Aióra Assyrtiko Contact Amphora
Aióra, which means hammock in Greek, was the ancient Greek festivity dedicated to God Dionysus and to celebrating the revelation of the annual wine. It was part of the three-day festival of the Anthesteria, where in a ceremonial way, on the first day, the villagers would open the pithoi (clay jars) containing the wine of the year and the first tastings would take place. On the second day the amphoras were filled and the aióra festivities would start, where, amidst wine pouring and rich dinners, young ladies would sing on swings and hammocks, hanging on tree branches.
The white wine aióra (swing) assyrtiko contact amphora is a natural minimal intervention wine made of the grape variety Assyrtiko (100%), which is a native Greek variety. In this wine we have followed the natural orange wine vinification method, without the use of machinery, where the wine fermented in the amphora with the grapes for about 5 months. The wine ferments with natural native yeast from the vine in traditional Cretan amphoras, while it is bottled unfiltered and with no addition of sulfites after 5 months of maturation in the amphora.
It is full of delicate aromas of yellow flowers and orange blossoms, dry fruits, honey, and herbal and green tea notes. The mouth has a moderate body, refreshing acidity and expressive aromatic intensity of flowers, dry fruits and chestnuts but with a mineral finish.
ANALYTICAL DATA
Organic regenerative cultivation. Sandy loam soil with a significant amount of limestone in its deeper layers. This gives the wine its characteristic acidity and mineral notes. The vineyard is located at an altitude of about 230 meters above sea level and just a few kilometers from the sea. The sea breeze is very refreshing on summer nights, while the saltiness carried by the air is easily detected in the character of the wine.
An innovative support system is applied with the grapes hanging at a height of 1.8m to always be in the shade of the foliage and to ensure the necessary ventilation. Pruning is done with double loose tendrils and small interventions are done where and when needed. Also, usually green harvest is performed, while we rarely reach hectare yields of the order of 50hl per hectare.
Finally, most of the work is done manually, while a flock of sheep often visits the vineyard for grazing and natural fertilization.
FOOD PAIRING
It is an excellent accompaniment to fatty fish dishes (lobster, crayfish, large fish such as grouper, salmon or eel). You can also try it with poultry and white sauces. It will also surprise if it is combined with oils such as okra or beans, while traditional Mediterranean dishes such as baked vegetables or moussaka are within its reach.
