Adonis Dourakis about Cretan wine, Greece’s indigenous grape varieties and his wishes for 2016

Publiziert am 21. Dezember 2015 von WINE System AG

Quality, sense of community and love for craftsmanship…

Debt crisis, political upheavals, controversial tax increases – news from Greece have been strongly marked by economic developments during the last years, which affect the entire nation, and of course the wine makers of the country. Despite the trouble, Greece is and remains one of the biggest winegrowing nations in Europe which creates a symbiosis between preserving the ancient wine-making culture and opening to modern varieties and styles like hardly any other. The result is an incredible diversity which is still little known over here. Cretan Dourakis Winery – despite the crisis – shows stable export figures and focuses quite stringly on the Greek autochthonous vines, along with international grape varieties.

Together with his son Adonis and his daughter Evi, Andreas Dourakis has established his winery, located in Cretan Alikampos, as one of the most successful private vineyards on the island. Located at 330 meters above sea level, in the foothills of the White Mountains, each Dourakis vineyard has its own microclimate, unique soil quality, and grape variety, all of which generate juice of distinctive quality, ideal for wines of character.

The Dourakis family is a regular participant in the annual PAR® wine Award Greece – organized by WINE System AG – which offers an important platform for the broad wine qualities of this country on the European market. The event goes to its sixth round on the 20th of February 2016.

In our interview, Adonis Dourakis tell us, how he has experienced the past year, what the family business means to him and he shares his Christmas wishes for the coming year:

Mr Dourakis, your family vineyard is going to celebrate the 30th anniversary next year. Today, it counts among the most successful wineries of the island. Was it always clear to you that you would join the family business?

Ask any Cretan they will all tell you that where we come from, family comes first! Family members should stick together, so that they can help each other when in trouble. For me, it was clear from the begging that after my studies in Geisenheim, I would return one day to Crete to take over -with my sister-our winery. I honestly feel blessed, that we have the opportunity to live on this beautiful island of Crete all year round and work with something so interesting as vines and wine!

You produce not only for the domestic market, but you also export to Europe and China. Does this influence the way of wine production or rather do you sell abroad other varieties and styles than to the home market?

Every market is different. Chinese people love strong red wines, Greek people like white fruity and aromatic wines and Europeans are looking for the local Cretan grape varieties! This makes our work even more difficult but till now we have accomplished to be successful in each market with different wines.

For sure this makes influence on the cultivated grape varieties. Which regional or rather autochthonous grapes do you grow? How do they relate to the international varieties?

We work a lot with local grape varieties like Vidiano, Vilana, Romeiko, Kotsifali and Mandilari. Those grape varieties have some similarities with international grape varieties but in the end they are all unique. For example we can use Vidiano grapes to create white wines that we can keep for some years until they reveal their true character. The aroma is very exotic (papaya, passion fruit, mango), with medium acidity and well balanced body. Furthermore, we use Romeiko grapes to produce either dessert wines with an intense aroma of dry fruits and nuts, or dry „sherry-like“ wines. Mandilari , on the other hand, has a lot of tannins which can lead to make the wine a perfect pair to meat plates. Sometimes I find similarities with the grape variety Carignan here.

Is there any typical Cretan wine? If yes, how would you describe it?

Well, Crete is a big island and every corner has another specialty. For example here in Chania we have the traditional Romeiko wine, which is a long-aged wine, with a typical Amber color. Someone could say that is similar to dry Marsala. In Heraklion area the blend of Mandilari with Kotsifali used to be for many years one of the most popular wine. An elegant wine with ruby red color and from time to time medium to high concentration of tannins.

A short question on economic environment: what were your experiences last year? Did the recent developments influence the export of your products? Or did your business relationships (for example to Germany, where your father and you have studied) remain stable?

Last year was actually a really good year although there were problems because of the troubles with the capital control. People did support us by coming and visiting the island of Crete but also by buying our products. Most of our customers have met us and they trust us, they trust our wines.

Because Christmas is coming close…….and if you could make a wish for 2016 : what would you wish for yourself and for Greece, the oldest European wine country?

Well…first of all, my family and I wish happiness and health to the world and the rest can come…! Every year is a new adventure for everybody…so we just need positive spirit and strength to fight all the troubles on our way!

Many thanks for taking the time to do this interview. We wish you continuing success and look forward to the next vintages.

Thank you so much! And of course Happy 2016 to everyone!

A small tour of discovery through the wine regions by Lake Balaton in Hungary

Publiziert am 9. Mai 2018 von Gisela

Having been born in Hungary, I often spent my summer holidays at Lake Balaton during my youth. Anyone who has had the opportunity to admire the panorama of the Hungarian sea from a vineyard and to get to know the winegrowers and their passion for winegrowing never forgets the spirit of these places.

Monastic know-how from Lebanon

Publiziert am 24. Mai 2016 von WINE System AG

A talk about fresh start, pioneering and the New within the Old

Vineyard Adyar, established in 2003, participates in our annual international organic wine award on a regular base, belongs to the bio-pioneers of the country and one way and another, appears in an unusual way. In addition to the great rarity of Lebanese wine over here, Adyar is a cooperative of 8 monastic vineyards of the Lebanese Maronite Order, established in 1695 and dedicated to preservation of ancient winegrowing tradition and protection of the entrusted terroir. We wanted to learn more about this young and at the same time very old establisment, therefore we asked Mr Frederic Cacchia, Adyar’s winemaker, to give us an interview.

Mr Cacchia, why did you decide to live and work in Lebanon? Did you have a certain connection to the Lebanese Maronite Order or was it a plain “job decision”?

The first time I came in Lebanon was in 1999; I just got my diploma in oenology and was looking for opportunities. I came here for one month, during september, to get some experience. It was for a well-known winery, Massaya, in the Beeka valley. Finally, this company contacted me in 2000 to come back and take the full responsibility for the winemaking.

I finished my contract in 2003; because I felt in love with this country and the life you can have here, I tried to find a new opportunity. That’s how everything began with Adyar. No special connection, just at first a new project to develop.

Referring to your website, we learned that Adyar works very traditional. What exactly does “traditional” mean to you in this context? Can you explain a little how winemaking works at Adyar?

Even if today winemakers have a lot of technicals possibilities, I am convinced that wine is just the result of the grapes fermentation. That means for me two things are important: the grapes, that’s why we should be at first vine growers, because It is in the vineyard you make the wine. And because we are organic, you must be attentive to what the vines tell you. The second thing is the transformation of the grapes, and I think it should be as simple as you can. You should only go with your grapes, let them express their own personnality. In the fact, that means we don’t sfollow the custom of the day: no cold-maceration, no reverse osmose, etc….

Would you say that working in monastic winegrowing is surrounded by a special peaceful and meditative spirit, especially compared to conventional viticulture?

I think “stressless” is the word. Because monks have “time”; when they do something, they do it for the whole community. That means they do it for the present day and the future. It is a long-time project. So we can take the time to do the right thing, even if It will take a long time to obtain results.

Are people curious about your way of winemaking, i.e. do you have many visitors from Lebanon and abroad, who like to see the vineyards and to learn more about your work? Is there anything people are especially interested in?

For many years now, lebanese people try to present a positive image of their country. Winegrowers take part in it, by many events around the world. So Lebanon is well-known in the wine-industry; It arouses the interest of journalists or wine-tour.
There is another thing, maybe the most important too: most of the lebanese people are today outside their country. One of the link they keep with the country is through lebanese products they would buy, especially wine.
So when they come back in their native country, they have a real interest to discover and visit the wineries.
For Adyar, because the special place of the Maronites in the lebanese history, the interest is even more important. People come for the wine, but also for history and spirituality.

How would you describe the relationship between the monasteries and the surrounding municipalities? Do you get local support for maintaining the old tradition of monastic winegrowing?

It was one of the purpose of this project. In the past, monasteries used to have families on their land to help them in agriculture, farming, and the maintenance of the buildings. Because of the recent war, and rural exodus, families left. By proposing a project like Adyar, and all the work it will bring with, the idea was to help people to come back int their native regions and in the monasteries.

What is the opinion of your local colleagues about organic certification? Do you think that it will continue gaining popularity in future?

We were the first to get the organic certification. 3 small wineries followed our way. It is my personal opinion, but I think, for the others producers, organic agriculture needs a lot of work and the cost is very expensive. As they don’t really find any commercial advantage to go in it (the demand on organic products is weak), they’re still working in traditionnal farming. And they won’t change.

Formed by the more recent history, many French grape varieties are cultivated in Lebanon. It is well known that Lebanese winegrowing tradition is far older than the French one. Do autochthonous varieties still exist in Lebanon? If yes, would you tell us a few words about the most important ones?

History of Lebanese wine extends back, at the very least, to the Phoenician civilization. After the fall of the last Crusader empires, wine production decreased, as Muslim empires took control of the region. In this time, wine gave way to arak, a popular “anisette”.
In the 19th, the Jesuit priests encouraged the return of winemaking; they imported vines from Algeria and France.
Today, the lebanese vineyard is very different from the past; international grapes, like Cabernet-Sauvignon or Syrah, replaced original lebanese grapes (the most famous are Obeidi and Merwah, both white grapes).
A few wineries try today to reintroduce Obeidi; It is less aromatic than chardonnay or sauvignon. With a low yield, you can obtain a fresh wine, that means with herbal aromas and a good acidity. I think It can be part of a blend.

Many thanks for taking the time to do this interview. We wish you continuing success and look forward to the next Adyar vintages.

That is why clever people could not live without wine…

Publiziert am 6. März 2017 von Sonja

Milos Michlovsky talks about the wine region Czechia, his love for the vine and „Deep-rooted Terroir”…

With its comparatively small wine-growing area of ca. 18,500 square metres, wine region Czechia is located in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, the crystalline and sharply eroded primitive rocks stretching from Germany in the west to Slovakia in the east. Favoured by the subcontinental climate, most of the wine-growing areas are situated in the south of the country, close to the border with Austria. The Southern Moravian district, covering 94 percent of the countrywide vineyard area, is the most famous wine-growing region located close to the Dyje River, as well as to the towns Velké Pavlovice, Mikulov, Znojmo, Hustopeče, Šatov and the Slovácko region. The significantly smaller wine-growing area in the Central Bohemia is situated on the Elbe River, near to the towns Litoměřice and Mělník.

Likewise, next door Germany, Austria and Slovakia, Czechia looks back on a long wine The first official record of viticultural activity in Moravia goes back to the 3rd century during the Roman period. In the 17thand the 18th centuries, several wars and start of the industrial revolution bore the blame for the decadence of wine-growing. Only by the middle of the 20th century, the production went upwind. In the wake of this growth, today, the domestic industry covers round about 45 percent of its wine needs with rising tendency.

Also, the production quality increasingly gains ground generating the widespread international interest. One of the most prominent names of the Czech wine scene is the mastermind and pathfinder Milos Michlovsky, a winegrower, lecturer and vine breeder. Producing wines at his vineyard Vinselekt Michlovsky, he is a successful participant in various prestigious international competitions, for instance, the international organic wine award, PAR Wine Award International or Vinalies Internationales Paris.

Vinselekt Michlovsky is situated in the Rakvice region. The vineyard areas are spread over several wine regions appearing to be quite different regarding the soil. Michlovsky’s inquiring mind and his activity as a vine breeder become plainly visible because, besides various cultivation methods, Milos Michlovsky deploys a vast number of grape types – long-known ones as well as PIWIs and new varieties, delicately calling them “my kids.”

An interview about organic wine-growing, terroir, the Czechs as reputed beer drinkers and much, much more:

Interview Milos Michlovsky – founder of Vinselekt Michlovsky in Rakvice, Czech Republic

Mr. Michlovsky, you’re not only the founder of a very successful Moravian winery but also one of the leading experts for viniculture in the Czech Republic. Could you tell us, where your fascination for the vine and its cultivation originally came from?

MM: Growing vines and winemaking is my job, my passion, my hobby… it is my everything! And when I do anything, I certainly do it as good as I can.

When you started building up Vinselekt Michlovsky, you already had the academic career. What was the initial spark for founding your own winemaking business and how come you decided to produce grapes mainly made for sparkling wines at first?

MM: After 1989 I continued to work as a grape breeder also on the academic level. It is not possible to give lectures on how to grow vines and make wines only from the lecturer’s chair, so to say theoretically, one need to be experienced in practice as well. So, one won’t have the possibility to make excuses why something has gone wrong or why the quality of the product was not high enough, as some may say that it was due to the absence of certain equipment, in order to buy this very equipment one need to gain money.

Nine of your 125 hectares are farmed in an ecological system; 5.5 hectares are in the process of being certified. Do you cultivate different grape varieties in your organic vineyards, than you do in the system of integrated production and if so, why? Would you say that organic viticulture is the future?

MM: A person with biological education should have a great respect and acceptance of nature, because we are the part of nature. This is the reason why we have our vineyards in integrated production and in very high demand in terms of quality. And part of our vineyards (more than 10%) is in biological production. In order to produce wines of highest quality, one must have perfectly ripen and perfectly healthy grapes. It is the reason why the production of bioproducts using Vitis vinifera grape varieties seems to be rather impossible than possible. That is why I use those varieties in integral production. In bioproduction we grow new grape varieties that are of high resistance to the most important grape diseases and pests. Mainly we use new varieties from our own breeding program that are better adapted to local conditions.

Talking about the future – you’re not only about making wine; you’re also one of the country’s most prominent grapevine cultivators. Are you mainly aiming at fungus resistance or are you also looking for other factors, when breeding new varieties? Is there a new variety that you’re particularly excited about?

MM: We have many exciting new grape varieties. I love them all, as all of them are my “children”. It is not possible to love one more than another.

With 18.500 hectares of vineyard, the Czech Republic is a rather small wine country, and in the perception of many people, Czechs are still rather beer drinkers. Meanwhile, wine qualities have been on the rise lately, and the international demand is picking up. Would you say that perception is changing? And do you mainly produce for the Czech market or do your wines also sell abroad?

MM: Beer is a good beverage. But wine is better, even historically this beverage is older and more “cultural”. Wine is art. And homo sapiens is “sapiens” because he understands art and could not live without it. That is why clever people could not live without wine.

Most of our wines are consumed here in the Czech Republic. We export only 5-10%. I follow the philosophy that every human should eat and drink, if it is possible, products that grow around his “family fireplace”. As Darwin said, “only in this case a man is original, only in this case he can save his “induced resistance”, and only in this case he has a chance for development and survival”.

You put a very strong focus on harvesting healthy, high quality and fully ripened grapes in your vineyards. Tell us a little about the way you plant your vines and why you do so?

MM: If one wants to talk about original and unique wines, i.e. about terroir wines, one has to plant vines in such a way that the roots can grow as deep as possible, as this is the only way to secure with least influence the very right, the very unique, the very terroir. The high-density plantation helps to secure it. Only with this type of plantation we are able to have the most original mycorrhiza, i.e. symbiosis of root system and microorganisms (above all bacteria and fungi), only in this way we have the most original microclimate in the zone of above-ground organs of the vine, again with its tens of milliards of microorganisms, that later on along with certain grape variety and certain winemaker are able to secure a certain unique originality.

Since “terroir” is said to be not only about soil and microclimate but also about the grape: Which indigenous varieties do you cultivate?

MM: The Czech Republic with its area and area of its vineyards always was and still is the part of the Central European region that always was very diverse and complicated in terms of wine quality. That is why over time the choice of grape varieties led to the higher and higher quality of wine. Along with high quality (mainly French) grape varieties (Pinot family, Sauvignon blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon etc.), there are also other quality grape varieties, such as Gruener Veltliner, Silvaner, Riesling italico, Blaufrankisch, etc. To a certain extent, we can consider those grape varieties as higher yielding, “indigenous” Central European grape varieties. And we are mainly focused on those grape varieties.

And the last question: If a customer from, let’s say Germany, would ask for the wine type that represents the taste of your home, which one would it be and why?

MM: I think that there are 2 types of wine that are typical for our “wine house”: firstly, those are juicy, dry, fruity, fresh wines; and secondly, those are dry, complex, long-aged (both in high-quality oak barrels and in bottles) wines, that can be called “great wines”. In the case of the first wine group, i.e. fruity, juicy, fresh, dry wines, we use not only the above mentioned V. vinifera grape varieties but also some new grape varieties, i.e. PIWI, from our own grape breeding program (Savilon, Rinot, Vesna, Malverina, Laurot, etc.).

Thanks so much for your time Mr. Michlovsky! We’re looking forward to tasting your latest organic wines in summer.

A small tour of discovery through the wine regions by Lake Balaton in Hungary

That is why clever people could not live without wine…

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