🍇 Savatiano

Savatiano is the most widely planted white grape in Greece. It grows mainly in Attica and Central Greece, around Athens. It copes well with dry, hot summers and drought, so where other varieties suffer it gives a steady crop.

Wine from it is usually pale, with a soft taste, low acidity and light citrus and herbal notes. It is often simple, but it can also be more serious: recently producers have been making aged wines from old vines. The variety's main fame is tied to retsina, the Greek wine with pine resin. Savatiano is the main grape for it, often blended with Roditis.

Savatiano is tied to Greek wine and to retsina names: Retsina of Attica, Evia, Koropi, Mesogeia, Pikermi, Viotia, Thebes, Peania, Spata, Megara and Pallini. It is also part of other local names, such as Anchialos, Markopoulo and Spata. In English texts it is spelled Savatiano.