Wrap Yourself in a Cozy Winter Wine: Goumenissa PDO
We’ve had some rather chilly days lately in Istanbul. I should be neither surprised nor resentful. It is, after all, winter. Just because we’ve had ridiculously warm winters for the last several years and I’ve largely managed to avoid turning on my heat doesn’t mean things will always be so. While I don’t love it, the cold weather does encourage me to reach for one of the many, many red wines languishing in my wine room.
If you want to wrap yourself in a cozy red wine, perfect for cold winter weather and drinking by the fireplace, look for a bottle from the Goumenissa PDO.
Goumenissa PDO (ΠΟΠ Γουμένισσα)
The what now? Glad you asked!
Goumenissa PDO is one of Greece’s four Xinomavro zones, along with PDOs Amynteo, Naoussa, and Rapsani. What really differentiates Goumenissa from the other three is the requirement to include Negoska along with Xinomavro in the wines. The combination of grapes and aging regiment intensifies the wine color and softens the generally high acidity from Xinomavro.
Goumenissa PDO Quick Facts:
- Established 1979
- Allowable PDO Varieties: Xinomavro, Negoska (20% minimum)
- Minimum aging: 12 months in oak
- Minimum cultivation elevation: 150 m
- Soils with high limestone content
History
Wine has been made in Goumenissa since at least the 16th Century, but growers abandoned it in the early 20th Century after phylloxera and World War II. It wouldn’t be until the 1970s and 80s when mega winery Boutari brought a revival to the area by expanding beyond its Naoussa holdings, sourcing grapes from elsewhere in the region.
Still relatively unknown, at least on an international scale, Goumenissa is gaining more attention and prestige thanks to wineries like Chatzivaritis, Aidarinis, and Tatsis.
The Production Zone
Situated about 50 km northwest of Thessaloniki, near the small town not coincidentally named Goumenissa, Goumenissa PDO is one of Greece’s Macedonian zones. Gentle, southeast-facing slopes with free-draining soils high in limestone host vineyards between 150 and 250 m. In fact, PDO regulations mean that vines cannot be planted below 150 m, limiting the total area to around the towns of Karpi, Goumenissa, and Filyria.
The slopes allow breezes from the nearby Aegean to flow through the vineyards, moderating summer and winter temperatures. Located as it is in the southeastern foothills of Mount Paiko, the range (1,650 m) provides protection from cold, northern winds. The area doesn’t see a lot of rainfall during the year, resulting in lower yields and more concentrated wines.
Xinomavro (Ξινόμαυρο)
I hear a lot of people mispronounce this grape. There seems to be a tendency to want to say ksee-no-mav-row when in fact it’s ksee-no-mav-row. Every time I say this one, I remember some advice a Greek friend gave me when I started studying the language: in Greek, the accent goes on the syllable that feels the most uncomfortable. She has not been wrong.
While not Greece’s most widely planted black grape, Xinomavro is undoubtedly its King. Originally from Naoussa, which still produces the most famous examples, it has spread across Greece and can be found in everything from varietal red to blanc de noir traditional method sparkling wines.
As high in the instep as you would expect a king to be, Xinomavro is both finicky and demanding in the vineyard. It demands a specific terroir, and its tight bunches are sensitive to water stress, powdery and downy mildew, and botrytis. A late-ripening variety, it requires careful cultivation to ensure low, healthy yields.
Negoska (Νεγκόσκα)
While not the most famous grape out of Naoussa, that honor goes of course to Xinomavro, Negoska (neh-goe-skah) nevertheless takes its name from its hometown.
Greece Is describes Negoska as “an agreeable grape in the vineyard,” which is quite nicely put. While delicate in its early stages, it becomes sturdier as it grows and is resistant to most diseases. Large, loose bunches mean fruit ripens easily, and the naturally low-yielding vines give more concentrated fruit. Grapes are thick-skinned and create deeply-colored, tannic wines, but finding a balancing acidity can be a challenge. That’s one of the reasons it works so well with Xinomavro.
Ktima Tatsis Goumenissa PDO, 2017
Ktima Tatsis has been growing vines in Goumenissa since 1924. In 1998, the Tatsis family converted its 180 acres to organic and by 2002 were farming biodynamically. 80% of their estate is given over to the Xinomavro and Negoska PDO varieties, but they also cultivate Limnio, Roditis, Assyrtiko, Malagouzia, Chardonnay, and a few experimental varieties. The winery’s vineyards sit between 250-400 meters on sloping, clay and sandy loam soils.
Arguably its flagship wine, the Ktima Tatsis Goumenissa PDO is 50/50% Xinomavro and Negoska, vinified and aged separately before blending. Grapes ferment on native yeasts and both age for 12 months in 500 liter barrels, the Negoska in French oak, and the Xinomavro in American. Wines are blended and bottled without fining or filtration.
This is a perfect wine to drink in the depths of dark, cold winter. Goumenissa is a fire side wine. Cozy up to the crackling fire while wrapped in a blanket with a goblet of this. Also, if that whole vibe had a flavor, it would be this wine.
Black fruits and blackberry compote introduce you to the nose and pull you in deeper for savory notes of tomato leaf and bonfire smoke. The power of Xinomavro becomes evident on the palate with structured tannins and more roasted cherry tomato and olive flavors. Red plums and mouthwatering acidity provide an elegant and balancing contrast to the tannin and savory goodness.
Curious about Goumenissa, Xinomavro, and Negoska? Want to learn more about Greek wine regions and grapes? Check out my book, The Quick and Dirty Guide to Greek Wine, available in print and as an ebook.
No Comments