Viticulture
The grape is generally planted in dry, infertile
soil, in order to encourage the production of fewer but more concentrated
grapes, and ripens after mid-September. It is frequently host to
a number of viruses, which may actually be in part responsible for
its typical characteristics.[1]
Wine styles
The grape is typically made in a varietal style
though it is notably blended with Cabernet Sauvignon in the area
around Metsovo to make the table wine Katoi. In Nemea it is often
made into rosés of oak-aged red wines. The wines are known
for their high level of fruitiness but tend to lack some acidity
and body. After Xynomavro, it is Greece's second most widely planted
grape variety.
The red wine produced from the grape is characteristically
spicy with notes of plum. It has low acidity but good fruitiness
and coloring.