Agiorgitiko ( Greek : Αγιωργίτικο ; also known as Aghiorghitiko) is a red Greek wine grape variety that, as of 2012, was the most widely planted red grape variety in Greece, ahead of Xynomavro . The grape has traditionally been grown in the Nemea region of the Peloponnese but can be found throughout the country including Attikí (Attica) and Makedonía (Macedonia).
34-419: One of the more commercially important indigenous Greek varieties, it can exhibit a wide range of characteristics, from soft to very tannic , depending on factors in the growing and winemaking processes. The grape is typically made as a varietal , though it is notably blended with Cabernet Sauvignon in the area around Metsovo to make the table wine traditionally called katoi . In the region of Nemea it
68-776: A cru classification system . Unlike the Xinomavro -based wines of fellow OPAP region Naousa , the wine experts at WSET note that the Agiorgitiko-based wines of Nemea tend to have a more "international style" which may enhance the potential of Greek wines on the international market. Over the years, Agiorgitiko has been known under various synonyms including: Aghiorghitico, Aigeorgitiko, Mavro (Black or Dark), Mavro Nemeas (in Nemea), Mavronemeas, Mavrostaphylo Mavraki, Mavroudi Nemeas, Nemeas Mavro, Nemeas Mavroudi and Saint George. Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography ,
102-405: A native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history . The term is equivalent to the concept of indigenous or autochthonous species. A wild organism (as opposed to a domesticated organism) is known as an introduced species within
136-407: A continued mutualistic interaction with a certain animal pollinator , and the pollinating animal may also be dependent on that plant species for a food source. Many species have adapted to very limited, unusual, or harsh conditions, such as cold climates or frequent wildfires . Others can live in diverse areas or adapt well to different surroundings. The diversity of species across many parts of
170-488: A deep, ruby color, red fruit aromas and a sweet spicy note. These examples tend to come from vineyards planted in the middle range of the hillside slopes around Nemea with grapes harvested near the top of the 900 metres (3,000 ft) hills being excessively acidic while those harvested from the very warm valley floor often being too "jammy". The variance in quality of Agiorgitiko from the different vineyards around Nemea have led some Greek wine producers to investigate developing
204-492: A dozen languages as of 2011. Despite receiving some very positive reviews, it has been criticised for its accuracy. In addition to the books authored by Stevenson, he conceived and edited the Wine Report . It was published annually between 2003 and 2008, and was cancelled as the high fees of having forty-five, occasionally notable authors made the book unprofitable. From its inception in 2004 to 2012, Stevenson held
238-422: A native ecological system disturbed by economic development or other events, they may be historically inaccurate, incomplete, or pay little or no attention to ecotype accuracy or type conversions. They may fail to restore the original ecological system by overlooking the basics of remediation. Attention paid to the historical distribution of native species is a crucial first step to ensure the ecological integrity of
272-414: A particular place. A native species may occur in areas other than the one under consideration. The terms endemic and native also do not imply that an organism necessarily first originated or evolved where it is currently found. Native species form communities and biological interactions with other specific flora, fauna, fungi, and other organisms. For example, some plant species can only reproduce with
306-698: Is celebrated in November around harvest time in some Eastern Orthodox Churches . However, in many of the Greek areas where Agiorgitiko is grown, Saint George's Day is celebrated in April or May which cast doubt on the theory that the grape's name is affiliated with the feast day . Another theory is that the grape is named after one of the many Greek towns named after the Christian saint. The main land owners in Nemea
340-571: Is indigenous to Greece, likely the Argolis and Corinthia regions of Peloponnese, but while apocryphal tales exist of the grape being cultivated in Ancient Greece , there is no historical or genetic evidence to support those tales. In Nemea, the wine made from Agiorgitiko is nicknamed the "Blood of Hercules " because of the legend that after the Greek hero slayed the Nemean lion , it was
374-425: Is much slower than human-caused climate change ) changes sea level, ice cover, temperature, and rainfall, driving direct changes in habitability and indirect changes through the presence of predators, competitors, food sources, and even oxygen levels . Species do naturally appear, reproduce, and endure, or become extinct, and their distribution is rarely static or confined to a particular geographic location. Moreover,
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#1732765411536408-495: 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 . The red wine produced from the grape is characteristically spicy with notes of plum . It has low acidity but good fruitiness and coloring . Agiorgitiko is generally planted in dry, infertile soil to encourage the production of fewer but more concentrated grapes, ripening after mid-September. Ampelographers believe that Agiorgitiko
442-402: Is regarded as an expert on Champagne and Alsace wine . He has written 23 books. Stevenson began writing for Decanter magazine in 1981, and during the mid-1980s he started The Sunday Telegraph Good Wine Guide . By 1991 was also writing for Wine & Spirit . Stevenson's 1986 book Champagne and 1993 book The Wines of Alsace were very positively received. The former exposed
476-594: The Asprokampos plateau around Nemea and in the hills (between 500 metres (1,600 ft) to 600 metres (2,000 ft)) around Koutsi in Corinthia . Agiorgitiko is a very versatile grape variety that can be made in a wide range of styles from light rosés to soft, fruity reds made by carbonic maceration in a style similar to the French wines of Beaujolais , to very tannic wines with spicy, red fruit aromas and
510-567: The Society for Ecological Restoration , native plant societies, Wild Ones , and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center encourage the use of native plants. The identification of local remnant natural areas provides a basis for this work. Many books have been written on the subject of planting native plants in home gardens. The use of cultivars derived from native species is a widely disputed practice among native plant advocates. When ecological restoration projects are undertaken to restore
544-641: The parellada , macabeo and xarel·lo grape varieties are not are suited for the second fermentation used in the traditional method of champagne production. In 1987 Stevenson was elected a confrère oenophile of the Confrérie Saint Etienne, when he was the sole person amongst the Alsace wine producers and other experts present to identify a 50-year-old wine made from the Silvaner grape variety. He has been nominated for "Wine Writer of
578-452: The potential to age . At its most extreme, Agiorgitiko wines have the potential to be very low in acidity, high alcohol and high in phenolics with both issues requiring the winemaker to make decisions on how to handle these components in order to make a balanced wine. The small berries and thick skins of the grape contribute to high phenolic levels of Agiorgitiko which leads the wine needing very little maceration time in order to extract
612-567: The French Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system). In Nemea, the grape is only used for red wine production with its use in making rosé styles of wine prohibited. Around the town of Metsovo in Epirus, the grape is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon . According to Master of Wine Jancis Robinson, some of the "most serious examples" of Agiorgitiko come from the higher altitude vineyards (up to 900 metres (3,000 ft)) of
646-730: The chair of Champagne panel of the Decanter World Wine Awards. He has judged at wine competitions in Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, South Africa, the UK and the USA. In 2014 Stevenson started the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, which as of 2024 he chairs. Writer Huon Hooke has described the competition as "arguably the world’s most important venue for judging sparkling wine." Wines are reviewed by
680-472: The coastal dunes from Ocean Park to Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes , began to recover when the invasive California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) was uprooted so that the butterflies' original native plant host, the dune buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium), could regain some of its lost habitat. Tom Stevenson Tom Stevenson (born 1951) is a British wine writer and critic. Stevenson
714-421: The deep, dark color associated with the grape. It also contribute to the tannin levels and the grape's ability to handle the effects of oak aging in the barrel. According to wine expert Karen MacNeil , some examples of Agiorgitiko can be lush and "almost Port-like " with spicy, peppery flavors. Oz Clarke notes that the quality of Nemean wine made from Agiorgitiko is highly dependent on the individual skill of
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#1732765411536748-491: The distinction between native and non-native as being tied to a local occurrence during historical times has been criticised as lacking perspective, and a case was made for more graded categorisations such as that of prehistoric natives , which occurred in a region during prehistory but have since suffered local extinction there due to human involvement. A native species in a location is not necessarily also endemic to that location. Endemic species are exclusively found in
782-662: The grape fully ripens. The altitude of the vineyard, in particular, seems to have an effect on how much of a " spicy note" comes out in the flavor of the resulting wines. For most of the 21st century, growers have been working with Greek wine authorities to produce new virus-free clones of Agiorgitiko that have the potential to resist most grape disease, including botrytis bunch rot, and produce small berries with thicker skins that could ripen to higher sugar levels with most consistent yields. In 2012, several of these new clones were released to Greek wine growers who have slowly begun replanting their Agiorgitiko vineyards. In 2012, Agiorgitiko
816-496: The local Nemean wine made from Agiorgitiko that he consumed. (Some versions of the story has Hercules consuming the wine before slaying the lion.) Another legend states that the wine was a palace favorite of king Agamemnon who led the Greek forces during the Trojan War . The name Agiorgitiko means literally "St. George's grape" which could be a reference to the chapel of Saint George in Nemea or to Saint George's Day which
850-422: The practice is permitted. In order to limit yields, Agiorgitiko is often densely planted in poor vineyard soils but growers need to be mindful of the variety's sensitivity to potassium deficiency . Wine expert Tom Stevenson notes that while Agiorgitiko vines can withstand heat well, the grape tends to produce better in higher altitude vineyards that are slightly cooler but still sufficiently warm to ensure that
884-658: The practice of In 1998, he wrote Christie's World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine . This book published a 17th-century document for the first time proving the English used the secondary fermentation process before the French were claimed to have invented champagne, although describing this as the British invented champagne has been criticised as unscholarly. Stevenson's The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia , first published in 1988, had sold 750,000 copies in more than
918-717: The project. For example, to prevent erosion of the recontoured sand dunes at the western edge of the Los Angeles International Airport in 1975, landscapers stabilized the backdunes with a "natural" seed mix (Mattoni 1989a). Unfortunately, the seed mix was representative of coastal sage scrub , an exogenous plant community, instead of the native dune scrub community. As a result, the El Segundo blue butterfly (Euphilotes battoides allyni) became an endangered species. The El Segundo blue butterfly population, which had once extended over 3200 acres along
952-496: The regions where it was anthropogenically introduced. If an introduced species causes substantial ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage, it may be regarded more specifically as an invasive species . The notion of nativity is often a blurred concept, as it is a function of both time and political boundaries. Over long periods of time, local conditions and migratory patterns are constantly changing as tectonic plates move, join, and split. Natural climate change (which
986-773: The same three judges every year for consistency over a period of almost two weeks. Until his death in 2019, these judges were Tony Jordan and Essi Avellan . Stevenson has repeatedly presented the Christie's Champagne Masterclass in London. He has written for wine-pages.com, including contributing a "Wine aromas and flavours" resource which was praised by Patrick Comiskey in the LA Times . As of 2024 he writes for The World of Fine Wine magazine. Stevenson cites The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson as an early influence on his attitude towards wine. Stevenson believes
1020-571: The virus, and age of the vine, this can lead to issues with ripeness and yields which can affect the resulting quality of the wine. The grape is a late budding and ripening variety that is prone to produce high yields if not kept in check by winter pruning or green harvesting . In addition to its susceptibility to numerous grapevine viruses, Agiorgitiko is also very sensitive to fungal infection from botrytis bunch rot , downy and powdery mildew . The vine also responds adversely to water stress which may require some irrigation in regions where
1054-497: The winemaker and that "Only an example whose burly, rugged power has not been diminished by oxidation and lazy winemaking will age properly". Tom Stevenson notes that some examples can "be spoiled by dried-out or dead fruit" that is harvested too late, with too little acidity, at excessively ripe levels. According to the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the best examples of Agiorgitiko tend to have moderate to low acidity, with
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1088-1040: The world exists only because bioregions are separated by barriers, particularly large rivers , seas , oceans , mountains , and deserts . Humans can introduce species that have never met in their evolutionary history, on varying time scales ranging from days to decades (Long, 1981; Vermeij, 1991). Humans are moving species across the globe at an unprecedented rate. Those working to address invasive species view this as an increased risk to native species. As humans introduce species to new locations for cultivation, or transport them by accident, some of them may become invasive species, damaging native communities. Invasive species can have profound effects on ecosystems by changing ecosystem structure, function, species abundance , and community composition. Besides ecological damage, these species can also damage agriculture, infrastructure, and cultural assets. Government agencies and environmental groups are directing increasing resources to addressing these species. Native plant organizations such as
1122-616: Was the church and the monks from St George monastery of Feneos would tend to the vineyards and harvest the grapes to make wine at the monastery for communion. This is another theory of the naming of the St George wine is after the St George monastery of Feneos. Agiorgitiko tends to produce small clusters of small, thick-skinned berries. The vine is highly disease prone with Master of Wine Jancis Robinson noting that "virtually all Agiorgitiko vines planted in Greece are virused." Depending on
1156-721: Was the most widely planted red grape variety in Greece with 5,202 hectares (12,850 acres) in Attica, 3,204 hectares (7,920 acres) in Peloponnese and additional plantings in Macedonia and Epirus . The grape is most widely associated with the dry and sweet red wines of Nemea in northeastern Peloponnese. Here the grape is only variety permitted in the Oeni Onomasias Proelefseos Anoteras Poiotitas (OPAP) (a designated wine region similar to
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