VINEYYARDS – Organic Wines Crete | Domaine Paterianakis

High Altitude Vines, Pure Cretan Character

Perched 400–500 meters above sea level, our organic vineyards thrive in stony, limestone rich soils.
The altitude, the air, and the Cretan sun give our wines their unmistakable personality.

Our vineyards are privately owned and are located in a perimeter around our winery on sloping land at an altitude of 400 to 500 meters, with a north-east orientation and covering an area of 20 hectares. They are cultivated with full respect for the environment and humans, according to the standards of organic farming. In this context, most of the tasks are done manually, the plant is nurtured with organic substances of animal or plant origin, diseases are fought with natural minerals such as Sulphur or copper, while the inspection and certification are carried out by DIO, the official agency for the certification of organic products in Greece.

Our vineyards are up to 60 years old and have low yields of 600 – 800 kg/hectare, an example of our effort to harvest quality grapes. The soil is stony, with limestone and clay and very good drainage while the climate is Mediterranean with abundant sunshine. The winters are relatively mild with plenty of rainfall while the summers are cool and without heatwaves, mainly thanks to the altitude. The difference in temperature between day and night is such that it has a positive effect on the slow ripening of the grapes.

ORGANIC FARMING

The work is done manually, the nutrition of the plants is made with organic animal or vegetable substances origin, the fight against diseases is done with natural minerals such as sulfur or copper while control and the certification is done by DIO, an official body certification of organic products in Greece.

CLIMATE

The climate is Mediterranean with abundant sunshine. The winters are relatively mild with lots of rainfall while the summers are cool without heat waves mainly due to the altitude. The temperature difference between day and night is such that it works positive in the slow ripening of grapes.

ALTITUDE

Our vineyards are located around it of our winery on sloping land with an altitude of 400 to 500 meters with north-east orientation and cover an area of 200 acres.

TERRAIN

Our vineyards are linear up to 60 years old and have low yields per hectare 600-800kg/acre sample of our effort for harvesting quality grapes. The ground is stony, limestone and clay with very good drainage.

The varieties

The Domaine Paterianakis grows and makes wines using the white endogenous Vidiano, Moschato Spinas and Thrapsathiri varieties as well as the red autochthonous varieties of Kotsifali and Mantilari. We also cultivate certain French varieties that have been selected according to specific criteria so that they produce blends with a multi-dimensional character in combination with the Domaine’s native varieties. These are the varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.
Organic and biodynamic cultivation is used for all the varieties, without the addition of chemicals or other substances, so as to showcase their organoleptic properties to the full.

These varieties produce all the family’s single variety wines known as the Local treasures, the Premium series

which includes a blend of French and native varieties with the label “Melissinos”, with whites, rosés and reds, as well as the legendary Domaine Paterianakis, the Domaine’s first wine with the Peza Protected Designation of Origin.

In addition, the Vidiano and Kotsifalis varieties are used to make the Domaine’s organic tsikoudia spirit, “Paradise”, while the Vidiano, Kotsifalis and Syrah varieties also produce the latest series of 3.14 natural wines in red, white and rosé, with minimum intervention.
All the Domaine’s products are inspected and certified by DIO, the official agency for the certification of organic products.

Our philosophy

The combination of traditional “natural” methods and modern forms of cultivation and winemaking, with an absolute respect for humans and the environment. We believe greatly in this balance as it promotes the sustainability of our ecosystem while showcasing in the best possible way the organoleptic properties of our region. From the very first moment, we adopted the principles of organic farming as through this we can constantly discover the natural beauty of our homeland while making our own small contribution to the global effort to protect our ecosystem.

Our goal is to produce wines with a strong personality that will transport the consumer to our homeland. The important distinctions awarded in Greece abroad in international competitions such as Decanter, seal the success of our continuous efforts.