Greece: Appellations, Regions and Grapes

Greece works a small vineyard by European measure. Wines of Greece, the portal hosted by the National Interprofessional Organization of Vine and Wine (EDOAO), records about 64,000 hectares of vineyards intended for wine production, land that is spread over 180,000 growers and feeds more than 1,200 wineries. Holdings are small: the average vineyard holding is slightly above 5 stremma, the Greek acreage unit, and one stremma equals 0.1 hectare. The OIV, counting all vines rather than wine grapes alone, puts the Greek area under vines at 93 kha in 2025, unchanged on 2024 and 1.3 percent of the world total, and Greek wine production at 1.6 mhl in 2025. The framework over that vineyard is European. Greece is among the first countries in the European Union that introduced wine laws to protect the identity and reputation of its wine-growing regions, and it now holds 33 registered Protected Indications of Origin and 114 Protected Geographical Indications for its wines. Plantings remain overwhelmingly native: about 90 percent of the vineyard is given to indigenous varieties, with the white Savatiano at the top of the list, the pink-skinned Roditis next, and Agiorgitiko the most planted red and third overall. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the two most popular international grape varieties.

• About 64,000 hectares of vineyard intended for wine production, over 180,000 growers (Wines of Greece)
• More than 1,200 wineries (Wines of Greece)
• 33 registered Protected Indications of Origin and 114 Protected Geographical Indications (Wines of Greece)
• About 90 percent of plantings are indigenous varieties (Wines of Greece)
• 93 kha under vines in 2025, 1.3 percent of the world total (OIV)

Greece is predominantly mountainous, with almost 80 percent of its total acreage covered by high mountains, and Greek vineyards sit at altitudes between sea level and often in excess of 1,000 metres. Mainland Greece is dominated by the Pindos range, an extension of the Central European Alps, which forms an arc continuing to the southeastern Peloponnese; the PDO Zitsa vineyard lies in the highlands of Pindos. Olympus, the highest peak in Greece, stands east of Pindos and close to the sea, with the Rapsani vineyard on its slopes. The PDO Mantinia plateau in the Peloponnese lies at 660 metres, and Wines of Greece notes that altitude there matters more than latitude. The island vineyards work under different constraints. On the Aegean islands, strong winds, rugged terrain and poor soils have led to the prevalence of the traditional goblet system of pruning and training, alongside tiered terraces known as pezoules. Santorini vineyards lie on volcanic Therean ash and pumice with virtually zero moisture capacity and organic matter, which explains the absence of phylloxera, and vines are trained into wreath-like baskets called kouloura. Crete is hot and dry, with sunshine for 70 percent of the year and less than 2 inches of rain in summer, at latitude 35 degrees north, mostly on clay and limestone soils. Epirus, by contrast, is cool and humid, with most of its terrain at 700 metres and Zitsa recording the highest annual rainfall level in the country at approximately 40 inches.

• Almost 80 percent of the total acreage of Greece is covered by high mountains (Wines of Greece)
• Vineyards run from sea level to often in excess of 1,000 metres (Wines of Greece)
• PDO Mantinia: vineyard plateau at 660 metres in the Peloponnese (Wines of Greece)
• Santorini: volcanic Therean ash and pumice, no phylloxera (Wines of Greece)
• Crete: sunshine 70 percent of the year, latitude 35 degrees north (Wines of Greece)
• Zitsa: the highest annual rainfall in the country, approximately 40 inches (Wines of Greece)

Greek wine is classified under the European origin tiers. Wines of Greece counts 33 registered Protected Indications of Origin (PDO) and 114 Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) for Greek wines, and states that the use of these geographical indications is tightly controlled to ensure a wine is genuinely the product of grapes grown in a specific location and under specific rules. The organisation groups its PDO list by region, under Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Peloponnese, Ionian Islands, Aegean Islands and Crete, and its PGI list under Thrace, Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Sterea Ellada, Peloponnese, Ionian Islands, Aegean Sea Islands and Crete. Some Greek styles carry their own indications inside those tiers. Retsina is registered as a PGI, with indications such as PGI Retsina of Attiki, PGI Retsina of Evia and PGI Retsina of Koropi. Zakynthos holds the Traditional Designation Verdea, listed as PGI Verdea of Zakynthos. Samos is the only area where mention of the Muscat variety is not mandatory in the PDO name, since Samos alone is enough for the designation.

• PDO: 33 registered Protected Indications of Origin for Greek wines (Wines of Greece)
• PGI: 114 Protected Geographical Indications for Greek wines (Wines of Greece)
• Retsina is registered as a PGI, by area, for example PGI Retsina of Attiki (Wines of Greece)
• Verdea of Zakynthos is listed as a Traditional Designation inside the PGI list (Wines of Greece)
• Samos is the only PDO where the Muscat name is not mandatory (Wines of Greece)

The bullets below follow the nine Greek regions that organise this wiki. Figures and vineyard descriptions come from the regional pages of Wines of Greece, which uses acres and stremma alongside hectares.

• Aegean Islands: in the northern Aegean the white Muscat varieties, including Muscat of Alexandria, dominate. On Samos, white Muscat takes up 95 percent of almost 4,400 acres under vine, and Samos is the only PDO where the Muscat name is not mandatory. Lemnos has volcanic, infertile, mainly limestone soil and around 1,250 acres under vine, 90 to 95 percent of it Muscat of Alexandria, the rest Limnio, known locally as Kalambaki. On Ikaria, Mandilaria is the main variety, with Assyrtiko, Athiri, Fokiano, Kotsifali and Begleri following.
• Central Macedonia: Naoussa, in the prefecture of Imathia, gives dry reds from Xinomavro alone, which takes up approximately 1,500 to 1,600 acres along the foothills and eastern slopes of Mount Vermio at 100 to 400 metres, on soils from acid schistose to high lime and clay. Goumenissa, the PDO zone of the prefecture of Kilkis, includes Mt. Paikon at 150 to 250 metres, with Xinomavro predominant and the local red Negoska at 23 to 30 percent of plantings. On Mount Meliton in Sithonia, Halkidiki, at 800 metres, two PDO wines are made under the name Plagies Melitona, a white from Athiri, Assyrtiko and Roditis and a red from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Limnio; Emile Peynaud supervised the planting there in the early 1970s. Mount Athos, the semi-autonomous monastic district, and the coastal areas of Epanomi and Agios Pavlos near Thessaloniki are the other Halkidiki poles.
• Crete: the island holds approximately 15 percent of the nation’s vineyards, the largest share in the prefecture of Heraklion, whose three main areas are Peza, Archanes and Daphnes. The ranges of Lefka Ori, Idi and Dikty traverse the island, where Vilana, Kotsifali and Liatiko grow alongside other native and international cultivars, mostly on lowland plains and plateaus at altitudes of up to 3,300 feet. In Lasithi the main zone is the greater area of Sitia, with Liatiko and Mandilaria at lower altitudes and Vilana and Thrapsathiri further south on the Ziros plateau.
• Cyclades: Wines of Greece lists PGI Cyclades and PGI Thapsana among the Aegean island PGIs. Most Santorini vineyards lie in the south and southwest of the island on volcanic Therean ash and pumice, with Assyrtiko the most planted variety at 1,700 acres and Aidani second; the law allows yields of up to 55 hectolitres per hectare, while normal yields are closer to 20. Paros has approximately 1,200 acres, mainly white Monemvassia and red Mandilaria, has never been blighted by phylloxera, and trains its vines in a spreading bush system called aplotaries. Tinos, in the north of the Cyclades, plants Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Mavrotragano, Mandilaria, Avgoustiatis and the local Potamissi, Rozaki and Koumari.
• Dodecanese: Wines of Greece lists PDO Rodos and PDO Muscat of Rodos among the Greek PDOs, and PGI Dodekanese and PGI Kos among the Aegean island PGIs. The main cultivation zone on Rhodes is around Mount Attavyros at altitudes of up to 2,600 feet, with Athiri cultivated exclusively in the mountain zone and Mandilaria, called Amorgiano locally, in the semi-mountainous areas and flatlands. On Kos most vineyards sit at the foot of Mt. Dikaio at 300 metres, worked by the island’s two wine producers.
• Epirus: viticulture and winemaking here date back as early as the 15th century, on terrain mostly at 700 metres. Zitsa, on the western slopes of Pindos at 700 metres, has the highest annual rainfall level in the country at approximately 40 inches, and the local white Debina occupies about 1,250 acres, giving dry and semi-sparkling PDO Zitsa. Metsovo, at 900 to 1,000 metres, is where the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon started in Greece.
• Ionian Islands: the vineyards of Cephalonia cover a total area of just 750 acres, climbing to 800 metres on the western slopes of Mount Enos and planted to Robola in traditional low-trunk goblets; phylloxera appeared on the island in 1988 and replanting followed with resistant stocks. Zakynthos is the birthplace of the Traditional Designation Verdea, produced since the 19th century, and grows the red Avgoustiatis. Corfu’s prevailing varieties are the white Kakotrygis and the red Petrokorithos, and Lefkada favours Vertzami.
• Peloponnese: a mountainous area divided into two main vine growing regions by the ranges that cross it, with Mantinia and Nemea the hubs of the central and northern part, and Achaia, Ilia and Messinia in the west. The climate is mild Mediterranean, moderated by the Gulf of Korinthos and sheltered by the mountain ranges of continental Greece and the central Peloponnese. The Mantinia plateau sits at 660 metres and gives still and sparkling PDO Mantinia from Moschofilero; Agiorgitiko is the grape of PDO Nemea.
• Thessaly: most farmland in the region goes to crops other than grapes, such as grain and cotton, and the best vineyards grow on the mountain slopes at the region’s boundaries. Rapsani, in the prefecture of Larissa, covers 370 acres on the eastern slopes of Mount Olympus between 150 and 750 metres, where Xinomavro is cultivated jointly with Krassato and Stavroto. The village of Krania was exempted from the Rapsani PDO in 2001 to make white and red PGI wines from international varieties. Tyrnavos is known for tsipouro, with Hamburg Muscat and Roditis as its main varieties and the local red Limniona also planted.

About 90 percent of Greek plantings are indigenous varieties. Wines of Greece places the white Savatiano at the top of the planting list, followed by the pink-skinned Roditis, with Agiorgitiko the most planted red and third overall, then Liatiko, Xinomavro, Muscat of Hamburg and Assyrtiko. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the two most popular international grape varieties. Hectare figures by variety are not published on the Wines of Greece pages fetched for this article, so the ranking is given without areas. Savatiano is prevalent in Attica and Central Greece and is the key variety traditionally used to make retsina. Roditis yields PDO Patras and contributes to PDO Anchialos and PDO Slopes of Meliton whites. Assyrtiko originated on Santorini, where it makes the PDO Santorini whites, and also takes part in PDO Slopes of Meliton, PDO Rhodes and PDO Handakas Candia. Agiorgitiko is the grape of PDO Nemea and is vinified dry, as rose, which cannot carry the PDO, and as a sweet wine. Xinomavro, whose name comes from xino (sour) and mavro (black), is used for PDO Naoussa, PDO Amynteo, PDO Goumenissa and PDO Rapsani reds. Moschofilero is centred on the Peloponnese and the Mantinia plateau, giving still and sparkling PDO Mantinia.

• Savatiano heads the planting list, followed by Roditis (Wines of Greece)
• Agiorgitiko is the most planted red and third overall (Wines of Greece)
• Liatiko, Xinomavro, Muscat of Hamburg and Assyrtiko follow (Wines of Greece)
• Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the two most popular international grape varieties (Wines of Greece)
• About 90 percent of plantings are indigenous varieties (Wines of Greece)

According to Wines of Greece, average annual production was 2.3 million hectolitres in 2020 and 1.7 million hectolitres in 2021, which ranked Greece as the 17th largest wine-producing country for 2020. In 2021, PDO wines accounted for 9.5 percent of total wine production and PGI wines for 23.5 percent. Greece produces more white than red wine, with red accounting for about a third of the total. Wines of Greece also notes that most Greek wine is consumed inside the country, by residents and by visitors, so little of the total production reaches export markets. According to the OIV, the Greek vineyard stood at 93 kha in 2025, unchanged on 2024 and 1.3 percent of the world total, after 93 kha in 2024, itself 0.4 percent above 2023. The OIV puts Greek wine production at 1.6 mhl in 2025, 16.8 percent above 2024, 14.6 percent below the five-year average and 0.7 percent of world output, and describes the vintage as a partial recovery after two very small vintages in 2023 and 2024, with output still below the historical range of 2 to 4 mhl.

• According to Wines of Greece, production averaged 2.3 million hectolitres in 2020 and 1.7 million in 2021
• According to Wines of Greece, PDO was 9.5 percent and PGI 23.5 percent of 2021 production
• According to the OIV, Greek production was 1.6 mhl in 2025, 16.8 percent above 2024
• According to the OIV, the Greek vineyard held at 93 kha in 2025, 1.3 percent of the world total
• According to Wines of Greece, most Greek wine is consumed inside the country

Primary sources (Wines of Greece, the portal of the National Interprofessional Organization of Vine and Wine): https://winesofgreece.org/about-us/, https://winesofgreece.org/articles/key-production-figures/, https://winesofgreece.org/articles/%CE%B1-guarantee-of-authenticity/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions-wineries/appellations-and-classifications/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions-wineries/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/aegean-islands/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/macedonia/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/imathia/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/kilkis/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/halkidiki/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/crete/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/heraklion/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/lasithi/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/santorini/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/paros/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/tinos/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/rhodes/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/kos/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/epirus/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/ioannina/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/ionian-islands/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/cephalonia/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/peloponnese/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/thessaly/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/larissa/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/samos/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/lemnos/, https://winesofgreece.org/regions/ikaria/, https://winesofgreece.org/articles/the-mountainous-vineyards/, https://winesofgreece.org/articles/diverse-terroirs/, https://winesofgreece.org/varieties/savatiano/, https://winesofgreece.org/varieties/roditis/, https://winesofgreece.org/varieties/agiorgitiko/, https://winesofgreece.org/varieties/assyrtiko/, https://winesofgreece.org/varieties/xinomavro/, https://winesofgreece.org/varieties/moschofilero/, https://winesofgreece.org/winepediaen/dessert-and-other-uncommon-wines/. Secondary sources (OIV): https://www.oiv.int/sites/default/files/2026-05/OIV-State_of_the_World_Wine_Sector_in_2025.pdf, https://www.oiv.int/sites/default/files/2025-04/OIV-State_of_the_World_Vine-and-Wine-Sector-in-2024.pdf. The wine service pages of the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food (minagric.gr) returned HTTP 403 on every attempt and were not used. Last verified 2026-09-16.