Wine Arcana

Grape

Xinomavro

Xinomavro is a dark-skinned Vitis vinifera grape central to northern Greek wine. Its name combines the Greek words for sour and black. The wines often have marked acidity and tannin, with relatively modest colour, and can develop for years in bottle. Naoussa and Amyndeon are important centres for varietal wines; Goumenissa and Rapsani have established blending traditions.

The grape's uses extend to rosé, sparkling wine, and white wine pressed from dark grapes. These styles draw on its acidity while extracting less of the skins' and seeds' tannin than a full red-wine fermentation.

Colour and tannin develop differently

Xinomavro's skins and seeds contain substantial tannin, while its supply of red pigments is often more limited. Tannin contributes drying grip; anthocyanins supply the red colour. Their different concentrations help explain why a relatively pale Xinomavro can feel formidable when young.

During ripening, pigments accumulate and the composition and extractability of tannins change. Growers seeking a structured red therefore need to assess the skins and seeds alongside sugar and acidity. A ripe sugar reading alone gives an incomplete view of the fruit's readiness for that style.

Water supply affects these processes. A two-year study near Thessaloniki found that the timing of irrigation after berries began ripening altered both pigment levels and tannin composition. Water supplied later in ripening produced a different balance from irrigation begun immediately after colour change, with fewer reductions in pigment concentration.1. Seraphim Theocharis et al., “Effects of post-veraison irrigation on the phenolic composition of Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Xinomavro’ grapes,” OENO One 55(3), 2021. The field experiment compared four irrigation regimes in 2015 and 2016; its findings concern grape composition. The result illustrates why irrigation timing matters alongside the amount of water supplied.

Site and intended wine

Xinomavro ripens late, and its performance varies with planting material, soil, and climate. In warmer sites with enough season to ripen the fruit, it can produce substantial reds. Cooler, elevated vineyards can retain the freshness useful for rosé and sparkling wine.

Amyndeon shows how these uses coexist. Domaine Karanika draws fruit from several villages and describes marked differences among its sites. It uses some warmer vineyards for red Xinomavro, while fruit from the colder Pedino area contributes to sparkling cuvées. Around Lake Petron, it also uses Xinomavro fruit for blanc de noirs. The intended wine gives these vineyards different harvest goals.

For traditional-method sparkling wine, the base wine needs enough acidity to remain fresh after a second fermentation and maturation. Lees ageing in bottle can then develop texture and soften the impression of the young wine.

Aroma, age, and blends

Red-fruit aromas often accompany savoury impressions of tomato and olive. As a concentrated red matures, dried-fruit and tobacco-like notes can emerge. Oak maturation adds its own spice, while changes in tannin and aroma gradually alter the wine's balance.

In Goumenissa, Xinomavro is blended with Negoska, whose fuller fruit and softer structure can round out the wine. Rapsani combines it with Krassato and Stavroto. These local partners produce a different balance from a varietal Naoussa, where Xinomavro's own fruit, acidity, and tannin carry the wine.

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