News

Greek wine production in 2021 defied expectations

29 April 2022 By Louis Thomas

The volume of wine produced in Greece grew by 8.13% last year, according to the National Agricultural Cooperative of Wine Products.

In October, the European Commission forecast a 13% decline in wine production for 2021 across all member states. Citing adverse weather in particular, the Commission predicted a 25.09% drop in yields in Greece with only an estimated 1,696,000 kilolitres of wine expected to be produced across the country. Temperatures fluctuating from cold snaps to heatwaves throughout the Summer were expected to cause substantial damage to grapes.

However, the Hellenic Republic actually saw an overall increase in the volume of wine produced, reaching 2,468,945 kilolitres. Almost two thirds of that production (1,627,959 kilolitres) was wine without a geographical indication. 16.94% (415,886 kilolitres) was wine with a PGI.

The reported 8.13% increase has largely been attributed to increasingly accurate statistics. The National Agricultural Cooperative stated that “the number of wineries, mainly small, that are now obliged to submit production declarations is constantly increasing…resulting in a more realistic depiction of the size of Greek wine production.”

Greek winemaking is highly diverse, with new traditions emerging across the country. In the town of Naoussa, winemakers submerge their bottles in the river as a makeshift cellar. Indigenous grapes, such as Xinomavro, have only received international attention relatively recently.

Wine exports have also been steadily increasing. According to the European Commission’s data, the EU trade in Greek wine in marketing year 2020/21 was valued at €31,590,000, compared to €25,000,000 in 2018/19. 2019/20 was disrupted by the pandemic, though the value of exports was not too dramatically reduced, reaching €22,400,000.

Greece has a long history of winemaking, the longest in Europe according to studies of preserved pomace from Philippi.