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Greece

Rapsani

400 ha under vine

Soils
Schist and granite on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus
Climate
Continental, moderated by altitude and the nearby Aegean

On the map

Rapsani — 400 haLanguedoc — 220 000 haBordeaux — 110 000 haSicily — 98 000 haVeneto — 96 000 haPuglia — 87 000 haSouthern Rhône — 66 000 haRioja — 66 000 haTuscany — 60 000 haLoire Valley — 57 000 haEmilia-Romagna — 50 000 haKakheti — 48 000 haSouth-West France — 45 000 haPiedmont — 43 000 haDouro — 43 000 haChampagne — 34 000 haAbruzzo — 33 000 haUtiel-Requena — 32 000 haBurgundy — 29 500 haRheinhessen — 27 000 haProvence — 27 000 haSardinia — 27 000 haFriuli — 25 000 haRibera del Duero — 25 000 haPenedès — 25 000 haPfalz — 23 000 haCampania — 23 000 haLombardy — 22 000 haAlentejo — 22 000 haJumilla — 22 000 haMinho — 21 000 haRoussillon — 20 000 haRueda — 20 000 haDão — 20 000 haMarche — 16 000 haBaden — 15 800 haAlsace — 15 600 haBeaujolais — 13 500 haBurgenland — 13 000 haUmbria — 12 000 haBairrada — 12 000 haNavarra — 11 000 haTrentino — 10 000 haCalabria — 9 000 haMosel — 8 800 haDalmatia — 8 000 haJerez — 7 000 haCyprus — 7 000 haAttica — 6 500 haFranken — 6 100 haCorsica — 6 000 haTokaj — 5 800 haAlto Adige — 5 600 haToro — 5 600 haEger — 5 000 haBasilicata — 5 000 haValais — 4 800 haNorthern Rhône — 4 400 haRías Baixas — 4 300 haNahe — 4 200 haSussex & Kent — 4 000 haRheingau — 3 200 haBierzo — 3 000 haNemea — 3 000 haMantinia — 2 400 haSavoie — 2 200 haJura — 2 000 haPriorat — 2 000 haBekaa Valley — 2 000 haWachau — 1 350 haValdeorras — 1 300 haSantorini — 1 100 haNaoussa — 700 haMadeira — 450 haColares — 20 haRapsaniLanguedocBordeauxSicilyVenetoPugliaSouthern RhôneRiojaTuscanyLoire ValleyEmilia-RomagnaKakhetiSouth-West FrancePiedmontDouroChampagneAbruzzoUtiel-RequenaBurgundyRheinhessenProvenceSardiniaFriuliRibera del DueroPenedèsPfalzCampaniaLombardyAlentejoJumillaMinhoRoussillonRuedaDãoMarcheBadenAlsaceBeaujolaisBurgenlandUmbriaBairradaNavarraTrentinoCalabriaMoselDalmatiaJerezCyprusAtticaFrankenCorsicaTokajAlto AdigeToroEgerBasilicataValaisNorthern RhôneRías BaixasNaheSussex & KentRheingauBierzoNemeaMantiniaSavoieJuraPrioratBekaa ValleyWachauValdeorrasSantoriniNaoussaMadeiraColares
Blob size ≈ vineyard area · approximate locations · coastlines from Natural Earth

On the wooded lower slopes of Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, the tiny appellation of Rapsani makes a distinctive red from Xinomavro blended with two local grapes, Krassato and Stavroto. The altitude and schist give a wine of firm tannin, bright acidity and savoury, tomato-and-herb complexity.

Once known mainly for the wine of the local monasteries, Rapsani was revived by a single large producer and a handful of growers, and now stands among northern Greece's most characterful reds — mountain wine in the literal shadow of Olympus.

The vineyard

Indicative share of plantings

The wines

Rapsani Red wine

Through time

Indicative presence index, 0–100Origins & Antiquity — 30The Monastic Middle Ages — 30Exploration & the Fortified Age — 30Classifications & the Golden Age — 30Phylloxera & the World Crises — 35The Modern & New World Era — 60Antiquity30500150017001875195060
Origins & Antiquity Antiquity The Monastic Middle Ages 500 Exploration & the Fortified Age 1500 Classifications & the Golden Age 1700 Phylloxera & the World Crises 1875 The Modern & New World Era 1950