There are glowing reports on Alsace and Bordeaux In Greece it was a difficult vintage Technicians are still scratching their heads With no doubt this year has thrown up formidable challenges in vineyard management There were fewer regional patterns of uniformity Suddenly the already fragmented vineyard has become one of baffling changes During my monthlong autumn tour a common thread emerged Sudden weather changes In many ways a strange year with unusual weather upheaval More than in any previous year there was a larger period of cloud cover which helped the aromatic varieties Northwestern Greece was mildewridden eventually ending with rotten grapes Yet for some pockets especially on islands specialising in white wines straighttalking producers said unusual but good Broadly speaking the year championed the most diligent farmers Greediness in red grapes especially was punished Those risktakers triumphed who waited long enough to get ripe pips and the pHs in windows where it made sense to pick Epirus Macedonia Heavy spring and unusual earlysummer rains caught most growers in Amyndeon Goumenissa and Naoussa unprepared Mildew was omnipresent One farmer I visited was praying for a mini heat wave It never materialised In hotter and usually dry Drama it is the year of freshness lacking the usual heat imprint One of several pleasant surprises Sterea Ellada The weeklong fires in northeastern Athens suburbs were an ecological disaster Adjacent vineyards were affected with smoke taint Ironically the vineyards not close to these ravaging fires benefited from the early September rains By the time harvest begun around September 10 the oldvine Savatiano came up with good if not great wines Even at a usefully low 123 ABV they are brimming with typicity Further north in Boeotia and onto the nearby island of Evia the imported grapes are quite good There is bright fruit and allaround freshness Syrah was a near star Peloponnesus The northern shoreline and Patra was average and lower The usually dependable highaltitude Roditis of Aigialia was not helped by the higher yields Nemea had not faced such early rains since the 2002 washout Storms broke out on September 6 The weather held for four days and the heavens opened The ugly face of politics in the broader sense appeared with a promise of subsidies Some things never change Therefore only 2000 tonnes of healthy grapes were harvested from the estimated 18000 tonnes Old bush vines of which there are few made little but decent wine All highyield vineyards are at best weak to poor Anaemic was one farmers succinct comment Mantinia The landlocked plateau right in the middle of the grape garden of Greece Summer rains and cooler temperatures helped the blanc de gris Moschofilero maintain its aromatic profile and balance For the most part there are good wines The bestfarmed sites excelled Ionian Islands Cephalonia The island which challenges Santorini for oneofakind bonedry wine is Cephalonian Robola Winter and perfectly timed spring rainfall increased from an average 20022008 of annual participation of 600800 ml to 1250 ml For the time being it appears that normality has returned Southernfacing slopes retained moisture throughout summer June showers affected the valley of Saint Gerassimos at 600 m but not the southernfacing high slopes which reach up to 800 m The vines looked healthy green with no external signs yellowing leaf of water stress Grapes were harvested ten days later than in 2008 Ripening evenly bringing out super fruit and early on their minerality Acidities are amongst the highest ever An unqualified success with crisp minerally wines that capture the limestonedominated terroir Aegean Islands Samos The source of great fortified and a little unfortified dessert Muscat Winter and early summer showers and the absence of heatwaves have propelled it amongst the topperforming island vineyards Floral and zesty aromas Vibrancy in all styles Santorini which lies 35N never ceases to amaze me This far south and with the desiccating winds one does not usually mention malic acid Yet spring and summer was cool enough for 15 grl of malic acid to be present at harvest time As a veteran put it In twenty harvests I have never encountered malic acid Grape picking commenced the first week of August and then it turned cold Conscientious winemakers stopped Nocturnal temperatures dropped maturity inched at snails pace forward Harvest recommenced August 16th First impressions Atypical Santorinis A notch lower in alcohol levels juxtaposed with terrific new to me on this island grapefruitcitrus aromas that carry through on the palate Rhodes The southeastern Aegean island and the template for Athiri In off vintages this island usually comes up top Not this time Mostly average More complex with good body wherever the grapes matured in the earlier part of the harvest As our friends in America say go figure Crete The white wines from central Crete are exceptional highlighting the floral spicy character of the Vilana grape Wines of character and lift The reds are a mixed bag Only the bestmanaged vineyards produced great fruit Wines have soft tannins Heavy rains on September 1112 created havoc on the latterharvested reds Time may prove me wrong I will stick my neck out on this During my 16year beat the near clockwork regular variations on a theme acrosstheboard quality of Greek harvests with the odd washout as in 2002 has been confined to statistical records Lack of rainfall when needed extended heat waves higher nocturnal temperatures and above all sudden changes have brought new issues and challenges to this eastern Mediterranean vineyard My point Vines have genes that have adapted to local conditions With the climatic parameters now stretched we have sailed into uncharted territory So far the only benefit from all of these weather vagaries is communication The increased dialogue between farmers agronomists oenologists and nurseries is nothing short of fascinating There is plenty to think about