希臘葡萄酒的“雙島記”

我喜歡希臘各種各樣的葡萄酒已經很久了，這個小小的國家有著許多令人興奮的本土葡萄品種、對比鮮明的風土以及許多充滿激情的釀酒師，他們信心十足地釀造著個性獨特的葡萄酒，不屑于去復制模仿其他國家的風格。在我去圣托里尼島和凱法利尼亞島的旅程中，這些觀點又一次得到了證明。

I have a longstanding love of Greece’s diverse array of wines. This tiny country has numerous exciting indigenous grape varieties, contrasting terroirs and many passionate winemakers, confidently creating their own unique styles, rather than replicating those found elsewhere.These aspects were well-demonstrated on a trip I took to the islands of Santorini and Cephalonia.

圣托里尼島是愛琴海邊上一個新月形的島嶼，島上有黑色的沙子和浮石土，事實上這是一座古老火山的火山口。圣托里尼島的白葡萄酒由本土葡萄品種阿斯提可釀制而成，擁有獨特的尖銳酸度并帶有礦物質味道，這讓它在國際上享有盛譽。在希臘的另一邊，陽光普照的凱法利尼亞島上，那里有閃閃發光的石灰巖土壤和銀砂土壤。凱法利尼亞島出名的白葡萄酒是用麗波拉釀制而成的，十分優雅迷人。這兩個神話般的葡萄品種在此處都有著悠久的釀酒歷史，且如它們所起源的兩個島嶼一樣常常被比較。

圣托里尼島主要的生產商，例如嘉雅酒莊、斯格拉酒莊和阿格若斯酒莊在接近沙漠的條件下釀造著世界級的白葡萄酒。這種易碎的灰色火山土壤含水量很少，藤本植物主要靠分布廣泛和低產量而生存，這些植株通常很古老，有著很深的根系。葡萄的栽培在這里已經有3000多年的歷史并形成了獨特的栽培體系。葡萄樹并不是架在架子上，而是在地上被編織成螺旋狀，就像一個籃子一樣讓葡萄就在里面生長，以此來躲避烈日和干燥的風。葡萄根瘤蚜無法在沙質土壤中生存，因此葡萄藤是不用嫁接的，長在自己本身的根系上。據說這里的許多葡萄藤已經有數百年的歷史，當藤籃長得太大時頂部就會被砍掉，底部還是會繼續生長。

經典的圣托里尼阿斯提可葡萄酒，比如嘉雅酒莊的優質老藤阿斯提可白葡萄酒，其特色是極干型，未經橡木桶陳年，酸度極高并且酒體強勁，中性風味，有礦物性的水果氣息。由于產量低所以風味濃縮，短暫和炎熱的生長季減少了果實的芳香味。類似于雷司令的甜橙味道可能會隨著瓶陳時間的增長而發展。這些葡萄酒驚人的爽脆感使它們非常適合做餐酒搭配，尤其適合搭配海魚。在炎熱的氣候下飲用，更能讓人耳目一新。有些葡萄酒有輕微地過桶，這不利于它們棱角分明的特性，但它們仍然是優秀的葡萄酒。圣酒也同樣是在圣托里尼島釀造，這是一種非常甜的葡萄酒，產量很小，由曬干的阿斯提可釀制而成，阿格若斯酒莊的圣酒無疑是希臘最好的葡萄酒之一。

在凱法利尼亞島，人們用麗波拉釀造出優雅、新鮮且誘人的葡萄酒，在奧馬拉山谷高海拔地區生長的葡萄釀成的葡萄酒尤為突出。艾諾斯山斷裂的石灰巖斜坡為許多小麗波拉葡萄園提供了生長環境，但是這些葡萄園的面積很少會超過數公畝。葡萄藤并沒有做綁枝，主要依靠的就是自己的根系。矮小的灌木叢相距1-2米，高度在50厘米左右，它們的嫩枝伸展在干燥的白堊土地面上，就像一張厚厚的葡萄葉地毯。葡萄園的中間散布著橄欖園，山羊通常被拴在葡萄樹的中間。幾個世紀以來，凱法利尼亞島中心地區的葡萄栽培很少發生變化。

頂級生產商，例如來自根特里尼酒莊的佩德羅斯·馬克安東尼和瑪麗安娜·克斯梅塔托會采用現代化的低溫釀酒技術生產出誘人、精致、新鮮、令人垂涎欲滴的葡萄酒，這些葡萄酒有精致而爽脆的檸檬口感和花朵香味，以及白色花朵的氣息。當地合作社的葡萄酒會用麻布袋來裝著酒瓶，雖然包裝簡單但仍然令人感到十分愉悅。

這是我喜歡的2個島嶼，但從曼提尼亞芳香的玫瑰妃白葡萄酒到結構良好、帶有微苦但味道清新、具有陳年潛力的納烏薩紅葡萄酒，希臘為葡萄酒鑒賞家提供了許多風味獨特、令人興奮的葡萄酒，這些葡萄酒都在自豪地訴說它們的起源以及釀造它們的杰出人物。這些都是值得人們去探索的葡萄酒。

Santorini is a crescent-shaped island in the Agean whose black-sands and pumice soils, bely the fact it is the caldera of an ancient volcano. Santorini has built an international reputation for its uniquely sharp, mineral-natured white wines made from the Assyrtiko variety.On the other side of Greece, the sundrenched Ionian island of Cephalonia has dazzling, limestone soils and silver-sands.Cephalonia’s renowned white wine is the elegant and charming Robolla. These two fabulous varieties both have long histories of production in these regions and are almost as contrasting as the islands they originate from.

Leading Santorini producers like Gaia,Sigalas and Agyros craft world-class white wines in near-desert conditions.The friable, grey, volcanic-soil holds very little water and vines survive by being widely-spaced, low-yielding and are often ancient, possessing deep rootsystems. Viticulture has been practiced here for over 3000 years and a unique system of viticulture has developed.Instead of trellising the vines, they are woven into spirals on the ground,creating baskets within which the grapes grow, sheltered from the scorching sun and drying winds. The Phylloxera louse cannot live in the sandy soils, so the vines grow un-grafted, on their own roots.Many of vines here are believed to be hundreds of years old, when the basket grows too large the top is simply cut off and growth continues below.

Classic Santorini Assyrtiko, like Gaia’s Thalassitis, is bone-dry, unoaked, has searing acidity and dense, neutralflavored, mineral-natured fruit. Lowyields concentrate flavors, while the short,hot growing-season reduces the grape’s aromatics. Delicate, Riesling-like, limey flavors may develop with bottle-age. These wines’ incredible crispness makes them excellent with food, especially sea-fish and makes them refreshing in a hot climate.Some wines are lightly oaked, this detracts from their strikingly angular nature, but they are still excellent wines. Also made on Santorini is VinSanto - an intense sweetwine, produced in tiny quantities, from sun-dried Assyrtiko' Agyros’ VinSanto is undoubtedly among Greece’s best wines!

In Cephalonia, Robola, produces elegant,fresh, enticing wines, especially when grown at altitude in the Omala Valley.The fractured limestone slopes of Mount Ainos provide the setting for numerous tiny Robola vineyards, rarely larger than a few ares. These vines are not trained to wires, and are often on their own roots. The scrubby bushes standing 1- 2 meters apart, are about 50cms tall,their shoots sprawling across the dry chalky ground, creating a carpet of vine leaves. Interspersed with the vineyards are olive groves and tethered goats are frequently kept among the vines.Viticulture in the heart of Cephalonia has changed little in centuries.

Top producers like Petros Markantonatos and Marianna Cosmetatos from Gentilini apply modern, cool-temperature winemaking to produce enticing, delicate,fresh, mouth-watering wines with delicate lemony crispness and lovely floral, whiteblossom notes. The local co-operative’s wines, in hessian-wrapped bottles, are simpler - but still pleasant.

These are two examples I love, but from the aromatic white Moscophilero wines of Mantinea to the structured,astringent, age-worthy reds of Naoussa- Greece offers oenophiles numerous distinctive, exciting wines that speak proudly of their origins and the wonderful people who craft them. They are well-worth seeking out.