What Attiki is known for — and what it is not
It is worth saying plainly what most first-time readers already think, because the page is more persuasive if it gets there first.
That is an unusual starting point, and not a bad one. Recognition, even negative recognition, is something most small European regions never manage to build. Beginning from a name people already know is a considerably shorter road than beginning from nothing — provided the wine in the glass has changed, which is exactly what the last two decades have been about.
