An APPELLATION is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine are grown. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, such as what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors, may also apply before an appellation name may legally appear on a wine bottle label. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced.

A system of appellations was implemented to assure consumers the origins of their wine purchases. There are 28 Appellations in Greece. 20 (O.P.A.P.), are Appellations of Superior Quality for dry wines and 8 (O.P.E.), are Appellations of Controlled Origin for dessert wines. The Greek appellation system categorizes wines as:

• Onomasia Proelefsis Anoteras Poiotitos (O.P.A.P.), i.e. an Appellation of Origin of Superior Quality

• Onomasia Proelefsis Eleghomeni (O.P.E.), i.e. a Controlled Appellation of Origin

• Topikos Oinos, i.e. Country Wine

• Epitrapezios Oinos, i.e. Table Wine

  • Epitrapezios Oinos, regular table wine which usually comes in screw-top containers

  • Cava, more prestigious, aged “reserve” blends (minimum aging: 2 years for whites; 3 years for reds)

  • Retsina, a traditional wine, flavored with pine resin

AEGEAN ISLANDS • Limnos • Paros • Rhodes • Samos • Kos • Santorini

CRETE • Archanes • Dafnes • Peza • Sitia

CENTRAL GREECE • Anchialos • Attica • Rapsani • Thessalia

MACEDONIA • Amyntaion • Epanomi • Goumenissa • Naoussa

PELOPONNESE • Mantineia • Nemea • Patras

EPIRUS • Zitsa

IONIAN ISLANDS • Kefalonia

Click to download the Map of Greece and the Greek Wine Regions Map.