Viognier Ktima Gerovassiliou

Viognier has the potential to produce full-bodied wines with a lush, soft character. In contrast to Chardonnay, the Viognier varietal has more natural aromatics that include notes of peach, pears, violets and minerality. However, these aromatic notes can be easily destroyed by too much exposure to oxygen, which makes barrel fermentation a winemaking technique that requires a high level of skill on the part of any winemaker working with this variety. The...

Viognier has the potential to produce full-bodied wines with a lush, soft character. In contrast to Chardonnay, the Viognier varietal has more natural aromatics that include notes of peach, pears, violets and minerality. However, these aromatic notes can be easily destroyed by too much exposure to oxygen, which makes barrel fermentation a winemaking technique that requires a high level of skill on the part of any winemaker working with this variety. The potential quality of Viognier is also highly dependent on viticultural practices and climate, with the grape requiring a long, warm growing season in order to fully ripen but not a climate that is so hot that the grape develops high levels of sugars and potential alcohol before its aromatic notes can develop. The grape is naturally a low-yielding variety, which can make it a less economically viable planting for some vineyards.

produces wine on some 22,400 hectares (55,000 acres) of vineyards, and the production was 108,100 tonnes in 2008.There are also some additional 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of vineyards dedicated to table grapes. Red wine dominates the Macedonian wine production, with around 80 per cent. In contrast, within the European Union, "Macedonia" is a protected geographical indication (PGI) for wines produced in the Greek viticulture region of Macedonia.

At Ktima Gerovassiliou the vineyard is cultivated with great care and enthusiasm that leads V. Gerovassiliou to constantly research and experiment with Greek and foreign varieties, both well- and less- known. New technological advances blend well with tradition throughout vine growing and vinification processes.