Greece — wine

Rhodes PDO

The largest of the Dodecanese islands, Rhodes produces one of Greece's most distinctive wines from the indigenous Athiri white grape and the Mandilaria red — grown on the island's central limestone plateau at 200–800 meters elevation. The northern island's cool breezes from the Aegean moderate the Mediterranean summer, preserving natural acidity in Athiri's delicate floral aromatics. CAIR (Cooperative of Agricultural Insurance of Rhodes) produces 90% of the island's wine in a massive winemaking tradition, while EMERY Estate produces the benchmark quality wines from old-vine Athiri and Mandilaria.

Year Rating Notes
2023 Balanced Dodecanese vintage with characteristic Rhodian Athiri delicacy and Mandilaria cherry depth.
2022 Record quality; Rhodes PDO attracting first serious international wine press feature.
2021 Strong season; EMERY wines appearing in Rhodes's five-star hotel restaurant lists.
2020 Solid year; Rhodes wine culture resilient through tourism disruption.
2019 Exceptional vintage; Athiri reaching its potential for Aegean floral-mineral expression.
2018 Strong Aegean conditions; Mandilaria Grand Cru achieving unexpected elegance from old vines.
2017 Reliable vintage; CAIR cooperative maintaining consistent quality alongside EMERY's premium range.
2016 Strong season; Dodecanese wine gaining attention as Greek island wine beyond Santorini.
2015 Outstanding Rhodes vintage; EMERY Athiri achieving remarkable floral precision.