The Vineyard of Attica: Greece’s Most Historic Terroir-Our Ancient Terroir!
Attica is home to the oldest and most historic vineyard in Greece, a viticultural region with deep roots stretching back to antiquity. This unique landscape, shaped by both land and sea, continues to play a defining role in the identity of Greek wine today.
Geographically, Attica is a large peninsula framed by the Geraneia range and the mountains of Kithairon, Parnitha, and Penteli, with its entire southern edge embraced by the Aegean Sea. This exceptional combination of mountainous terrain, diverse subsoils, and a warm, dry Mediterranean climate, tempered by cooling sea breezes, creates ideal conditions for grape cultivation.
Together, these elements have helped establish Attica as one of Greece’s most important and distinctive wine regions.
The Wine-Growing Zones of Attica
Attica’s vineyard is traditionally divided into three key wine-growing zones, each serving as a viticultural gateway to the capital, Athens:
- Northern Attica: Includes the vineyards on the northern slopes of Mount Penteli, the areas of Dionysos, Parnitha, and Kapandriti.
- Western Attica: Known for cultivating red grape varieties, this zone encompasses Megara, Oinoi, and stretches through the Geraneia range to the slopes of Kithairon and Boeotia.
- Eastern Attica / Mesogaia: This is the heart of Attica’s wine production, occupying the largest area of vineyard land. Surrounded by the sea, it benefits from exceptional climatic conditions and is located just a few kilometers from Athens and its international airport.
Today, Attica’s vineyard spans approximately 6,000 hectares, with 80% planted to white grape varieties—the most prominent being Savatiano. Remarkably, four-fifths of this vineyard area lies in Eastern Attica, specifically in the Mesogaia zone.
Lavreotiki: Mesogeia – A Distinctive Subregion of Mesogeia
Within the wider area of Mesogeia, Lavreotiki stands out as a unique subregion, centered around the town of Keratea. This land is endowed with soils rich in metallic elements, the result of complex geological processes that have unfolded over millions of years. This geological uniqueness imparts not only distinctive characteristics to the soil but also exceptional minerality to the wines produced in the region.
Today, Lavreotiki is the core of the Lavreotiki UNESCO Global Geopark — a natural and cultural mosaic covering 176.87 square kilometers, recognized for its geological complexity and unparalleled mineralogical diversity. More than 700 different mineral species have been identified here — 48 of which contain almost all known elements of the periodic table — making Lavreotiki a site of global mineralogical significance.
This same geological richness has profoundly shaped human activity. The Lavreotiki mines, with silver being the most prominent resource, played a pivotal role in the economic prosperity of ancient Athens during the Classical period. Much of the wealth that financed the “Golden Age of Pericles” originated from this very land.
Today, the land of Lavreotiki continues to tell this long and storied history. In the vineyards of Keratea, the wines bear the signature of the soil, acquiring a distinctive minerality, aromatic complexity, and intensity — qualities that set them apart within the broader Attic vineyard region.
Lavreotiki is not only a geologically and historically significant area but also a vibrant land of culture, nature, and agricultural production — a place that continues to evolve with respect for its past and a vision for the future.