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Karela Wines
The pair have been in the process of renovating a large facility in Kato Achaia, a few kilometers south of the firm's original headquarters in Patra. Their winery covers 3,000 square meters and includes office space, state of the art lab, an impressive battery of fermenters with central temperature control and a production capacity of 2,400 bottles per hour. During our visit the winery itself was complete, but a visitor center featuring a retail area and an exhibit of antique winemaking equipment from the company's past was still in the mortar and tile stage. Construction, we understand, has been completed. The brothers contract with local growers for fruit. The trend in the Peloponessos towards cosmopolitan varieties is reflected in the their production percentages: Cabernet and Syrah accounted for 5% of the half-million tonnes of grapes processed last year; close to 60% excluding the firm's huge output of Roditis for the negociant market. Mavrodafni, Muscat, Sideritis, Roditis and Agiorgitiko are the indigenous varieties behind Karela's 150,000-bottle annual production of mostly appellation wines. As the third generation to run the business, the brothers feel pressure from two sides: On the one hand, tradition, both familial and regional, is an essential ingredient in their wines and a major part of the firm's identity. On the other hand, the new wave of internationalism is in full swing around them. The chosen solution—to stay close to stylistic traditions while devoting new energy and resources to quality—has paid off for the firm. Nikos' research into yeasts and enzymes has already had an effect on their products, qualitatively and stylistically. Despite producing a portfolio that is distinctly ethnic, and therefore at risk of being taken lightly by the arbiters of taste both within and outside of Greece, the brother's products have already received some serious and favorable recognition from the British wine media. Last year's ISO and HACCP certifications were feathers in the cap for a company making the transition to quality producer.
The wines: Ambelina 2000 A wine of contrasts from Roditis and Sideritis, it shows an interesting blend of lush Roditis fruit and lesser amounts of spicy Sideritis on the tongue. Complex and earthy. Esteria 2000 This 100% Roditis from Achaia hillsides is down to earth. Its gold color, bold fruit and earthy aromas suggest some skin contact prior to or during fermentation. Great food wine this. Roditis Rosé 2000 From the pink-skinned Roditis, this is not rosé in the traditional sense. The skin contact required to extract a deep maraschino color also brings out much phenolic content. The feeling of dry extract is pervasive, along with some tannin. It is a food rosé, soft, demi sec, round and deep, but with the weight of red wine behind it. Orfeus 2000 This wine, a blend of high elevation Agiorgitiko and Mavrodafni, shows the latter in an interesting light. The structure, from Agiorgitiko, is augmented by Mavrodafni's complexity and depth; the same fruity, but raw character that gives sweet Mavrodafni its distinctive boldness. Aeolos 1999 100% mountain grown Agiorgitiko is behind a medium, fruity style augmented by suede—not leather. This is solid Peloponesian red wine, neither boutique-like nor raw country fare. Mavrodafni Karela's Mavrodafni is intense and fruity, less raisiny than some versions, seemingly unadulterated and more varietally true. The raw side of the variety is a backdrop behind intense red fruit and fructose. Of considerable body, it shows the potential to age well for some years. Muscat Karela's white muscat has good color and typical, intense aromas. There is some earthy extraction in it, an intensity that compensates for a slightness of acidity typical of low-elevation Rio moschato. The local flavor of the Karelas brothers' wines reflect the continuation of an important cultural tradition. In a region increasingly dominated by western-styled production, wineries such as these continue to be among Greece's most interesting, windows to the past with views to the future. Distinct wines such as these sometimes make for a more captivating experience than the new Greek wines of more familiar character. In this sense the Karela wines do justice to a proud heritage. |
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Retsina
