📍 Paros

Paros is an island in the Cyclades group in the middle of the Aegean Sea, in Greece, known for white marble, beaches and white villages. The island has a hilly landscape and little water; summers are hot and strong north winds called meltemi blow. Grapes have been grown on Paros since antiquity, and vineyards lie in small plots on slopes and in valleys.

The island has its own appellation, PDO Paros. The wine is based on two local grapes: the red Mandilaria and the white Monemvasia. Together they give dry red wines, soft, with scents of red berries and spice, with Monemvasia adding floral notes. Monemvasia is an old grape whose name gave rise to the word “malvasia”. Mandilaria gives the wine colour and tannins. Vines often grow as low bushes close to the ground to cope better with the strong winds.

Besides red wines, Paros makes lighter whites and a little dessert wine. Estates are small and almost all of the wine is drunk on the island.

For comparison with its neighbours: nearby lies Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades, and to the south Santorini, famous for volcanic wines from Assyrtiko.